Press Release:

On Wednesday January 19, 2022, Batavia resident Chief Warrant Officer-4 Bob Bialkowski US Army (Ret) had the honor and privilege to attend and participate at a funeral in Arlington National Cemetery. I and five other members of a Pilot’s Fraternity from Buffalo attended the funeral of Edward A. Kozlowski, Jr. originally from Buffalo, NY. Ed was a fellow member of our fraternity.

Ed was a highly decorated Army helicopter pilot that had been shot down in Vietnam three times during 1969, once behind enemy lines which required an assault helicopter to provide aerial cover to drive back the enemy so that Ed and his crew could be rescued. In 1971 Ed became a member of the N.Y. Army Guard in Niagara Falls that I was a member of. After about a year Ed was chosen to transfer to the Air Force where he attended fixed wing flight school and went on to serve his country flying Aerial Refueling Tankers at SAC in Rome N.Y. Ed’s next tour he was assigned to flying the Top Secret AWAC aircraft at Tinker A.F. base for ten years where he was an Instructor and Aircraft Commander. Ed retired as a Major and went on to fly commercial aircraft for several years.

His funeral at Arlington was with full Military Honors. We were honored to walk to the ceremony site behind a Caisson with Ed’s remains, pulled by six horses with a full contingent of an Air Force Marching Band, Color Guard, Armed Unit and Squad of Armed Rifle men for the salute. Ed’s service was held near the burial site where the band played several times; an Air Force Chaplain read psalms and the presentation of the flag to the family was made.

Representatives of the Secretary of Defense were also in attendance to offer their condolences. There were approximately thirty members of the Air Force that participated. We then walked to Ed’s grave site with his family to say our final farewells. Walking on the grounds of Arlington where over fifty thousand veterans, many of whom paid
the ultimate price are buried was one of the most humbling experiences in my life. Participating in the funeral service was a great honor that I will always remember. We will be forever grateful to the Kozlowski family.

      

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• 2 General Admission tickets to the concert
• 2 Drinks ( 4 non alcoholic )
• 2 Official Jam At The Ridge Wine Glasses or Boot Mugs
• Admission for 2 to the Pre-Party, starting at 3:00pm
• Admission for 2 to the Zac Brown Tribute Band (Friday Night, 6:30pm)

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“The most striking thing was to see his mother step out of the car, look left and right and up and down, all she could see were police officers on the streets, lined up, saluting her son,” said Chris Erion, Genesee County Sheriff's Deputy. “She just stopped, and her mouth opened.”

Lehner, 34, went missing on Oct. 13 in the Niagara River during a training exercise, after he failed to resurface. More than a dozen agencies joined forces, including the Coast Guard and Canadian Port Authorities, to find Lehner. His body was recovered five days later near Strawberry Island, about two miles from where he disappeared.

Erion said the experience was something he could not articulate.

“You can’t replicate it and you can’t put words to it,” Erion said. “You really can’t adequately describe it, when you’re a part of it.”

Erion met Lehner through a K-9 training group with the Niagara Regional Police Service in Ontario, Canada. They met a year ago and got to know each other during regular training sessions, twice a month. A couple weeks before the accident, Erion trained with Lehner and a couple other handlers for a week straight with the dogs.

“You have a group of people you train with regularly and get to know each other’s dogs and each other’s personalities,” Erion said. “He was a good guy. He was a good human being."

Lehner had the nickname of “the surfer” because of his laid-back attitude. Until it was time to work, then he hustled, Erion said.

“He was a very laid-back guy who treated everybody right,” Erion said. “But when it was time to get serious, he got serious.”

Erion said the funeral had a different tone because everyone was worn out and worried for so long.

“It was a little bit different because it wasn’t a single, quick incident that took him,” Erion said. “It was a long process, over five days they were looking for him.”

More than 8,000 people, officers, and members of the community attended the funeral at the KeyBank Center, sending Lehner on his way and supporting his family.

“I’d like to say I was surprised, but knowing Craig’s personality, I’m not,” Erion said. “He attracted people from all different walks of life. He let everybody in. He didn’t care what you were made of, he was a friend to a lot of people.”

Photo: Le Roy police officers after returning from the funeral detail. Photo submitted by Greg Kellogg.

The Buffalo News reports that Joseph Hale, 35, was shot in the back while in the area of  St. Paul Mall and Ellicott Street. He later died at ECMC.

A reader informs us that Hale was a former Batavia High School student. A public record check shows that a Joseph Hale, 35, has lived in Buffalo, Batavia and Corfu.

From the Buffalo News:

"Homicide detectives are attempting to trace the victim's whereabouts before the shooting incident occurred," said Dennis J. Richards, chief of detectives. "Mr. Hale was seen in the Allentown area earlier in the morning and prior to the shooting."

This is the city's 21st homicide of 2011.

John L. Tillman, 34, of 87 Phyllis Ave., Buffalo, was picked up by the Erie County Warrants Office and turned over to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office today.

Tillman is charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance 3rd and criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd.

The Genesee County Local Drug Enforcement Task Force received a sealed indictment against Tillman after he allegedly sold crack cocaine in the City of Batavia to an undercover agent.

Tillman was arraigned in Genesee County Court and jailed without bail.

Saturday 9/5
10am: Black Rock
2pm: Queen City Saturdays
(meet at the Erie Canal Harbor)

Sunday 9/6
10am: Millionaire's Row
2pm: Neighborhood Series: Porter Avenue

Tuesdays at 2pm:
Queen City Downtown
(meet at the Visitor Center, 617 Main St.)

Weekdays at noon:
City Hall
Sorry, no City Hall tour on 9/7 (Labor Day)

Details: http://buffalotours.org/

Buffalo's Lt. Charles W. "Chip" McCarthy Jr. and Firefighter Jonathan S. Croom died in a fire at a deli on Genesee Street, by apparently falling through the floor of the burning building while looking for a possible victim trapped inside.

McCarthy, a 22-year veteran of the department who comes from a family of Buffalo firefighters, is survived by his wife, Terry, three children and a 6-month-old grandchild. Croom, a 10-year veteran, leaves a 9-month-old child and his fiancee; fire officials said he lost a young child a few years ago.

The men and women who worked with McCarthy and Croom remember them as dedicated, professional firefighters.

sloewke@yahoo.com