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A SPRING 3100 RETROSPECTIVE HONORINGTHE NYPD AND WORLD WAR IIJune 6, 2024Prepared for the New York City Police Foundation Annual Gala

"Sometimes a clipping from a hometownpaper - like yours - can mean as much as amedal to the morale of a fighting manoverseas, whether he’s a pilot, mechanic or aclerk." - Lieutenant General Ira C. Eaker Commander in Chief Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (Spring 3100 February 1945)To the New York City PoliceFoundation, the members of theNYPD, the Intrepid Museum andall who served and continue toserve.

The men and women of the New York City Police Department are some of the mostcommitted public servants in the world. For nearly 180 years, they have dedicatedthemselves to keeping the people of our city safe – and never has this devotion to othersbeen more evident than during our nation’s involvement in World War II.This booklet is filled with stories, illustrations, histories, and firsthand accounts of life inNew York City during that turbulent and transformative time. Heroism, sacrifice,incomparable resilience – it was all part of a New Yorker’s daily life eight decades ago. Andthrough it all, the men and women of the NYPD were there for them.During the early-to-mid 1940s, the department took on many challenges related to the wareffort. On top of their regular work patrolling the city and fighting crime, NYPD officers wereresponsible for watching over our city’s ports, enacting components of the City CivilDefense Plan, coordinating and overseeing the Air Raid Protection Service, enforcingmandatory blackouts and dimouts, ensuring compliance with rationing programs, keepingthe public informed through community-outreach campaigns and press events, fundraisingfor war bonds, and more.To supplement this increased workload, scores of volunteers were recruited to expand thedepartment’s reach and replenish personnel who were called to serve overseas. More than1,000 NYPD members fought with the Allies in the war – which was nearly 7% of thedepartment’s uniformed headcount at the time – and 24 were killed. These heroes, alongwith more than 400,000 other Americans, paid the ultimate price to preserve our freedoms.And their tremendous legacy of service continues today.About 3,250 current members of the NYPD either actively serve in the U.S. armed forces, orare military veterans. It is a special type of person who answers this double-call, and it is nosurprise that so many of them are here in our department. Today, and every day, we thankthem for their dual service, and for all the ways they better our city and our nation.New York City continues to be the safest big city in America, and that is a direct result ofthe hard work, skill, and ingenuity of our NYPD officers. Every day, they prove to the worldwhy they truly are “New York’s Finest” – and it is my great honor to tell their story.A M E S S A G E F R O M T H E P O L I C E C O M M I S S I O N E REdward A. CabanPolice Commissioner

On this 80th anniversary of the Allied landing in Normandy, the Forever the Finest initiativepresents the story of the New York City Police Department during World War II as told throughSpring 3100 front covers and articles.Created in March 1930, Spring 3100 is published by and for the NYPD’s active and retireduniformed and civilian members. The magazine was named for one of New York City’s earliestemergency phone numbers. In times of crisis, the public would dial “SPR3100” (777-3100) toconnect to the Spring Street Exchange, then were forwarded by cable to the nearby policeheadquarters.In the 1940s, NYPD officers swapped patrol uniforms for those of soldiers, Sailors, Marines,Airmen, and Coast Guardsmen and were shipped to theaters in the Pacific, North Africa, andEurope. Back at home, their fellow officers took on added responsibilities, such as guardingNew York City’s ports and airfields, while upholding their solemn vow to fight crime and keeppeace across the five boroughs. Throughout the war, Spring 3100 continued to be delivered to all of its members, includingthose stationed abroad. The periodical would eventually find its way to our brave publicservants posted in far-flung locales and, hopefully, provide them a respite from the horrors ofarmed conflict and reassurance that their beloved city and its people remained strong.Introduction

In chronicling the wartime years, Spring 3100 reminded the men and women of the NYPD –wherever they were – that New Yorkers truly appreciated and supported them, and that theirbrothers and sisters “on the job” wished them well and prayed for their swift return home.When perusing this compilation of covers, stories, photographs, and letters sent home –plucked from the 1941 to 1945 editions – it becomes clear that the police department’s richpast is deeply interwoven with the history of New York City and the United States. PatrolmanCharles Harold, affectionately known as “the Norman Rockwell of the NYPD,” illustrated nearlyevery front cover during the magazine’s first 17 years and is responsible for the majority of theartwork featured herein.One civilian member of the NYPD and 23 officers of various ranks were killed while serving inthe armed forces during World War II – the same number of NYPD members who made theultimate sacrifice on September 11, 2001. While this booklet is intended to commemorate thelegacies of all World War II-era NYPD employees, it also serves as a poignant, timelessreminder of the courage possessed by anyone, from any generation, who chose to serve NewYork – to live a life of significance.These are the heroes who stood up, stepped forward, and swore an oath to the people of ourgreat city. And they will never be forgotten. Fidelis ad mortem, faithful unto death.

