The Crittenden Automotive Library

R.I.P. G.I. Joe

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Topics: Jeep Cherokee

R.I.P. G.I. Joe

Bill Crittenden
September 10, 2015

A very sad use for the automobile: rolling memorial.

I saw this Jeep Cherokee in Volo this morning while filling up at Thorntons. Around here, the window paint usually gets used for happy announcements often relating to high school dances or youth sports, so this stood out to me as worthy of note. This is two days after the funeral, and I imagine the owner is in no hurry to clear it off.

For those who aren't from the area, Lt. Joseph Gliniewicz was a beloved Fox Lake police officer for 32 years and served in the Army and Army Reserve until 2007, and G.I. Joe was his nickname. He was murdered while chasing three suspects off of Route 12.

Fox Lake is a 19-mile drive from the home office of The Crittenden Automotive Library, and I found myself "behind the lines" of a police manhunt perimeter the second night after the murder. The Thorntons in Volo is on Route 12, so this was literally "just down the road" from where the murder took place.

I imagine that permanent stickers will be made soon and become a common sight on Lake County roads for years to come. Maybe then the paint will come off. If you drive around Richmond, further north up Route 12 on the Wisconsin border, you can still occasionally see a memorial sticker for Ward Weber, a half Harley badge/half Maltese cross design for the beloved firefighter and Harley-Davidson rider who died suddenly while doing construction work several years ago (full disclosure: Ward was one of my wife's uncles). A charity motorcycle ride in his honor is still an annual event in Richmond.

I think the name Joseph Gliniewicz will be a part of Lake County for many years to come. He lived his life for his community, and he deserves to be remembered. Hopefully the "people" who did this can be caught and we can get back to using our window paint for showing our support for high school football players.

More information on Lt. Joseph Gliniewicz:

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/09/07/mourners-prepare-to-say-goodbye-to-lt-joe-gliniewicz/

http://heavy.com/news/2015/09/charles-gliniewicz-fox-lake-illinois-police-officer-lieutenant-dead-killed-shot-shooting-veteran-age-family-wife-funeral-memorial-photos-suspects-manhunt/

http://m.legacy.com/obituaries/dailyherald/obituary.aspx?n=charles-joseph-gliniewicz&pid=175746444&referrer=0&preview=false