AUGUSTA — Getting a call up to the big leagues is the thrill of a lifetime, and that’s true whether you’re a flame-throwing pitcher or a police officer in an honor guard team.
That moment finally will come Friday when the Augusta Police Honor Guard presents the colors at Fenway Park before the first pitch of a crucial series between the Boston Red Sox and division-leading New York Yankees.
“It’s the big rivalry and we get to do it,” said Sgt. Christian Behr, commander of the department’s color guard.
The journey that will end on the Fenway infield began more than two years ago when Behr and Augusta Police Chief Robert Gregoire re-established the honor guard team. Until 2013, the department didn’t have an established team, Behr said, and would hastily cobble together a group of officers with marching experience for special events, such as the Fourth of July parade. Behr said the hope was to pick a team that could train together and be prepared for various occasions, from funerals to sporting events.
“We were trying to get to that level,” said Behr, who was attached to an honor guard team while serving in the Maine National Guard.
The new police honor guard began practicing quarterly and marched in a number of local events, such as the wreath-lighting at the Maine Law Enforcement Memorial, the state basketball tournament and the opening of the Augusta Area Little League season. The hope, from the beginning, was to get a chance to represent the department and the city on a bigger stage.
“We’ve been doing these types of things kind of preparing, one day, to do Fenway Park,” Behr said. “I try to get our people into things for the city and community to keep practicing.”
He set the wheels in motion in 2013, shortly after the honor guard was formed, by contacting Red Sox officials and asking how to present the colors before a game. The team officials told Behr they would add Augusta to the list of volunteers. Finally, this month, Behr got an email asking whether his crew would be able to present the colors on July 10.
Craig Crosby can be contacted at 621-5642 or at:
ccrosby@centralmaine.com Twitter: @CraigCrosby4
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