While war rages across the globe, the United States remains neutral. However, withbombings of cities all across Europe and Asia, the United States prepares for defense. In May 1941, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt taps New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia to oversee the City Civil Defense Plan, which recruits and trains volunteers in basicfirst aid, firefighting, evacuation, and other essential tasks to protect civilians during war-related emergencies. The new Air Raid Protection Service, coordinated and overseen by the NYPD, was animportant component of the Civil Defense Plan. At the height of the war, more than 240,000volunteers had been transformed into air wardens, establishing air raid shelters andenforcing blackouts and dimouts to minimize visibility in the event of enemy aircraft attacks.NYC PREPARESFOR WarThe first to volunteer as air wardens – at the NYPD’s114th Pct. In Queens – were Ms. Jean Stephl and Capt.Ken Meinerd, employees of Transcontinental andWestern Air.Mayor La Guardia encouraged NewYorkers to volunteer at their local policeprecincts to help secure the safety ofthe city. Volunteers served inneighborhoods in which they lived orworked. Wardens patrolled streets ensuringresidents were complying with dimoutand blackout conditions, ensuringpeople knew where to go and what to doin emergencies.

PREPARATIONFOR WarAir Wardens came from all walks oflife. By day, Wardens educated thepublic about safety, and by night,patrolled the streets enforcingdimouts and readying the city for anattack. They did so in theiruniforms, which included a helmet,flashlight, air raid siren, whistle, andfire extinguisher, continuing a proudtradition of uniform volunteerism. While New York was neverattacked during the war, theorganization of the Air Wardensand the willingness of volunteerscreated a sense of communitywithin the city. Throughout thewar, New Yorkers were constantlyasked to give more, and theyalways answered the call. Air Warden Walter Bennet, a chief electrician at La Guardia Field,demonstrates first aid bandaging on TWA hostess Pat Mellon whilePolice Department officials look on.

Members of the Air Raid Protection Service put on a demonstration at Madison Square Garden. Pictures from Spring3100, October 1941.

Mayor La Guardia served as a combat flyerin World War I, while also serving as amember of Congress, and knew thedangers that aerial warfare could bring. PREPARATIONFOR WarMayor La Guardia addresses a Police Department promotional ceremony. Under the guidance of Mayor La Guardia,city officials flooded the media outletswith interviews, open letters, murals,demonstrations and flyers to informresidents of all necessary aspects ofpublic safety. Mayor La Guardia and Police Commissioner Valentine take a unified stance for public safety,addressing police executives on structure, duties, and enrollment procedures for the City CivilDefense plan. Mayor La Guardia also focuses his attention towards the New York City Council,emphasizing the significance of unity and cooperation while on the precipice of war.No topic was too large or too trivialfor the mayor to publicly address,from encouraging residents to wearwhite at night so that drivers withoutheadlights could see them, toinforming people about the very realthreat of bombings, to printing andhanding out “What To Do In An AirRaid” posters.

On December 7, 1941, Americans assigned to the U.S. naval base at PearlHarbor were suddenly and deliberately attacked by the naval and air forcesof the Empire of Japan. That morning, 2,403 Americans were killed andnearly 1,200 were wounded. The following day, President Franklin D.Roosevelt went before a joint session of Congress and, during hisdeclaration of war address, spoke the words synonymous with the event - characterizing it as “a date which will live in infamy.”Following FDR’s speech before Congress, the House of Representativesvoted to declare war with just one dissent; the Senate was unanimous.Men and women across the United States began to enlist in the armedforces and other organizations to help the war effort. The Army/NavyNurses Corps, Women’s Army Corps (WAC) and, later, the WomenAccepted for Volunteer Emergency Services (WAVES) were created toaddress the country’s deep desire to serve.Hunter College (now Lehman College) in the Bronx was home to a WAVEStraining center that prepared approximately 81,000 women to serve in theNavy, freeing up positions to allow men to fight.War

Police Commissioner Lewis Joseph Valentine offers a message to the New York CityPolice Department days after the Pearl Harbor attack in the December 1941 issue ofSpring 3100.

