COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) – On Wednesday, Nov. 9, volunteers from 507th Airborne, a parachute infantry regiment from Fort Benning, completed repairs and painting on the home of retired police officer Josephine McClenney in Columbus. McClenney’s friends, family members, coworkers and others gathered at her home for a ceremony to celebrate her service. House of Heroes-Chattahoochee Valley Chapter, Inc. (HOH-CVC) was responsible for the event.
At the beginning of the ceremony, everyone said the Pledge of Allegiance. Event volunteer Jake Wood sang the national anthem.
HOH-CVC Executive Director Susan Wood read a biography of McClenney’s life, saying she joined the Columbus Police Department (CPD) in June of 1971 and served there for 28 years. As a result of her service, McClenney was given a Smith & Wesson 45 caliber semi-automatic pistol.
Wood thanked 507th Airborne volunteers for doing “an amazing job” on the house.
“But I also learned, and I didn’t know this because it’s not in your paperwork, that you were the first female African American police officer here in Columbus,” Wood said. “Let’s applaud this.”
The audience clapped.
“This is truly a historical moment for House of Heroes,” she said. “We are so happy to honor you today.”
“I just would like to say I thank you all so much,” McClenney said. “And I give thanks and honor to God for allowing this wonderful blessing to be restored upon me at a much-needed time. I am just so happy. No one knows how good this make me feel.”
McClenney said she had recently turned 79 years old and that she was praying to God to let her live to 80.
Retired Cpl. Teddy Jackson, a former coworker of McClenney at the CPD, presented her with an American flag in a triangular box.
“On behalf of House of Heroes, we want to present this flag to you,” he said. “But before it’s presented, I want to tell you thank you.”
At times, as Jackson spoke, he sounded like he was on the verge of crying.
“On behalf of the police department, cause we was there together, you taught me a lot,” he said. “When I was a cadet, I rode with you, and you were strict with me. And the chief of police, Assistant Chief Joyce Fitzpatrick, I rode with her. But you mentored a lot of us, and you mean a lot to me. So I salute you, my friend, and I present this flag to you.”
Jackson said the flag had been flown in Washington, D.C.
Before the ceremony began, Assistant Chief Joyce Dent-Fitzpatrick, Columbus Police Chief Freddie Blackmon, Cpl. Joseph Copeland and Sgt. Stefan Shelling of the CPD made a surprise entrance. Dent-Fitzpatrick said McClenney had been “instrumental” in her entire career.
Retired CPD Detective James McClenton, a former coworker of McClenney, said House of Heroes had worked on his house about two weeks ago.
“She was there when I came there,” he said. “And when I left, I left her there until she retired there. But she was a nice lady, a real good and hard worker, and she helped me. We used to work side by side.”
House of Heroes was developed and launched by Wayne Anthony 22 years ago, according to a press release from the Chattahoochee Valley chapter. It honors elderly or disabled military and public safety veterans and/or their spouses by providing free repairs and improvements to their homes. HOH-CVC has honored over 1,200 veterans and/or their spouses with the help of over 28,000 volunteers working for over 206,000 hours. For more information, visit www.houseofheroes.cvc.org.
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