Secretary Nicholas S. Bakas

Good afternoon, and thank you for being here today.  My name is Nick Bakas, and I am the Cabinet Secretary for the Department of Public Safety.

We are here today to recognize, honor, and celebrate Officer Robert Rosenbloom for his service and his sacrifice for the citizens of New Mexico. 

As the Deacon referred to, we are in the midst of a national tragedy, a national emergency, and for a fleeting moment on Tuesday we of the Department of Public Safety and the New Mexico State Police said to ourselves, "Should we cancel this event today?"  Our answer was, “No, we cannot cancel this event today, we must go on."  We must go on because we are the representatives of the law enforcement community.  It is our obligation, it is our duty to lead, it is our duty to lead and prevail against adversity.  And in our thoughts here today, I was going to speak, and I am going to speak about Officer Rosenbloom and why we are gathered today.  In those remarks, I’m going to talk about a group of terrorists, a group of murders, individuals bent on the destruction of our government, individuals bent on the destruction of democracy, the destruction of the American way of life and American values, and I am going to talk about the hijacking of a commercial airline.

Now if you didn’t know any better, you would think I was talking about the current events at the World Trade Center, at the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania.  But as you know, I am talking about Robert Rosenbloom, and if that were not coincidence enough, do you know Robert Rosenbloom was from New York?

 And I look out there and those of us with wrinkles in our face and gray in our hair remember the event of November 8, 1971.  They remember the event 30 years ago.  Jinx Jones, talk about gray hair... Sheriff Joe Boudage, Dick Ness, Ray Rivera, Ray Sandy, and I know I’m missing so many of you.  You know this event, you know it first hand, you worked this event, you worked the case.

 But my remarks today are more for the young faces in the crowd, the young faces, the fresh faces who were not yet born in 1971.  And, as a brief history to those young people who may not know fully what happened, let me just briefly tell you about the events of November 8, 1971.

 Officer Rosenbloom, that evening, was on patrol on the West side of Albuquerque approximately 15 miles outside of town.  He stopped a vehicle with California plates occupied with three individuals.  These individuals were called revolutionaries, anarchists... I call them terrorists, I call them murderers.  These individuals shot and killed Officer Rosenbloom.  They made their way into Albuquerque and were able to elude detection for about two weeks until on November 26 they went to the Albuquerque International airport and hijacked a TWA 727 plane to Cuba where they are still living and still functioning in that country.

 The tragic death of Officer Rosenbloom also left behind a young wife, a baby boy, and a baby girl.  And, ladies and gentlemen, we are indeed fortunate and honored to have these individuals here today.  It is my unique privilege to introduce them to you if I may.  The young wife, Linda Rosenbloom... please stand Linda.  The all grown up baby boy Robert Rosenbloom, and the beautiful lady Tamara Lea Rosenbloom.  And also the Robert Rosenbloom prodigy and legacy, would you please stand.

The ancient Greek teacher and philosopher, Socrates, stated that a person lives for as long as they are remembered.  We are here to never forget Officer Rosenbloom, and never, never forget that his killers are still at large and living in Cuba.

All of us in the law enforcement community of New Mexico, in the nation, and internationally, as reasonably rational thoughtful citizens around the world cannot rest and will not rest until justice is served not only for Officer Rosenbloom but also for the victims of the attack on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and those who perished in Pennsylvania.

 Let us not forget that in those tragic deaths, we have Lt. Marchand, retired from the Alamogordo Police Department who perished, and we cherish his memory in his efforts and those of everyone we lost, and we will never forget.

 Thank you

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