The financial costs of any war are astronomical. By the summer of 1940, the victories of NaziGermany against Poland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Luxembourgbrought urgency to the United States’ government, which was ill-prepared for America’sinvolvement in the conflict.Of principle concern were issues surrounding financing the war. Many of FDR’s advisorsfavored a system of tax increases and enforced savings programs, as advocated by Britisheconomist John Maynard Keynes. In theory, that would have permitted increased spendingwhile decreasing the risk of inflation. But Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau Jr.preferred a voluntary loan system and began planning a national defense bond program in thefall of 1940. The intent was to unite the attractiveness of the baby bonds that had beenimplemented in the interwar period with the patriotic element of the Liberty Bonds from theFirst World War.Known as Defense Bonds prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, War Bonds were soldas a way to fund the war while helping Americans demonstrate their support. Like the babybonds before them, War Bonds were sold for as little as $18.75 and matured in 10 years, atwhich time the U.S. government paid the bondholder $25. Large denominations of between $50and $1,000 were also made available – all of which, unlike the Liberty Bonds of the previouswar – were non-negotiable bonds.BondsWAR For those who found it difficult topurchase an entire bond at once, 10-cent savings stamps could bepurchased and collected inTreasury-approved stamp albumsuntil the recipient had accumulatedenough stamps for a bondpurchase.War Bond rally outside of Grand Central Terminal.

War Bond rally outside of New York Stock Exchange, March 1942.BondsWAR War Bond rallies were a commonoccurrence through the city at this time. In addition to municipal, state, and federalgovernment entities promoting the WarBond campaign, giant mediaorganizations also pushed the importanceof financially supporting the war effort.Animated friends Mickey Mouse, DonaldDuck, and Goofy were presented on moviescreens to the public to discuss theinvestments. And large- and small-scalepublications alike, including pamphlets,brochures, the NYPD’s Spring 3100, andleading newspapers of the day, allpublished images and informationadvocating support.The NYPD was recognized throughout the war for its success during multiple War Bond drives,which often focused on particular items that the U.S. Department of Defense needed. One suchcampaign spearheaded by the NYPD raised nearly $5.2 million and enabled the purchase of 69fighter aircraft with “City of N.Y.” and the names of individual police precincts or units –“Homicide Squad,” “Midtown,” and even “Police Commissioner” – emblazoned on their sides.

BondsWAR Another campaign funded the purchase of two Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses – one to benamed “City of New York,” the other to feature an NYPD patrolman’s shield on its fuselage.The American-built, four-engine heavy bombers were fast and high-flying, and used primarily inthe European Theater of Operations. They are credited with dropping more bombs than anyother aircraft during World War II. Of the 12,731 B-17s built, approximately 4,735 were lostduring the war. Afterwards, planes that had flown in combat missions were sent for smeltingat aircraft boneyards. Consequently, at the start of 2024, just six of the aircraft remain in flyingcondition – none of which are the NYPD-associated planes.Members of the NYPD received a cost-of-living bonus during the war years, andSpring 3100 asked many what theyplanned to do with the additional money.To the right are several of the responses,including one from Gertrude Schimmel,who broke gender barriers in the NYPDas one of the first two women to becomea sergeant, as well as later becoming thefirst to be named chief. When she joined the police department inJune 1940, female officers could not bepromoted above the entry-level post ofpolicewoman, and they were not allowedto go out on patrol. In 1943, policewomenwere issued a black shoulder bag withspace for a holster but also a makeup kit.“Use the gun as you would your lipstick,”Mayor La Guardia told them. “Don’toverdo either one.”

ServiceAs German and Japanese forces pushed forward in parts of Europe and the Pacific, the numberof Americans enlisting in the armed forces increased. The members of the NYPD were nodifferent - at the height of the war, the Department had over a thousand men and women servingin the armed forces and posted all across the world.In addition to honoring the sons and daughters of NYPD officers serving their country, Spring3100 kept a monthly count of those enlisted in the military.As the number of men and women increased overseas, so did the amount of mail cominghome. Spring 3100 regularly printed mail they received from both members of the police department,as well as their compatriots serving “somewhere” around the world.

