John Harms

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John Harms

John Harms was a Hard Hat Diver in Racine, WI in 1895. He was also a Detective with the Racine Police Department. He was killed in the Line of Duty on November 18, 1918. His sacrifice went unrecognized for 90 years. On Monday May 12, 2008 John Harms' name was finally added to the County Memorial for Officers that have fallen in the Line of Duty.
The following is an article that appeared in the The Journal Times in Racine, WI on Sunday, May 11, 2008 (Reprinted with Permission). Entire article in PDF form is available here, Long gone, but not forgotten After 90 years, Racine detective is to be recognized for having died in the line of duty By Marci Laehr Tenuta Every May for more than 45 years, law enforcement agencies have gathered to honor those who lost their life in the line of duty. This year’s National Police Week is no exception, except for an unexpected addition to Monday’s Racine County memorial ceremony. It’s been discovered that a Racine police officer who died in the line of duty in 1918 has never been recognized for his sacrifice. On Monday, a plaque honoring Detective John Harms will be added to the memorial at Hantschel Park, 5400 Byrd Ave., as part of the annual countywide ceremony. "We can rectify this now," said Sgt. Bill Macemon of the Racine Police Department, who discovered that Harms had been overlooked. "We can make it right. This gentleman’s been forgotten for 90 years." Macemon, the department’s unofficial historian, said he received a call from descendants of Harms looking for a photo of him. The department keeps rosters of officers that go back to 1858, when the police force was first formed. Macemon found Harms listed, and the date of his death: Nov. 18, 1918. But the book held no other information. "It only listed the day that he was killed," Macemon said. "It didn’t say whether he was on duty. So Macemon went to the microfilm archives of The Journal Times to see if he could learn more about Harms’ death. According to the report in the Racine Times-Call — one of the predecessors of The Journal Times — on the day of his death Harms was driving at around 3 p.m. to an investigation on the north side of Racine on Hamilton Street. "He crossed the (railroad) tracks and was struck by a train and was killed instantly," Macemon said. At that time, warning gates for train tracks were controlled by a person. The man on duty neglected to lower them for some reason. Macemon said the county coroner arrested the controller. Prior to discovering Harms, the earliest recorded death in the line of duty in Racine County was that of Racine Police Officer Alvin Christensen, who died in a motorcycle accident in 1930. Currently, the names of 15 police officers and deputies from Burlington, Racine and Racine County grace the memorial at Hantschel Park. The park is named in honor of Detective James Hantschel, who was killed by a suspect in 1963 while transporting the suspect to the police station for questioning. The park was named, and its memorial monument was erected, in 1972, Macemon said. But over the years, the monument and park were forgotten and started to deteriorate. "People don’t even realize it’s there," Macemon said. Three years ago, an effort was undertaken to restore the area. Plans to refurbish the memorial were unveiled during the 2006 ceremony. They included landscaping and a memorial walkway in a ribbon pattern that the designers hope will consist of bricks purchased by members of the community. The very first brick in the walkway will be laid Monday, Macemon said. Purchased by Norb and Shirley Trottier, it features the names of three officers already on the monument: James Hantschel, Tony Eilers and James Fine. The ceremony, which begins at 9 a.m., also will include the traditional reading of the roll, during which the names of all the fallen officers will be read. The public is invited to attend. Order forms to purchase bricks for the memorial walkway, which can be inscribed with names or messages, will be available at the ceremony. The cost is $75 for a 4-by-8 brick or $200 for a 12-by-12 brick. For more information, contact Macemon at (262) 635-7724 or via e-mail at: william.macemon@cityofracine.org Racine County law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty: Racine County Sheriff’s Department: George W. Hanson June 18, 1953 City of Burlington Police Department: Hubert W. Schenning Feb. 9, 1935 Anthony G. Eilers Feb. 5, 1962 City of Racine Police Department: John Harms Nov. 18, 1918 Alvin B. Christensen July 13, 1930 Jacob A. Mauer April 28, 1931 Harry C. Breheim Aug. 26, 1933 John H. Anderson March 10, 1935 Frank F. Lenske May 13, 1936 Arthur Lindstrom Feb. 12, 1951 Harold Worden Aug. 25, 1955 Lester McEachern May 5, 1956 James J. Hantschel May 15, 1963 Fred Lenske Feb. 15, 1967 James R. Fine Jan. 11, 1974 Henry D. Denman June 18, 1953