State police marks 113th year
BUTLER TWP — An American flag rustled in the wind and the sun shone as new and old Pennsylvania State Police troopers gathered Wednesday morning at the Troop D barracks to mark the annual State Police Day.
According to Capt. Steve Ignatz, Troop D commanding officer, it is not only a day of celebration, but also a way to give “recognition to those who have died in the line of duty and gone before us.”
After the invocation, two troopers placed a wreath against a memorial dedicated to the fallen state troopers, where 10 names are carved into the gray stone.
Afterward, Ignatz discussed the history of the state police.
Signed into law by Gov. Samuel Pennypacker in 1905, the state police became the first uniformed police of its kind in the United States. Its creation set an example for surrounding states, Ignatz said.
When the state police started 113 years ago, there were around 200 men, sometimes working six to seven days a week. Now the state police employs 6,000 men and women working for the department in different capacities, Ignatz said.
The barracks was originally in Punxsutawney, before moving to its current location, off New Castle Road on the old Duffy Farm in 1911.
Also among changes are how troopers receive calls. Instead of the instantaneous communication the world has grown accustomed to, state police originally relied on a network of people and businesses with phones using metal flags to alert patrolling officers that they were needed.
“In this area, they would have certain people who would have phones,” Ignatz said. “The people who owned these phones would raise these flags and that would mean the trooper would have to stop in and contact headquarters to see what he was responsible for handling.“
But what hasn't changed is the sense of camaraderie. After Ignatz's speech, new and retired troopers stood around to chat and laugh.
“It brings some retirees out to meet the younger people and they get to interact and talk about things they've experienced over the years,” he said.
Among the community members attending was Dave Zarnick, president of the Butler Township commissioners.
“Bittersweet,” said Zarnick when asked how he felt about the event. “It's nice they spend the time to remember their fallen comrades.
“They couldn't have asked for a better day.”
State troopers who gave their lives in the line of duty are remembered on a monument in front of the Troop D barracks:Pvt. Robert V. Myers, killed March 28, 1913Pvt. Andrew Czap, killed April 28, 1918Pvt. Bernard S.C. McElroy, killed Dec. 21, 1924Pvt. Bertram Beech, killed Dec. 10, 1925Cpl. Brady C. Paul, killed Dec. 27, 1929Sgt. Joe B. Champion, killed July 15, 1936Pvt. Floyd B. Clouse, killed Nov. 2, 1953Tpr. Albert J. Izzo, killed June 13, 1979Tpr. Frank J. Bowen, killed Oct. 26, 1983Tpr. Blake T. Coble, killed Oct. 4, 2012