AWAY FROMHomeS O M E W H E R E I N F R A N C EOctober 25, 1944EDITOR, SPRING 3100:A mere cub copper when the Army seized menearly two years ago (lucky Army), you can neverguess by the photo what I am grinning at. No,respite from the ordeal of combat or even thepresence of friendly mademoiselles is notresponsible. It's just that I am thinking of the extratours I would be doing were I back home on the jobnow instead of sojourning here in "sunny" France.Thanx for SPRING 3100. Merry Christmas and aHappy New Year to you all!PFC. BERNARD D. GORDANPatrolman, 28th PrecinctP.S. Enclosed is a photo of the outgoing platoon of theNetherlands Military Police of Curacao, D.W.I.. whichSergeant Major Wauben (at extreme left) was kindenough to have posed for me. In front are shownEdward Walsh, Sp. (S)3/c, formerly of the old 9APrecinct: Private Chapman of the Baltimore and OhioRailroad Police, and myself.May 15, 1944EDITOR, SPRING 3100:Just received my April issue of SPRING 3100, the secondcopy to reach me since being stationed down here, andbelieve you me it sure is swell to be able to read aboutthe boys back in the job. You'd be surprised how SPRING3100 gets around down here. The men all wait their turnto read it. It is like a letter from home.Best regards to all the boys at the 40th Precinct and allothers in the job that I know.BARNETT J. KAUFMAN, Sp. (S)3/c, Patrolman, 40th Precinct.S O M E W H E R E I N A F R I C AS O M E W H E R E I N T H E T R O P I C SH A R M O N G E N E R A L H O S P I T A LLongview, TexasApril 14, 1944EDITOR, SPRING 3100:Thanks sincerely for SPRING 3100 which since myinduction into the armed services has been reaching meregularly.Do you mind if I take this means to announce, via good oldSPRING 3100, my marriage to the "Sweetest Litle Girl inthe World?" The picture is self explanatory. Lovely, is shenot? She is the former Miss Elsie R. Nagy, of 453-32 82ndPlace, Elmhurst, L. I., and the ceremony was performed inthe post chapel at Camp Livingston, La.Regards and best wishes to all my friends in theDepartment. EMIL J. REICH 2nd Lieutenant, C.M.P. Patrolman, Police Academy.P R O V O S T M A R S H A L O F F I C ENinth Service CommandFort Winfield Scott, CaliforniaOctober 15, 1945EDITOR, SPKING 3100: Enclosed is a photo of our "Boss" with three of hisoffice staff, and we thought that some of his formerbuddies might like to get a look at him after being awayfrom them for so long. Captain Fidgeon, on military leave from the 28thPrecinct, has done a great job here. He has taught us theway of the New York policeman and because of thatteaching our results here have been excellent. During the World Conference he had two of hisbuddies out to the post, a Lieutenant Campion andDetective Joe Sullivan who gave us a most welcome talkon police activities in New York. We are hoping, incidentally, that we out here maygeta peak at the "Boss" in SPRING 3100, when he receives it,as part of his lectures are taken from it.S/Sgt. EARL LAKE, Nineth Service Command.December 20, 1943EDITOR, SPRING 3100: On January 7, 1943, I changed my blue uniform of New York’s “Finest” for thekhaki of Uncle Sam’s Army. Now, almost one year later, I’ve already completed eightmonths overseas. My army assignments have carried me far and carried me fast. I wasstationed in four camps in the U.S., have been through about half the states in theUnion, and traveled from coast to coast. I’ve sailed on three oceans, been on fourcontinents, and in six foreign countries, yet SPRING 3100 has never yet failed to comethrough. It may have been a little late at times, but over here magazines like that justdon’t get old. I can say with all sincerity that every issue I have ever received has beenmost welcome. it has done much to keep me “in touch” with the men and theDepartment. Thanks for your efforts on my behalf. Give my regards to my buddies on thehome-front – and – keep ‘em coming! PPC. ALBERT A. BRUST, Patrolman, 7th Precinct..

