Feb. 26 was a day of commemoration, thanks and fellowship at SCI Somerset. We came together that day in remembrance of the End of Watch for our hero, Sgt. Mark Baserman, on the one-year anniversary of his death. This day one year ago started out like any other, but this day went on to end unlike any other with Sgt. Baserman succumbing to his injuries from a brutal inmate assault 11 days earlier. This is a stark reminder of the dangers we face day in and day out as corrections officers and corrections professionals.
We welcomed his wife, daughter and grandchild as our honored guests, with plaque presentions from Larry Blackwell, president of the Pennsylvania Correctional Officers Association, as well as SCI Somerset staff at a 9 a.m. ceremony to "Remember our Hero" in the lobby of Somerset. We remembered Sgt. Baserman as a man of service not only within the DOC but to his country in the U.S. Army and his community as an EMT with East End Ambulance Service. We spoke of a friend, a role model and most importantly family.
At 1:45 p.m. we held a tribute in our chapel for our uniformed and non-uniformed staff for fellowship and to reflect on the tragic loss our institution suffered and the year in between. In his opening remarks at this service, Supt. Eric Tice said, "In this field of corrections, we often see the worst that humanity has to offer… but this tragedy also showed us the best that humanity has to offer."
The support that SCI Somerset received from neighboring SCI's was immense. Tice went on to say "That is what makes the corrections family so special. This love, compassion and respect is what forges the Blue Steel that binds us all together. This Blue Steel is a blend of courage, sacrifice and service to others."
Tice conveyed in his closing remarks that "Sgt. Mark Baserman is a hero, not because of how he died, but he is our hero because of how he lived. A man of service, sacrifice, honor and courage."