Flag That Flew After 9 11 Coming To Baltimore wjz com

An important tribute to the fallen. Three Baltimore City officers were killed in less than one month. Tuesday, a special token helped to honor their lives.

Weijia Jiang has details of the tribute.

A ceremonial water cannon greeted an American Airlines flight as it landed at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport to welcome what's on board.

It's called the U.S. honor flag, the same flag that flew over Ground Zero after 9/11 during recovery.

Tuesday morning, it was handed over to Officer Tommy Portz' mother. He was one of three Baltimore City police officers killed in the past month. The flag commemorates Portz, Officer James Fowler and Detective Brian Stevenson, who was just laid to rest on Monday.

"It's just a tribute to know there are people out there that are appreciative of what we do every day and want to honor us when we sacrifice our lives in the line of duty," said Baltimore City Police Sgt. Kevin Hagan.

Hagan accepted the flag on behalf of Baltimore City Police. Along with Commissioner Fred Bealefeld, Hagan and Portz were teammates on the department's hockey team, sharing a unique bond in and out of uniform.

"Over the years, we've just grown so tight. We're just a close-knit group of friends and it's very hard to lose someone like Tommy," Hagan said.

Hagan says the flag is especially meaningful for the Portz family because 9/11 hit home for Officer Portz. He was from New York.

And from New York, the flag has traveled across the country to salute police and firefighters killed in the line of duty.

This week, it offers great comfort to Baltimore City. The flag was taken to lie with Portz in repose before he is buried on Wednesday.

Portz leaves behind a wife and three children, including a baby. His viewing is until 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Ruck Funeral Home in Towson.

The honor flag will stay in Baltimore until Portz' funeral is over. It will then be returned to the nonprofit group that's responsible for it.

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Tags:

• US Honor Flag
• 9/11 Flag
• Honor Network
• Baltimore Police
• Anthony Guglielmi
• Baltimore
• Tommy Portz
• Police Funeral