20 American Police Beat: January 2018 Four Houston officers had just completed their field training and proba- tionary year when Harvey flooded the city. They survived working 24-hour shifts, catching a nap on the station floor using their uniform jackets as pillows, and rationing food and water, and eat- ing MREs because flood- waters kept them from returning home and stores were closed. For the first time in their short careers, they covered their new, shiny badges with a black band to mourn a fallen comrade who drowned in Har- vey’s savage flood waters. Surviving five days of flood- ing, they never t h o u g h t t h e y would become part of the city’s healing and re- covery by singing the national an- them at Game 4 of the World Series. Fo r O f f i c e r s Wendy Caldwell, Vernon Lewis, Katie Muldrow, a n d D a n i e l l e Dempsey, the road to the World Series began with their academy class graduation cere- mony last March. When a call went out for cadets to audition to sing the anthem, the four decided that instead of competing against each other they should sing as a quartet. Years ago, the Hous- ton Police Department had a quartet called the Peacemakers that dis- banded when the officers retired. The cadets were determined to bring back the tradition. Muldrow arranged the harmonies for the group: Caldwell tenor, Lewis baritone, Muldrow sopra- no, and Dempsey melody. Muldrow posted on Face- book that a name was needed for the quartet and they settled on the Houston Blues. An assis- tant chief with ties to the Astros heard them prac- ticing and arranged for the quartet to perform the “Star Spangled Banner” at a ballgame last June. The Rockets saw a vid- eo from the game and asked the Houston Blues to sing for the season home opener. On the Monday before Game 4, Muldrow received a call inviting the quartet to sing at the World Series. The four cancelled their week- end plans and Caldwell had to cut her va- cation short. According t o O f f i c e r Dempsey, “It can’t get much better than singing at the World Series.” Performing on the field at Dodgers stadi- est dreams, she never imagined that she would end up on the field for three games of the 2017 World Series. For Game 1, the Employee Assistant Unit where Curry worked was c h o s e n t o hold the large flag on the field to hon- or the unit’s deployment to Las Vegas after the con- cert shooting massacre. Curry told the Dodgers if they need- ed an anthem singer to give her a call, and they did – inviting her to sing for Game 6. The Monday before Game 6, the Dodg- ers called again asking if LAPD had a group like the Houston quar- tet. Curry told them that LAPD had a choral group consisting of 30 sworn Star spangled officers (l to r) HOUSTON POLICE OFFICERS Danielle Dempsey, Katie Muldrow, Vernon Lewis, and Wendy Caldwell are all smiles as they prepare to sing the national anthem at Game 4 of the 2017 World Series. The LAPD Quartet joins Chief Charles Beck on the field before singing the national anthem at Game 7 of the 2017 World Series. From left to right: Officers Michelle Ayerdis, Tim Talman, Chief Beck, Officer Rosalind Curry, and Detective Ray Morales. Continued from page one Dodger Land um was nothing new for LAPD Police Officer III Rosalind “Roz” Curry. For eleven years after 9/11 she sung the na- tional anthem at law en- forcement nights at the ballpark. But in her wild- PERFORMING ON THE FIELD AT DODGERS STADIUM WAS NOTHING NEW FOR LAPD POLICE OFFICER III ROSALIND “ROZ” CURRY.