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Havre de Grace honors Lawrence “Butch” Ringgold, city’s first Black police officer and Vietnam casualty
Summary
Council formally recognized Lawrence Leroy “Butch” Ringgold, sworn into the Havre de Grace Police Department in 1965 and killed in Vietnam in 1966; family and longtime friends shared memories and the city pledged to restore or display his portrait in the police station lobby.
The Havre de Grace City Council on Nov. 4 recognized Lawrence Leroy “Butch” Ringgold as the city’s first Black police officer and a Vietnam War casualty. Council member Jones read a biography compiled with input from friends and family, and several relatives and longtime neighbors told personal stories at the dais.
Ringgold was sworn in in 1965 and later enlisted in the U.S. Army; the council read that he gave his life in Vietnam on May 17, 1966. Friends and family described his community ties, youth sports involvement and kindness to children; Emile Cromwell recalled seeing Ringgold’s name on the Vietnam memorial wall in Washington, D.C., and other speakers said they remembered his picture in the old police station.
Council members said they would work with the family and police to restore or reproduce a portrait for display in the new police station lobby and read a city recognition resolution into the record. Ringgold’s sister and other relatives accepted the recognition; several speakers thanked the council for restoring a piece of lost local history.
The recognition included a short reading of Ringgold’s life dates (born 07/17/1944) and notes that he was honored previously by the Havre de Grace Consolidated School Teachers Association. No formal policy action accompanied the recognition; it was a ceremonial acknowledgement and a commitment by staff to work with the family on a display.
