I received this note from my good friend and police academy classmate, Al Sweeney, about our 56th anniversary. —— “On October 7, 1970 -159 young men between the ages of 21 and 32 entered the Boston Police Academy on North Street in Boston. It was the largest class in the history of the police department even to this day. The newly formed union contract had been signed, which required two officers per cruiser and a new four on two off work schedules. The class was composed of primarily Vietnam veterans, all males, three African Americans no Asians and no Hispanics.  Boston was predominately an Irish and Italian city. Only one other small class of recruits would be hired before a court decision was directed to remedy the imbalances of race and gender in the BPD.    As in any class of recruits, there were many individual stars and many hard, honest, working officers, who sought to improve the city as well as the department. One member in particular, Tommy Gill gave his All while searching for weapons, stolen in a house break in Brighton, Massachusetts. He was struck by an oncoming Amtrak train and decapitated. Others were seriously injured and had to leave early while the majority stayed the course and served Boston well through the turn of the century. We served through the tumultuous eras of antiwar demonstrations and Boston’s busing crisis. Many were laid off during the political battle between Mayor White and Governor King. We all reported for duty throughout the blizzard of ’78 and Hurricane Carol as well. We worked the Bicentennial celebrations and the visits of Queen Elizabeth and Pope John Paul the Second as well as many presidents and dignitaries. Victory parades for the Celtics, Bruins, Patriots and finally after 86 years the Red Sox were always fun events. Annual Marathons and most infamously the Bombing incident in 2013. And we certainly remember September 11, 2001.   As a member of that class, it seems like only yesterday that I began my career. There were no training standards established in those days. We were issued our six-shot revolver, our night stick, and our badge on day one. Since over 150 of the recruits were military veterans, they knew how to handle a firearm. A few others of us had never trained or used a firearm and yet there we were carrying weapons back-and-forth to training. The instructors insisted that we unload our weapons before entering the Academy. Perhaps they felt safer with us unarmed, but once we left the academy, we all loaded and headed home. Most of us used public transportation to and from training since there was no parking anywhere in the area.   One memorable day, a large group of us we’re heading into Haymarket MBTA station. A man came running out of the station yelling don’t go down there. There’s a hold up. Of course, all of us determined to get the first outstanding medal for bravery, unholstered our weapons and rushed into the station. At the token booth, a man had his hand out, which could have been holding a weapon pointed at the MBTA employee. We all yelled “drop it freeze.” The MBTA attendant yelled back at us” what the hell are you fools doing.” We told him that we had been alerted to a hold up in progress at the station. To which he responded “Yes, the trains are delayed. That’s the holdup.” Tragedy was averted that day, but none of us earned any medal on that day.    All served in many capacities from going in to leading other departments and agencies to rising through the ranks as well as those who chose to work on the streets their entire careers. Everyone contributed their best. Many of my colleagues have passed on after having served the city well. If only we could gather all of their stories into one book, it would be one heck of a best seller.