When I John Salyers, I 3 stages of our friendship.
John, a lieutenant in the Erlanger Police Department who was honorably dismissed after his military service in his country in Vietnam. I’m a tender patrol at the time. I had organized a Bible study for the police and he and I were the only two to introduce ourselves. It was held in the basement of a church in Erlanger in the mid-1970s.
It’s the first time I’ve met John. We had a strong verbal exposure that provoked a lifelong friendship.
Another memory I have of John on the police department is when I was serving undercover in the Northern Kentucky drug unit. We had a search warrant to serve regarding a drug raid in Erlanger. John, being the commanding officer on the shift in Erlanger, went with us.
At the time, John was a big, strong man. At the site of the raid, John offered to open the door after citizens refused to respond. I’ll never see him because when he opened the door, it was so strong that the best friend of the lock flew out the door. As a tender officer, I was very impressed.
Years later, our sending of friends grew as a cash representative for U.S. Senator Jim Bunning in northern Kentucky. I think John and Senator Bunning were fine because they were transparent and weren’t afraid to shape their concept. That’s all that’s challenging for discanopy those days.
Let me say they weren’t the kind of man you’d like to hang out with if they had thin skin. John has had a long and successful career with Senator Bunning. He was the “must-have guy” from northern Kentucky. He was an intellectual instructor in my appointment as Marshal of the United States through President George W. Bush in 2002. I was appointed through U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell and U.S. Senator Jim Bunning. John coordinated the effort at the local point and helped me navigate through circular controls, Senate confirmation and the general bureaucracy required for such confirmation.
For a while, my date was the ultimate logical secret. I will never get a resolution from John asking if I had told anyone in the United States about this quote. When I told them I hadn’t, he said in a not-so-filtered way, “Oh my God, I know you’re not doing it!”
When John left an impression on someone, it lasted. I had a sense of humor that I’ll never forget.
John and I have painted well in combination to serve the public in northern Kentucky. The final phase of our position of sending friends years later, when we joined the Rotary Club of Florence in combination. He had retired and, as always, was launching his next goal, which was the Rotary in Florence and his service assignment above himself. Serving Rotary, he was president, state governor, and member of the Polio Eradication Working Group. John traveled abroad to paint for this noble cause.
The announcement of John’s death hit northern Kentucky nets like a ton of bricks. This has for me. I’m going to miss my friend.
We make our most intimate condolences to Connie and her children greater. He enjoyed them deeply. Rest in peace, John.
Senator John Schickel (R-Union) represents the 11th arrondissement of Boone County. He is chairman of Bye’s Senate Committee on Licensing, Professions and Regulations. Senator Schickel may also be a member of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee; Judicial Committee; Committee on Natural Resources and Energy; the Interim Working Group on Prison and Correctional Reform and the Judicial and Judicial Budget Review Subcommittee.
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