US Capitol Police Officers Eugene Goodman, Brian Sicknick Honored for Heroism During Capitol Attack
Photo courtesy of General McConville/Twitter.
The US Army Chief of Staff Gen. James C. McConville and the acting Secretary of the Army, Honorable John E. Whitley, awarded the Army’s Distinguished Public Service Award to Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman for his heroic actions during the mob attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, according to a Tuesday evening tweet from McConville. Despite this announcement, the night retained a somber tone as the remains of Officer Brian D. Sicknick, who gave the ultimate sacrifice during the violent insurrection, arrived to lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda.
“It was a distinct honor to join [Secretary Whitley] in presenting the Army’s Distinguished Public Service Award to Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman,” reads the tweet. “Officer Goodman is a [101st Airborne Division] Soldier-for-Life whose heroic actions at the Capitol Jan. 6 helped safeguard lawmakers from violence.”
The Twitter account for the 101st Airborne retweeted the Army Chief of Staff’s tweet with an encouraging message about Goodman: “Eugene Goodman represents everything good about us. He is everything good about us. He is what we stand for, and what we’ve stood for since 1942.”
At about 9:30 p.m., hours after the ceremony honoring Goodman, an urn containing the cremated remains of the late US Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick was carried into the United States Capitol Rotunda. Sicknick, a member of the department for approximately 12 years and a veteran of the New Jersey Air National Guard, died one day after sustaining injuries while defending the Capitol Jan. 6.
Sicknick will lie in honor, a rare distinction previously given to only four other people, as his family, fellow officers, and lawmakers say their goodbyes. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden paid their respects late Tuesday night.
My thoughts tonight are with the family of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died protecting the US Capitol on January 6th.
His bravery and dedication to protect and serve is a true example of patriotism on a very dark day in history. https://t.co/SuLrXf6wPA
— Nanette D. Barragán (@RepBarragan) February 3, 2021
“The U.S. Congress is united in grief, gratitude and solemn appreciation for the service and sacrifice of Officer Brian Sicknick,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a press release. “The heroism of Officer Sicknick and the Capitol Police force during the violent insurrection against our Capitol helped save lives, defend the temple of our democracy and ensure that the Congress was not diverted from our duty to the Constitution. His sacrifice reminds us every day of our obligation to our country and to the people we serve.”
The viewing period for Sicknick’s fellow officers started at 10 p.m. on the East Front of the US Capitol and lasted through the night. An invitation-only Congressional Tribute was set to begin at 10:30 a.m., with a ceremonial departure at noon. He will be buried in the Arlington National Cemetery.
The US Army Public Affairs office had not returned requests for further comment in regard to Goodman’s receiving the service award at the time of publication.
Joshua Skovlund is a former staff writer for Coffee or Die. He covered the 75th anniversary of D-Day in France, multinational military exercises in Germany, and civil unrest during the 2020 riots in Minneapolis. Born and raised in small-town South Dakota, he grew up playing football and soccer before serving as a forward observer in the US Army. After leaving the service, he worked as a personal trainer while earning his paramedic license. After five years as in paramedicine, he transitioned to a career in multimedia journalism. Joshua is married with two children.
Thirty Seconds Out has partnered with BRCC for an exclusive shirt design invoking the God of Winter.
Lucas O'Hara of Grizzly Forge has teamed up with BRCC for a badass, exclusive Shirt Club T-shirt design featuring his most popular knife and tiomahawk.
Coffee or Die sits down with one of the graphic designers behind Black Rifle Coffee's signature look and vibe.
Biden will award the Medal of Honor to a Vietnam War Army helicopter pilot who risked his life to save a reconnaissance team from almost certain death.
Ever wonder how much Jack Mandaville would f*ck sh*t up if he went back in time? The American Revolution didn't even see him coming.
A nearly 200-year-old West Point time capsule that at first appeared to yield little more than dust contains hidden treasure, the US Military Academy said.
Since the 1920s, a low-tech tabletop replica of an aircraft carrier’s flight deck has been an essential tool in coordinating air operations.
For nearly as long as the Army-Navy football rivalry, the academies’ hoofed mascots have stared each other down from the sidelines. Here are their stories.