WAR AT While its sons and daughters served overseas, New York and those at home continued to contribute tothe war effort in rewarding ways. The landscape of the city changed, with everyday residents sharing inthe sacrifice. In addition to blackouts and dimouts, federal restrictions were placed on leisure travel,and food rationing was implemented throughout the nation to conserve certain food items, such asmeat, dairy, sugar, and coffee, for the military overseas.HomeRekindling an idea first implemented whenPresident Woodrow Wilson announced in1917 that “food will win the war” anddeclared that “everyone who creates orcultivates a garden helps,” the federalgovernment launched a United StatesGarden Army through the Bureau ofEducation. The program, funded by the WarDepartment, began in 1943 and saw smallplots of land around New York City andelsewhere – including a “Victory Garden” inRockefeller Center featuring red cabbage, parsley, broccoli, onions, Swiss chard, carrots, and more –used to alleviate food shortages while boosting morale and fostering a sense of community.In total, New York City had approximately 400,000 victory gardens across all five boroughs, occupyingsome 600 acres of private land. They sprouted up in empty lots on Ludlow Street, Upper East Sideapartment terraces, and open spaces throughout Queens and Brooklyn. There was one planted along Park Avenue, while another flourished uptown on Riverside Drive. Yetanother sizable garden was located in Midtown Manhattan, spreading its leaves in the shade of theChrysler Building.

One such citation (above) wasgiven to the 5th Precinct for amonetary donation of $20,000.A Certificate of Appreciation(right) was given in recognitionof the 1,148 NYPD memberswho donated blood in Brooklynfrom October - May, 1944.Volunteer services continued to supply ourtroops with much needed aid. The American RedCross rose to prominence once again, fulfilling acongressional mandate from 1905 that calledfor its volunteer force to provide care andsupport to injured servicemen. It also providedfirst-aid training, emergency-preparednesseducation, and assistance to families sufferingfrom loss or coping with wartime separationfrom loved ones. Cigarettes, food, candy,clothes, and other basic essentials weresupplied in care packages. Throughout the war,the Red Cross awarded numerous citations andcertificates of appreciation to the NYPD for itssupport and collaboration, including theorganization and facilitation of blood drives.RED CROSS

As fighting across the globe increased, so did its tragicconsequences. News of the death of Captain Thomas Abbeycame home to his beloved wife, Mary, making him the firstuniformed member of the NYPD killed while serving overseasduring the war. Captain Abbey was born in 1899 on an Army base inPlattsburgh, New York. He served in the Navy during World War Iand upon conclusion of the war, obtained his pilot’s license. Heworked as a stunt pilot, barnstorming across the country duringthe 1920s.After marrying Mary, he settled down in Queens and became amember of the NYPD in 1927. In 1929, he was assigned to theBrooklyn Motorcycle Unit.Thomas never stopped flying, and in 1933, was granted a leaveof absence to fly to Alaska to conduct a successful search-and-rescue mission for pilot James Mattern, who was attempting tobeat the record for circumnavigating the globe in an aircraft. WAR HITSHomeIn 1941, Mayor La Guardia granted Thomas leave for a year totrain pilots in the Army Air Corps. In 1943 he returned toservice after receiving a telegram from General Hap Arnold. Captain Abbey was assigned then to a Reconnaissance Unitin South America, where he was tasked with safeguarding thesupply chain by establishing airfields for rubber factories. In early September 1943, Captain Abbey’s plane crashed inthe jungles of Peru while he was performing a rescue missionfor his commanding officer. Like all members of the NYPD, Thomas Abbey’s sacrifice willnever be forgotten. In 2022, 82nd Place in Queens was co-named “Capt. Thomas Abbey Place.”

The tragic news of loved ones lost coincided with the news ofheroic tales, including that of Patrolman Gerald Crosson. The sonof retired Patrolman Charles S. Crosson (appointed in 1909,retired in 1934), he was appointed in 1938. Already a pilot in theU.S. Army Air Corps, he was quickly assigned to the NYPDAviation Unit.Less than 24 hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Crosson wasthe first NYPD member called up for active duty in the Army, andsoon found himself flying combat missions over the PacificOcean. He was promoted to the rank of Army captain during hisservice and flew the most missions in his unit. By the war’s end,he had received the Distinguished Service Cross, theDistinguished Flying Cross, the Silver Star, a Purple Heart, and anAirman’s Medal.He retired from the NYPD as asergeant in 1959 to become acivilian pilot. His son, Gerald J.Crosson Jr., followed hisfather’s lead and became an AirForce pilot, serving during theVietnam War. Tragically, he wasshot down in 1968 and is stilllisted as missing in action.January 1951 Battery ParkPolice Commissioner Thomas Murphy and Sgt. Crosson in front of one of thefirst Bell helicopters.HEROESBack in New York, Crosson returned to the NYPD Aviation Unit and earned three commendationsfor helicopter rescues during his career. He was later credited with 105 Medevac helicopterrescues during his service in the Korean War, this time returning home as a highly-decoratedlieutenant colonel.

