Guards march to boost image

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ST. GEORGE – A new Maine State Prison honor guard is on a mission to polish the image of corrections officers.

And shine it did Monday at the St. George Memorial Day parade.

One parade-goer thought the sharp-looking unit was made up of state troopers until a closer look revealed a Maine State Prison emblem on the unit’s sleeve patches.

About a year ago, the corrections officers revived the unit, which used to be paid, then was idled in the early 1990s because of budget constraints.

“Now, it’s all volunteer,” said Capt. David George just before Monday’s parade.

“We wanted to counter a lot of the negative press,” George said.

Warden Jeffrey Merrill has said the job of a prison guard is less than glorious, given the difficult environment and tough conditions under which guards must sometimes work.

Corrections officers “are an integral part of the criminal justice system,” George said, which is something the honor guard wants to impress upon the public.

George, 47, serves as commander of the honor guard and has worked at the state prison for 20 years.

Some of the 15 guards, including two women, have experience in high-profile honor guards.

Officer John Palmer, 32, served on the Marine Corps “8th and I” honor guard, where he participated in the funeral service of President Richard Nixon, said George. Officer Mike Kibel, 25, also served in a Marine Corps honor guard in Louisiana.

Officer Holly Eastman, 41, was on the Penobscot County Jail honor guard.

“To me, it’s the honor of being on the honor guard [that makes me] love it. It just makes me feel awesome,” she said.

“It’s a good way to render honor to people who deserve it,” Officer Steve Wigdzinski, 36, said. “It’s a tough career.”

The prison outfits honor guard members the first time around, and members keep up their uniforms thereafter. The black campaign hats, French blue dress shirts, navy pants with gold stripes, and patent leather dress shoes and accessories cost about $300 per person.

Membership is by application, involving letters of reference by supervisors, oral interviews and physical stamina requirements.

The group drills about eight hours a month at the prison.

Earlier this month, the honor guard marched in a National Law Enforcement Week parade in Rhode Island. Bookings this summer include a Fourth of July parade in Winslow and the Yarmouth Clam Festival and Dover-Foxcroft homecoming parades, both in August. They’ll work job fairs and serve at funerals for corrections and police officers.

“We’re not just about colors,” George said. “Our mission is to portray a positive image of the prison. The warden uses us as ambassadors of the prison.”

The Maine State Prison honor guard was among several honor guards at Monday’s parade and memorial ceremony outside the Kinney-Melquist American Legion.