HOULTON, Maine — Law enforcement officers never forget a fallen comrade.And now, thanks to the efforts of both the Maine State Police and Maine Forest Rangers, the memories of Detective Glenn Strange and Forest Ranger Jeremiah Crockett will live on for many years to come.
“The idea for planting a tree came about originally from community members talking to Maine Forest Service forester Dan Jacobs about doing something special to honor Ranger Jeremiah Crockett,” said Robby Gross, a district forest ranger with the Maine Forest Service Division of Forest Protection. “Ranger Crockett meant a great deal to the Maine Forest Service and in particular the southern Aroostook area. He was involved in several programs that focused on fire and forest management and led many projects to better the common good.”
As discussions moved forward, the decision was made to approach the Maine State Police to see if a tree could be planted at the Troop F barracks, as that office also serves as the main office for the local forest rangers.
“Last year, one of our forestry wardens came to me with the idea of planting a tree for Jeremiah,” said Lt. Brian Harris, commander of the Maine State Police Troop F division. “I felt if we were going to do one tree, a second tree for Det. Glenn Strange would be nice.”
So two oak trees were planted in front of the Troop F Barracks on U.S. Route 1. In front of each tree is a plaque providing a few details about each person.
“For both Jeremiah and Glenn, planting trees and installing plaques was a way to honor their life, profession, and the work that they did to serve the people of the state of Maine,” Gross said.
Detective Strange was 46 years old when he died on Oct. 17, 1997, after suffering a heart attack. At the time of his death, he was a trooper about to be promoted to detective after serving with Troop F for three years.
Strange’s heart attack was attributed to being punched in the chest following a vehicle pursuit in Houlton. According to the Officer Down Memorial Page website, Strange was assisting a Houlton police officer during the pursuit and after the vehicle went off the road and crashed, Strange pulled the driver from the car.
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- This plaque was erected in front of a newly-planted oak tree at the Maine State Police barracks in Houlton to remember Forest Ranger Jeremiah Crockett. (Joseph Cyr)
As he was pulling the driver out, according to the website, the man regained consciousness and immediately began assaulting Strange, striking him in the chest. Immediately following the incident, Strange reported having chest pain. Two days later he went to the Aroostook Medical Center in Presque Isle where doctors determined he had received an injury to his heart during the struggle. He was provided with a pacemaker and released three days later. But as Strange and his wife Kathy drove home from the hospital, he suffered a fatal heart attack.
Strange’s “call sign” of 616 was retired after his death. In addition, Sgt. Chad Fuller’s state police dog Gleni is named after Strange.
Crockett, 41, was a long-time forest ranger covering the Houlton area who died April 4, 2017, following a lengthy battle with cancer. He spent 17 years as a forest ranger with the Maine Forest Service, Division of Forest Protection.
“Jeremiah was a constant professional who treated all with respect, dignity, and fairness, while completing the Division of Forest Protection mission,” Gross said.
Crockett also was a wildland firefighter with extensive training in incident management and was instrumental in developing Maine’s East Branch T2IA fire crew. He frequently deployed for wildland fires across the country and was well known by the national firefighting community.
“As his direct supervisor, I saw what positive impact he had on so many people and our agency,” Gross said of Crockett. “He was someone to look up to and was a genuine leader on many fronts. Beyond having a symbol to honor him, the completed project is a way to never forget what he stood for, to remember the qualities that he possessed that made him such a dynamic person, and to reflect on what we can do ourselves to be better people, professionals, and family members.”
Oak trees were selected for the memorial for a couple of specific reasons. According to Gross, oak trees are known to be hearty and grow vigorously.
“More importantly, to me the oak tree symbolizes longevity, strength, and survival,” Gross said. “These qualities bond together and correlate well to the lives that Jeremiah and Glenn lived. They also relate well to how we ultimately feel about these two individuals as peers, friends and family men.”
