Police Hero Honored At National Memorial
On September 11, 2001, when the Montclair State University Police Department received a call for assistance from the Port Authority Police Department, officers Christopher Vidro and Paul Giardino volunteered to help.
Six years later, on July 25, 2007, Sergeant Christopher Vidro, an 11-year veteran of the MSUPD and 35-year-old father of two, died after battling an aggressive form of cancer resulting from his exposure to toxins on 9/11. Today, Paul Giardino continues to serve the MSUPD as a lieutenant.
Sergeant Vidro’s name was inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, in Washington, D.C., joining the names of other officers who lost their lives in the line of duty. In May, MSUPD Chief Paul Cell and Captain Kieran Barrett attended the formal dedication of Vidro’s name during National Police Week’s 30th Annual Candlelight Vigil, as well as the May 15 National Peace Memorial Day Wreath Laying Ceremony on National Peace Officers’ Memorial Day.
“Chris left an indelible mark on this agency and it’s still hard to imagine that he is
not with us,” says Cell. “I am extremely proud of him and the officers who helped make this honor possible for him and his family.”