Five of Howell's Finest Ready for Two-Wheeled Adventure

On Monday morning, five officers from the Howell Police Department and one honored guest will start out on a journey that will take them from headquarters all the way down to our nation's capitol. 

Sergeant Mike Martin, Detective Robert Ortenzi, Sergeant Joe Markulic and Patrolmen Matthew Cherney and Riaz Motani will be a small part of a massive contingent of officers from around the state participating in the annual Police Unity Tour.

Any ride from the Garden State to Washington DC can be daunting with all the traffic on the major roadways. But for these men in blue, the trip will be that much more of a challenge as they will be doing the three day ride by bicycle. The ride is done to honor officers from around the country who have been killed in the line of duty. It also raises money for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.

REMEMBERING THE FALLEN:

For Cherney, this is his second time making the trip, riding with a chapter of North Jersey riders. He said that while it is not an easy trip to make, keeping perspective on the bigger picture of why you are doing it makes it all worth it. "You're hurting and you're going down there and you realize that you're not doing it for you," he said. "This is a procession to remember everyone who has passed away." 

All the riders not only wear the patch from their individual departments, as well as the Unity Tour patch, and they also wear a bracelet with the name of the officer they are riding for. It is that bracelet, Cherney said that gives them all the inspiration they need. "You look down at your wrist and you're doing it for that person. you forget about the pain, you forget about the hurt."

And once they finish the trip and arrive at their destination, the patrolman said it is all worth it. "You see all the people and it's almost too difficult to put into words what it feels like. It's a very proud moment." 

Cherney is riding for Deputy Sheriff Joel Wahlenmaier of the Fresno County Sheriff's Office in California. He was killed in February of last year when he was trying to serve a warrant for a suspected arsonist. He and another officer were shot and killed by the suspect who was later found dead as well. 

Like many of the riders, Cherney never met the officer he is riding for, but in some ways that actually makes it more meaningful for him. "He was somebody who nobody was riding for and I didn't want someone to be without someone representing them."

If the roles were reversed, Cherney said he knows there would be someone who would step up to represent him. "I know if something ever happened to me I would want someone to remember me even if I've never met them before, so that my wife and my kids, like his wife and his kids will know that somebody is always thinking about them."

COMMON BONDS BRING OFFICERS TOGETHER:

Motani said it is the common bonds the officers share that bring them together for an event like this. "It's unity. That sums it up. The fact that you have a good feeling amongst brothers and sisters across the nation that it's a national tour."

Unlike Cherney, this will be Motani's first time doing the trip, but not his first time at National Police Week. "Myself and Sergeant Markulic and Sergeant Martin are part of the honor guard," he said. As part of the honor guard they have been there when the riders have arrived at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial for the past few years. "To have the hair raise on the back of your neck to see what these guys sacrificied and to be standing there and see all these guys and girls together, you have to partake in it. It's a must."

Not only is this his first time making the trip, but until recently Motani said he was not even much of a biker. "Being a first time rider and understanding it's just under 300 miles, people are pushing you to train. You really have to get your body in shape," he said. "It's a motivating factor to see what these families have gone through and what they go through every day. It's the least we can do. 

His inaugural of what he says will be several times making the trip is being done in honor of Trooper Paul Richey of the Pennsylvania State Police. He was killed in January of last year while responding to a domestic call.  "He left a wife and two children. My heart goes out to the family. My heart goes out to everyone else out there who has been involved with a fallen brother or sister, and that's why we're doing it. We're doing it together."

When he informed the members of Richey's former barracks of what he was doing, Motani said he was moved by their reaction. He said they were ecstatic that one of their former brothers was being recognized in such a way.

GIVING BACK TO THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR ALL:

Sergeant Markulic said he had wanted to ride last year but was injured so he is looking forward to being ready to go when Monday morning rolls around. Like Motani, he was inspired by seeing the riders as a member of the honor guard. "Just seeing them come into the memorial is unbelievable," he said. "They come in two by two and it's just great to see that and see why they're doing it is unbelievable."

Having served as the head of the traffic safety division for the department, Markulic said he was moved by the story of Officer Karl McDonough of the El Paso Texas Police Department. Last October McDonough was killed when his police car was hit by a drunk driver who had run a red light. "I spoke to his father the other day and the father was just amazed at the support from the law enforcement family," he said. "When his son passed he said it was the hardest thing ever. But the support from all the law enforcement all over the country has made it that much easier."

The sergeant said that is what is keeping him going through all the training and mentally preparing for the ride ahead. "When you talk to a family member like that it's even more motivating. That is what makes them survive. Without the support of the law enforcement family and friends it could drive us crazy."

