I would like to express on behalf of all emergency service personnel, how great an honor it was to be able to participate in some way paying tribute to such a hero as Marine Lance Corporal Joshua Birchfield.

   A special thank you to Westville Police Chief Deputy Rich Oberlie and Deputy Marshal Steve Aims for their great effort in coordinating the escort returning our hero from South Bend to Westville, the visitation and funeral procession to the cemetery.

   A special thanks to LaPorte County Sheriff’s Sgt. Kevin Ulam, who helped coordinate the closing of all intersections along this funeral procession and to all departments that assisted with traffic controls. They are: Westville Police and Fire, LaPorte County Sheriff’s Deputies and Reserve; Kingsford Heights Police, New Carlisle Police, DNR, Trail Creek, Long Beach, LaPorte City and Indiana State Police Departments, Hobart, Goshen, Millersburg Police and Noble Township Fire Department. A very special thanks to the Patriot Guard and Dennis Francis, Westville and Union Mills American Legion for your help in making sure everyone stayed safe.

   Thanks to those behind the scene, INDOT and LaPorte County Highway Department for removing snow near and at the cemetery. Thanks to Commissioner Ken Layton for making that arrangement and the Westville School Corporation for supplying buses to transport to and from the cemetery.

   Thank you to all LaPorte County residents for paying tribute to Josh.

Sincerely,

Sheriff Mike Mollenhauer

LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office