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Capital Area Theodore Roosevelt Police
Award
2009 Honorees: Special Agents Shannon Croom and Noel Gleason
 Capital Area Theodore Roosevelt Police Award
2009 Honorees: Special Agents Shannon Croom and Noel Gleason
On December 2, 2009 the Capital Area Chapter of the Theodore Roosevelt Association honored Special Agents Shannon Croom and Noel Gleason of the U.S. Capitol Police as its 6th Annual Theodore Roosevelt Police Award recipients. The 1 p.m. ceremony took place at the American Legion Washington Office in Washington, DC. Special Agents Croom and Gleason were selected from a field of nominees from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies in the Washington, DC region.
Gordon Peterson, news anchor for the Washington ABC television affiliate (WJLA) served as master of ceremony. Peterson reminded the audience that Theodore Roosevelt had served as a deputy sheriff in the Dakota Territory and spoke about the sacrifices law enforcement officers make and challenges they confront every day.
Peterson read the following citation about the circumstances that lead to the officers’ nomination and selection for the Theodore Roosevelt Police Award:
U.S. Capitol Police Special Agent Noel Gleason had lived relatively well for about 20 years with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a progressive liver disease that can lead to liver failure. But on May 20, 2008 the smooth ride came to a screeching halt. Noel was hospitalized with internal bleeding and learned that he needed a liver transplant to survive. Noel's brother and sister immediately went for testing as living donors, but neither was a match, bad news about both that came to Noel on the same day. "I don't even remember driving home that day," Noel recalled. "We had gotten so far ahead in our thinking that my siblings would be a match, we hadn't considered what we'd do if they weren’t."
While Noel and his wife Patti were coming to terms with their circumstances, the phone rang. It was U.S. Capitol Police Special Agent Shannon Croom calling to say he had contacted Georgetown University Medical Center and was going in to be tested as a donor. "Until then I never realized a person could donate their liver," he recalled. "Noel was someone I looked up to, and I knew he would do the same thing for me, so I didn't hesitate." Although a long line of U.S. Capitol Police officers also signed up to donate, it never came to that. On July 9, 2008, Shannon was cleared as a donor. The call to tell Noel, Shannon remembered, "was probably the best one I ever made."
By that time, Noel's condition had deteriorated and he was no longer able to work. Though elated about the impending transplant, his feet were firmly on the ground. "There were lots of nights when I couldn't sleep. I'd just sit thinking of what would happen if it didn't work out. It was never a sure thing that I'd survive," he said. Meanwhile, reality set-in for Shannon, too. "It's definitely a tough surgery. You're taking a completely healthy person and making them sick by risk of complications. But the more research I did, the more I felt everything would fall into place."
On July 31, the two men had surgery. Shannon gave 60 percent of his liver, effectively saving Noel's life. Shannon returned to full duty on September 15, 2008; Noel on May 4, 2009. More than a year after the transplant, the two officers are able to reflect on all that has transpired. "I came back from a real challenge, but Shannon is the one who really stepped up," Noel said. "In law enforcement, we're continually watching out for each other, and have to do so in a split-second. But Shannon had time to think about this, and that means all the world to me." For his part, Shannon observed that "I knew Noel would help anyone he could, but this was a time he had to take a step back and let someone help him. Someone had to do it, and I was happy to."
The determination of one to keep going despite long odds and the complete self-sacrifice of the other reflect the character of both Noel and Shannon, according to Supervisory Special Agent Raymond Stonestreet, who nominated them for the Theodore Roosevelt Police Award. "They're exceptional individuals in their work ethic, dedication to their jobs, and dedication to each other. It's a sight to see."
Special Agents Gleason and Croom both served in the U.S. Capitol Police Dignitary Protection Division and were assigned to Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, (D-Calif). Speaker Pelosi spoke at the ceremony, expressing her appreciation for the professionalism and dedication of the officers and admiration for their devotion to each other. She also acknowledged Noel’s courage in the face of adversity and Shannon’s enormous generosity. A summary of Pelosi’s comments can be found here.
TRA Secretary and Capital Area Chapter President, Genna Rollins, presented the award to Special Agents Gleason and Croom.
Like other sites, the Capital Area Chapter award consists of a ribbon medal and commendation bar for the honored officer’s uniform, a 10-inch bust of TR, and a cash prize of $1,000. Officer Anonsen's name also was engraved on a plaque that will be displayed at Montgomery County Police Department headquarters for one year. In addition, historian Kathleen Dalton dedicated copies of her book, Theodore Roosevelt: A Strenuous Life, to both honorees.
Motorola, a manufacturer of police communications equipment, systems and intelligence data, sponsored the award.
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