Salute Stories
Remembering Captain Matthew LeTourneau
Philadelphia Fire Department
Captain Matthew LeTourneau, an 11-year veteran of the Philadelphia Fire Department, died in the line of duty when part of a rowhouse collapsed during a fire that he was fighting on Jan. 6, 2018.
Just two months prior, he attended last year’s I’ll be Home for Christmas concert with his niece Hailey, mother Janice, girlfriend Mary, brother-in-law John, nieces Sammi and Jackie, and friend Alex.
Capt. LeTourneau’s sister-in-law Mary E. LeTourneau wrote to the POPS about the show:
“My daughter was so happy to spend this time with him. It was one of her last outings with her uncle. When she came home, she was thrilled that she received a button from the show. I never really looked at the button until today. I was struck by the message: ‘I’ll be Home for Christmas.’ Though this was his last Christmas with his family, my daughter will forever have the memory of this concert with him as will the other family members that attended.”
Capt. LeTourneau had previously served at Engine 43 in Center City and Engine 57 in West Philadelphia and was promoted to lieutenant in 2015. He received a unit citation in 2010 and a letter of commendation for his service during the World Meeting of Families in 2015. He was working at Engine 45 in North Philadelphia at the time of his death.
The Philly POPS is honored to welcome members of Capt. LeTourneau’s family and friends to tonight’s audience.
It is truly humbling and heartfelt to see all the responses that have been made as the result of his sacrifice and service. It is beautiful to see the respect being shown for our hero!
Salute Service Award
New Jersey Assemblyman Ryan Peters
Naval Reserve Commander
SEAL Team 18
Director, Leadership Rotation Program, Holman Enterprises
The Philly POPS is honored to present Ryan Peters with the inaugural Salute Service Award for his decades of leadership as Lieutenant Commander Navy Seal in the United States Navy and dedication in service to New Jersey.
About Ryan Peters
Assemblyman Ryan Peters was elected to the New Jersey Assembly in 2017 and began serving in January 2018.
Peters represents Burlington County, where the POPS performs an annual holiday concert — held this year on November 30 — at the Burlington County Library in Westampton.
Peters has an extensive military background. He is currently a Commander in the Naval Reserve, assigned to SEAL Team 18. Upon finishing at the Naval Academy in 2004, he completed Navy SEAL training and served three combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In 2012, Peters graduated from Rutgers School of Law. Following his graduation, he was recalled to serve his fourth tour of duty.
Upon his return, he desired to continue his career in public service. In November of 2015, Peters was elected to the Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
Peters is actively involved in the community as a leader of nonprofit organizations. He serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Liberty USO of Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey and as a member of the Advisory Board for Habitat for Humanity of Burlington County.
The Assemblyman is a South Jersey native and attended Holy Cross High School in Delran. He and his wife, Stacy, live in Hainesport with their three children, Kaylee Elizabeth, Kevin James, and Benjamin Danger.
Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey
Philadelphia Police Department
“The Philly POPS concert is a wonderful way to honor heroes who put their lives on the line for this city and country each day,” Ramsey said. “This musical tribute of respect and appreciation means so much to first responders, those in the military and the families of fallen heroes who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice, so we can enjoy life.”
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey leads the fourth-largest police department in the nation with more than 6500 sworn officers and 800 civilians filling its ranks. Commissioner Ramsey brings 46 years of experience, leadership and expertise to his law enforcement service.
An internationally recognized expert in the law enforcement field, the commissioner continues to be a leader in developing innovative policing strategies. Under his leadership, the Philadelphia Police Department has continued to make significant progress in driving down violent crime in the city.
Commissioner Ramsey is nationally and internationally recognized among law enforcement peers for his law enforcement expertise. He has served as a leader of several related organizations and governmental advisory groups.
Veteran Spotlight: Roland Scarinci
Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps veteran Roland Scarinci has been playing the harmonica since he was 8 years old. The South Philly native joined the Marines in December 1942 when he was just 17. Assigned to the 1st Marine Division, he was stationed in the Pacific Theater in the Solomon Islands and was part of the invasion of Okinawa.
“Serving in the Marines was the greatest time of my life… I have a lot of love for this country, a lot of love,” he said.
Roland worked as a paymaster for a Philadelphia area transportation company for 30 years, and then as a house painter. Until age 90, he worked as a security guard.
Roland has been married to his sweetheart Gloria for 72 years! They raised their two children in Northeast Philadelphia.
Now at age 96, Roland has been invited to play his harmonica at a number of charity events and military gatherings. He loves playing patriotic songs and Great American Songbook standards while donning his Marine Corps dress blues. Recently, he has played at the Marine Corps birthday, the Special Olympics, and a Philadelphia Phillies game during the 7th inning stretch. He also served as Grand Marshall of the 2019 Philadelphia Veterans Day Parade.
FIRE COMMISSIONER ADAM K. THIEL
Philadelphia Fire Department
Adam Thiel is the Fire Commissioner for the City of Philadelphia. Commissioner Thiel is responsible for leading the Philadelphia Fire Department’s 2,800-plus uniformed and civilian members in every facet of protecting our nation’s 5th-largest city from fires and emergencies arising from all hazards.
He previously served as a Deputy Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security for the Commonwealth of Virginia. He was the fire chief for the City of Alexandria, Virginia from 2007-2014 and chaired the Northern Virginia Emergency Response System (NVERS) Steering Committee.
Commissioner Thiel’s 26 years of experience spans five states as a chief fire officer, incident commander, company officer, fire and emergency services instructor, hazardous materials team leader, paramedic, technical rescuer, structural/wildland firefighter, swiftwater rescuer, and rescue SCUBA diver. He has directly participated in planning, response, and recovery efforts for multiple Presidentially-declared disasters and National Special Security Events (NSSEs), including the 9/11 tragedy, hurricanes, tropical storms, floods, an earthquake, major blizzards, international sporting competitions, and political events.