NYPD volunteers continued their hard work in New York, taking onmyriad roles and responsibilities required to keep the cityfunctioning. But this was not the first time New Yorkers had beencalled to action. The Home Defense League was established in 1916, during theFirst World War, to provide a force of volunteers that could fill thepolice department’s ranks while officers fought overseas. Withinmonths of its creation, approximately 22,000 men had steppedforward to assist. In 1918, the group’s name was changed to theNew York Reserve Police Force, and about 3,000 womenvolunteered. Although the “Great War” ended later that year, thevolunteer police force had proven successful and was maintaineduntil 1934. Baseball great George Herman “Babe” Ruth, Jr. alsojoined the reserve police group following his trade to the New YorkYankees from the Boston Red Sox in 1920. By 1925, during theheight of his playing career, Ruth held the rank of lieutenant.In 1942, a coordinated service was again required in New York City,and the City Patrol Corps was established. Comprised of more than4,500 men and women, the cadre of volunteers bravely assistedpolice officers in their patrol duties. While the formal Patrol Corpswas disbanded at World War II’s end, the city maintained avolunteer force that would eventually become today’s NYPDAuxiliary Section. There are currently 2,989 Auxiliary police officersserving the city on a volunteer basis.LIFE ATHomeGeorge Herman “Babe”Ruth, a lieutenant in theNew York Reserve PoliceForce, shown in 1925during the height of hisYankees baseball career.

Patrolman Thomas J. MurrayThomas Murray was the first member of the NYPD to earn therank of Colonel in the U.S. Army during the War. He was born in 1908, and prior to joining the NYPD in 1937,worked as an engineer. In 1941, while a 9th Precinct patrolman,he requested and was granted leave for military service with theArmy Signal Corps and was promoted to Colonel in December1943.When asked about his promotion in a Spring 3100 interview, Col.Murray says; “When I remember all the kidding I used to take‘before the war’ about being a lieutenant, I’m almost afraid tocome home again!”Colonel Murray returned to the NYPD in January 1946, waspromoted to Sergeant in September 1946, and to Lieutenant in1952. He retired in 1957.As World War II ended, members of the greatest generation came home and continued to servetheir communities. Patrolman Roland SolomanRoland Soloman of the 23rd Precinct, was awarded the AirMedal while serving in the Army Air Force in September 1942.Staff Sergeant Soloman was a waist gunner on a B-24Liberator heavy bomber, in addition to radio duties. Herecalled one particular mission to Spring 3100, “We werecoming back from a mission deep in Germany and using moregas than a Sunday driver in a traffic jam. About 30 miles fromthe Italian Coast the gauges registered zero.”The pilot ordered the crew to bail out, but Staff Sgt. Solomanremained with the pilot to help crash the plane into theMediterranean Sea. Staff Sgt. Soloman, his pilot, and the entire crew survived.Soloman continued, “I guess I sat on that wing for 25 minutesuntil a British trawler nosed by to pick us up. Treated us forshock and exposure and that was all!”HEROES

For our police department, our city, and our nation, World War II is a story of triumph and tragedy.For countless families – such as the Meehans and the Bradys – life would never be the same.Twelve-year-old Joe Meehan, the son ofPatrolman Joseph Meehan, modeled forwhat became a famous Police AthleticLeague poster in 1937. Six years later, Joeand fellow model Jean O’Brien werephotographed next to the iconic work,alongside a new set of subjects for anupdated version.A year after this group photo was taken in1943, Joe Meehan was a 19-year-old firstclass seaman in the U.S. Navy, serving ona gun crew aboard the USS Barr, adestroyer tasked with escorting largervessels in a convoy.First Lieutenant Thomas Brady, a member of the U.S. Army AirCorps and a patrolman in the 18th Precinct in Manhattan, was thefirst NYPD member to be killed in action. The co-pilot of a B-17Flying Fortress, Brady and his crew were shot down on January 11,1944, while en route to Germany. Brady was buried in an Americancemetery in the Netherlands. He was survived by his wife and 1-year-old son.Members of the 18th Precinct outside the Sacred Heart Church on news ofPatrolman Brady’s death.HEROESOn May 8, 1944, Joe Meehan was swept away at sea and declared missing in action. He wasposthumously awarded the Purple Heart military decoration.

