Pocono News Section

Ceremony Held to Honor Trooper 8 Decades Later

Ceremony Held to Honor Trooper 8 Decades Later - Tuesday, May 5, 2009 at 5:50PM EST

CHINCHILLA- State police paid special tribute to a fallen trooper killed nearly 8-decades ago. A major reason for the ceremony was to correct a longtime mistake.
State police carry a flag to the gravesite of Scranton-born Trooper Thomas Lawry. This ceremony comes 79-years after his death.

Lawry was on highway patrol and just 24 when he was struck and killed on his motorcycle by a teen-aged wrong way driver in 1930.

This general area of Shady Lane Cemetery is where state police believed Trooper Lawry had been laid to rest. In fact, it's about 25-yards from his actual burial place.

State police got help from a cemetery groundskeeper to determine the rightful resting place.
And instead of a wooden steak as a grave marker, the Fraternal Order of Police purchased a tombstone.

Two surviving nieces from New York state are here for this ceremony. State police tracked down the family through genealogical research.

Lawry’s niece Barbara Lawry said, "We appreciate the fact that they were diligent enough to seek us out and to mark his grave and honor him in this way."

Another niece, Marcia Inman, said, "It's a touching ceremony and it brought tears to my eyes. Even though I never knew him it's still that, that honoring of, of someone like that."

State police say honoring Trooper Lawry in this way is important -- no matter how long ago he died. Corporal James Seamon said, "He's a brother and we don't leave men behind and we can't ever forget a brother's memory and especially the sacrifice that he gave for this state and for our other brothers."

State police placed the tombstone for trooper Lawry at its rightful place in January. They waited to hold the ceremony until now so that his nieces could attend.