Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
For first responders battling coronavirus, a fitting tribute
SADSBURY » On the day that Sgt. James O’Connor’s family held a private funeral for him, members of the Chester County Emerald Society Pipe Band performed “Amazing Grace” at the Sadsbury Township Police Department in his honor.
Many of the members are police officers, firefighters and EMTs, but some of the members are not first-responders. Sadsbury police Officer Ryan Barr, a member of the Pipe Band, explained their purpose is to provide a tribute to fallen first-responders.
“We feel honored to pay tribute to our fallen brother or sister,” Barr said. “We usually do so with tears in our eyes.”
Barr and other members of the Pipe Band collaborated with others nationwide to play “Amazing Grace” at the same time on Friday in honor of O’Connor. Sadsburyville Fire Company members were also present and they video recorded the tribute to send to the family. Barr explained that normally at the funeral, the Pipe Band would play “Amazing Grace” after Taps in a salute to a fallen hero. They performed the song at about the time the family arrived at the cemetery.
“It doesn’t make one difference if they never met him, or they don’t know his family or what happened to him. None of that matters,” Barr said. “It’s a fallen officer and this is how we show our love and respect.”
The playing of “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes is symbolic of that person life. It starts with a solo piper representing that person’s birth into this world. Then all the pipes and drums join in celebrating that person’s life with their family, friends and fellow officers. The song ends with a solo piper playing, representing the death of that person and their journey to Heaven.
The song also helps fellow officers who are experiencing the loss and feeling the raw emotions. Barr
noted that police officers are holding back their emotions at a law enforcement funeral.
“You can tell they are fighting back tears and then when the rest of us chime in, it’s a release (of emotions),” Barr said. “You will see people release those emotions because they’re hearing it, they’re feeling it.”
He said those tears begin the grieving process which allows them to begin the healing process.
“We’ve always said that the bagpipes at a funeral gave even the harden men a reason to let their emotions out and that starts the grieving process. You can’t carry that stuff forever,”
said Barr, who also serves as the department Chaplain and as a member of the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) team. “You have to let it out at some point and you have to grieve.”
Law enforcement colleagues travel from all over to attend a funeral of a fallen hero, and the social distancing guidelines caused by the Coronavirus pandemic made it difficult. Barr explained that it was difficult to not be with the family or the extended family of the Philadelphia Police Department. But they could be emotionally connected while socially a part by participating in a tribute which was held at various locations throughout the region. Area police officers attended the tribute.
“To us, we are there with the family and we are there suffering and grieving with the family over the loss of our brother,” Barr said. “Unfortunately, we can’t be there with them. We need to be able to show our respect and our support to that family to let them know that Sgt.
O’Connor has not been forgotten. That even though we are among the COVID-19 crisis, we have not forgotten and we will not forget him.”
Barr asked Sadsbury Police Chief Michael Hawley for permission to host the tribute outside of the police station and he agreed. Hawley’s daughter is a member of the Philadelphia Police Department, where O’Connor served for 23 years. O’Connor, a member of SWAT, was fatally shot on March 13 while serving an arrest warrant for a homicide. The spread of COVID-19 and the ban on large gatherings had delayed his services.
“We want to make sure that the family knows we haven’t forgotten about him,” Barr said.
Such tributes by the Pipe Band members are at no cost to the family of the fallen hero. It’s their way to give back.
“We would never accept a dime for a fallen police officer’s funeral, or a fallen firefighter’s funeral. That is what we are here for,” Barr said. “If they need us, we’ll be there. It’s our honor.”