VICTORYEuropeSpontaneous celebration at the crossroads of the world on “Victory in Europe Day” When news broke on April 30, 1945, that Adolph Hitler was dead – with Hitler’s ally, BenitoMussolini, having been executed by Italian partisans the day before – people the world overerupted in shouts of relief and joy. In May, Germany surrendered. Now, the United States and itsallies could focus on a reeling Japan. Victory was imminent, and American troops (and NYPDmembers) would shortly return home.IN

On the morning of September 2, 1945, formal surrender documents were signed in Tokyo Bayby representatives from the Empire of Japan and the Allied nations during a 23-minuteceremony held on the teak decks of the USS Missouri, a battleship built in the Brooklyn NavyYard in the midst of World War II. The signing ceremony, broadcast throughout the world,designated the day as the official “Victory over Japan Day.” In the midst of exultation, however,there was recognition that the true meaning of the day was best represented by those whowere not present to celebrate: More than 400,000 Americans – including 24 members of theNew York City Police Department – gave their lives to secure our nation’s freedom.VICTORY OVERJapan

HomeAmerican men and women began returning from foreign service to find a new world waitingto welcome them home. It would be the first winter holiday season celebrated at home, formany of them, in four years.To reduce the possibility of postwar economic depression brought on by widespreadunemployment, President Roosevelt signed what became known as the G.I. Bill days afterthe D-Day invasion of Normandy.For the 15 million men and women returning home whohad served in the armed services, the G.I. Bill nowprovided World War II veterans with funds for collegeeducation, unemployment insurance, and housing. NewYorkers, of course, also benefited from these newservices as they reestablished their family lives andresumed their active police responsibilities as patrolmenand policewomen.Within seven years, nationwide, approximately eightmillion veterans received education benefits. Under theact, about 2.3 million attended colleges and universities,3.5 million received school training, and 3.4 millionreceived on the job training.The number of degrees awarded by U.S. colleges and universities more than doubled between1940 and 1950, and the percentage of Americans with bachelor degrees or advanced degreesrose from 4.6 percent in 1945 to 25 percent a half-century later.In New York City, demand for housing was already high across the five boroughs, butparticularly among veterans. In response to the growing demands, and to help veterans improvetheir housing security and transition back to civilian life, city, state, and federal governmentfunding was allocated for Emergency Temporary Housing for Veterans, providing a boom inveterans’ housing through New York City. As the housing was viewed as “temporary,” theprojects situated on large plots of land rented by the city were developed simply and quickly.

The Queen Mary returns soldiers home to New York, 1945. Bare-bones structures were a vast improvement over previous living situations, and nothingseemed impossible to many young families now surrounded by other veteran families. While theneighborhoods were not perfect -- many lacked paved roads and were not very close to publictransportation – the residents were willing to overlook these inconveniences in exchange for aroof over their heads.The New York City that emerged from World War II was a dramatically different place than the citythat had entered it four years earlier. The change was in large part due to the war itself, which hadfinally lifted the city out of the Depression and ushered in an era of unparalleled prosperity.In that short span, the explosion in commercial activity brought on by the war had reignited thecity's economic engine, carrying it to a level of economic power and dominance like nothing beforeor since. By the late 1940s, New York had become the world’s largest manufacturing center; thenation’s largest wholesaling center, accounting for one-fifth of all wholesale transactions inAmerica; the world’s biggest port, handling 40 percent of the nation's waterborne freight; and theworld's financial capital.Home