RIDING FOR A FRIEND:

Not all the officers being honored next week will be strangers to those riding in their memory. New Jersey State Police Trooper Marc Castellano will be represented by Ortenzi. The two were friends prior to Castellano being killed after being struck by a car while standing on the shoulder of Route 195. 

Ortenzi will be riding for Castellano, while riding alongside Castellano's brother Nick who is an officer in Ocean Township. Because of that he said he will not be lacking for motivation, even when the trip gets to be a real challenge. "It's extremely personal for me," he said. "I always wanted to do the Unity Tour, but I never got around to actually doing it."

When his friend was killed last June, Ortenzi said he knew what he had to do. "I was pretty much committed to doing it specifically for Marc. Just to be part of it and doing it for him is kind of overwhelming." He added that the ride is something Castellano would have very much enjoyed being a part of. "He was an in shape guy, so something like this is something he would have done in a heartbeat. 

The first day of the ride is a chance for the officers to pay tribute to some of the local brothers and sisters who were killed in the line of duty. For this group, that includes riding past the area on Route 195 where Castellano was killed and where Lakewood Police Officer and Howell High School graduate Christopher Matlosz was shot and killed as well. 

Ortenzi said he has driven past the spot several times, but Monday's experience will be particularly memorable. "It will be a special kind of thing to do a roadside memorial for him with the other guys in the chapter," he said. Even a few weeks back it was obvious he was ready for the challenges ahead. "I'm dying to do it," he said at the time. "I wish we were doing it tomorrow."

The North Jersey chapter will also have a memorable first day of the ride as they will travel through the Holland Tunnel to the World Trade Center. Cherney said because it is close to home for the officers, getting the chance to be at the site of the 9/11 terror attacks will make the whole experience even more meaningful. And the fact that the tunnel will be closed for two hours prior to their crossing to make the air breathable shows just how important their endeavor is not only to the riders, but the communities they represent as well. 

COMMITTED TO THE CAUSE:

Of all the officers from Howell riding, Martin is the most senior having done the trip several times. He said the camaraderie shared by the participants is one of the best parts of the whole experience. "It's not riding with your iPod on and just zoning out. It's a lot of laughing, a lot of poking jokes at each other and at the end of the day we all go out to eat together, and the next day morning we're all ready to go."

Martin said he has no intention of slowing down his participation anytime soon. But even when he can no longer make the trip by bike, he said he will gladly join the massive support system that helps the riders on their trip. 

The riders, Martin said, try to stay off the major roads as much as possible, but they do go over bridges and also do a short stint on the Garden State Parkway. While people driving by might be annoyed at the delay the riders cause at first, he said they usually end up learning more about the effort and wanting to help as they pass with a slow reverence. 

Already this year, Martin said close to 50 officers, including Matlosz have been killed in the line of duty, which means there will be more brothers and sisters to ride for next year as well. "What we're doing and what the memorial is about is no one is ever forgotten. When we ride in for individual tributee's we're telling them you're never forgotten."

If the family of the officers being ridden for are in attendance at Police Week, Martin said the bracelets the riders wear are given to them to show that they were part of the event despite not physically being there. "We ride for those who died. Knowing they cannot physically ride with us anymore we're doing it for them. We're bringing the whole show down there to let the families and people on the wall know that they'll never be forgotten."

In his fourth year, Martin will be riding for Major Deputy Chief C. Spencer Guerry of the Georgetown, South Carolina Police Department. The two had a mutual friend who retired from the Georgetown department. Guerry was killed back in 1994, but Martin said it was still important to him that the late deputy chief be recognized. 

In addition to the ride, Marin said one of his favorite parts of the experience is just being at the memorial and seeing all the tributes to the fallen officers. Items like pictures, letters to deceased parents and other items continue to show that the officers are gone, but not nearly forgotten."That means something. That's somebody that travelled from somewhere to there. You can't help being overcome with emotion."

The sergeant said it is also helps the officers riding to appreciate being able to be a part of the memorial. "It also reminds you that I'd rather ride there than have my name on that wall. But I know if my name is on that wall, then these guys and the hundreds of people that I've become friends with through this are coming each year to remember me."

With each rider and support person having to raise $1700 to participate in the ride, the cumulative efforts of all the riders have raised millions of dollars in its 14 years of existence. Last year with 1300 riders, more than $1.3 million was raised which helped pay for the re-engraving of each of the more than 18 thousand names on the wall. 

The riders are scheduled to meet at police headquarters at 7 a.m. on Monday with a brief ceremony at 8 a.m. before the officers head out through Howell, Lakewood, Jackson and Manchester to start their ride. 

For more information on the local chapter of the unity ride you can visit this website. The event itself also has a website for more information.