Hundred Club of Cook County Services

Recipients of The Hundred Club Valor Award in 2003 were:

Officer Leiand Holland
Franklin Park Police Department
Chief Randall Petersen

On December 13, 2002 Officer Holland was writing a traffic citation at Mannheim Road and Grand Avenue in Frankiin Park when he saw a car, traveling at a high rate of speed, hit a curb and go airborne. The vehicle landed upside down on four gasoline pumps at a nearby station and an explosion occurred, setting the pumps on fire The flames engulfed the car while the driver was still inside.

Officer Holland immediately ran to the car to attempt to remove the driver from behind the wheel, but the door was jammed and refused to open. Shielding his face from the flames, Officer Holland went around to the passenger side where he managed to open the door, reach into the car, grab the disoriented driver and pull him across the seat, out of the car and away from the fire to safety. He then ran into the station to instruct the shocked attendant to shut off the electricity to the pumps to prevent further spreading of the fire.

Officer Holland's brave and selfless actions prevented harm and possible death to the driver of the vehicle and prevented greater damage to the station and surrounding properties. His dedication to duty was in the highest traditions of the Franklin Park Police Department.

Firefighter Michael Rogers
Chicago Fire Department
Commissioner James T. Joyce

On June 15, 2003, Firefighter Rogers was off duty and visiting family and friends when he saw a fire at 7735 South East End Avenue in Chicago. Accompanied by Mr. Ronald Bryant, a civilian who lives on the block, he ran to the burning building where he instructed Mr. Bryant to break two rear windows to allow some of the heavy black smoke to flow out so that he could enter the building to begin a search for any trapped victims

Without hesitation, Firefighter Rogers, without any protective clothing, breathing apparatus or hose line, entered the building and began a room-by-room search, finally finding an unconscious woman on a bed in one of the bedrooms. He pulled her to the floor to provide her with less toxic air to breathe and dragged her across the floor of the smoke-filled room, pushing aside furniture that was blocking the exit to the hallway.

At that point, Firefighter Gerald Glover, one of the members of the arriving fire companies, appeared in the hallway, and the two of them worked together to get the woman out of the building. They initiated CPR until relieved by other firefighting and ambulance personnel who had arrived on the scene. But for the actions of Firefighter Rogers, taken without hesitation or regard for his personal safety, the woman surely would have died. Those actions were in the highest traditions of the Chicago Fire Department .

Sergeant Dennis P. Walsh
Chicago Police Department
Superintendent Philip J. Cline

On October 1. 2002. Sergeant Walsh was off duty and had gone shopping at the Ford City Shopping Mail. He happened to overhear a security guard's radio transmission relating that a car, containing suspects in an armed robbery which had taken place in Burbank, had been chased by responding units into the parking lot of the mall.

He saw the offenders exit from their car, split up and enter the mall at different entrances, one of which served the J C Penney store. Sergeant Walsh pursued the offender who had entered that store and grabbed him. As they struggled the offender broke loose, drew a semi-automatic pistol and aimed it at him. The sergeant dived behind a column and the offender again ran. Resuming the pursuit, the sergeant drew his own weapon. When the offender saw him and turned again to aim his qun at the sergeant, the sergean' fired first, hitting the offender several times. He secured the offender and then requested medical aid tor him.

Sergeant Walsh's bravery and staunch dedication to duty prevented harm to others in the crowded mail and were in the highest traditions of the Chicago Police Department.