By the end of 1946, New York’s central economic position had been reinforced by a new role,one which the city had not enjoyed since 1790, when the nascent federal government haddeparted the city for Philadelphia and, ultimately, Washington, D.C. In December 1946, theUnited Nations selected New York as the location for its permanent headquarters. Work soonbegan on a 16-acre site along the East River, where a dazzling new complex would rise over thecoming years. “New York is not a state capital or a national capital,” the writer E. B. Whiteobserved, “but it is by way of becoming the capital of the world.”As the city boldly stepped into a new postwar era, however, the man who had done more thananyone else to ensure its greatness in the preceding decade-and-a-half would not be there tosee it. On December 31, 1945, after 12 years in office, Mayor La Guardia finally stepped down.He was worn out by his three terms, and especially his final four years, when the constraints ofwartime kept him from completing his visionary plans to reconstruct the city. Already ill withpancreatic cancer, he would live fewer than two years more, passing away on the night ofSeptember 20, 1947, at the age of 64.For 12 long years, La Guardia had struggled to reconcile two competing visions of the city.Planners like Robert Moses had championed a city of tomorrow — beholden to the car and thehighway, and to forces beyond the city's borders. An alternate vision embraced the old workingcity of Walt Whitman, Al Smith, and Emma Lazarus – the city of blocks, neighborhoods, andcrowded streets that, however shabby and rundown in appearance, were New York’s heartbeat.In the years following the war, as urban planners proposed remaking the city on a breathtakingscale, New York would begin to take leave of the past as never before, and rush headlong intothe future.Home

PatrolmanThomas J. Brady PatrolmanWilliam T. Johnson PatrolmanEdward J. CatalanoPatrolmanErnest ThompsonPatrolmanJames S. ClintonPatrolmanJames J. FreelyPatrolmanHarry R. DardePatrolmanHerbert J. BrauchlerPatrolmanWilliam A. BurkePatrolmanJames A. McCulloghPatrolmanPeter P. VerganoPatrolmanJoseph F. MyersPatrolmanJames B. DohertyPatrolmanJohn J. FahyPatrolmanJoseph L.C. HeinrichMaurice M. BerekSurgeonPatrolmanThomas G. AbbeyPatrolmanJoseph J. ConnellyPatrolmanCharles J. LicataPatrolmanWilliam RonaghanPatrolmanRobert SteinbergPatrolmanJames P. KennyPatrolmanVincent J. RiemerPatrolmanWilliam H. RussellCasualties of War 24 members of the New York City Police Department were killedwhile serving in the Armed Forces during World War II

Patrolman James P. CollinsEOW: November 29, 1941Patrolman Thomas J. CaseyEOW: December 6, 1941Patrolman William J. RooneyEOW: June 20, 1942Patrolman Joseph W. SwobodaEOW: June 22, 1942Patrolman Michael J. KeaneEOW: July 27, 1942Detective Joseph A. MiccioEOW: December 8, 1942Patrolman Angelo DimuroEOW: February 27, 1943Lieutenant Ralph MartinEOW: July 21, 1943Sergeant Matthew McCormickEOW: September 19, 1943Patrolman Patrick J. Malone EOW: January 5, 1944Detective Eugene J. MahoneyEOW: February 6, 1944Patrolman Arthur F. EggersEOW: March 27, 1944Sergeant Joseph CurtisEOW: May 12, 1944Patrolman Elliote HolmesEOW: June 15, 1944Detective Anthony J. McGinleyEOW: December 27, 1944Patrolman Albert S. BlackEOW: March 1, 1945Patrolman Jacob SzwedowskiEOW: April 29, 1945Patrolman Howard H. HegerichEOW: July 30, 1945Detective Frank McGrathEOW: September 27, 1945Patrolman James E. BusseyEOW: October 28, 1945Patrolman Francis G. McKeonEOW: November 17, 1945Patrolman James J. DonovanEOW: March 19, 1943Patrolman Christopher J. HughesEOW: January 22, 1943Patrolman Pasquale VenturelliEOW: January 23, 1943Fidelis Ad Mortem Casualties at HomeFrom December 1941 to January 1946, 24 police officerswere killed in the Line of Duty within New York City.

Special Thanks To: Deputy Commissioner Robert BarrowsStrategic Initiatives BureauAssistant Deputy Commissioner Krista AshberyStrategic Initiatives BureauNYPD Printing Section Captain Marcus McCoyPersonnel BureauLieutenant Charles GrimmOffice of Management Analysis and PlanningSergeant Brendan BeyrerOffice of Management Analysis and PlanningSergeant Brian BeeganOffice of the Deputy Commissioner, Public InformationDetective 1st Grade James DuffyOffice of the Deputy Commissioner, Public InformationPolice Officer Bryan RozanskiOffice of the Deputy Commissioner, Public InformationPolice Officer Christina EscaleraOffice of Management Analysis and PlanningKathryn GuarinoProject Management OfficeRaegan HarrisonProject Management Office Spring 3100Very Special Thank You To The New York City Police Foundation