Vermont Decorates heroes of shootout
Boston Herald - December 10, 1997
MONTPELIER, VT - A Statehouse ceremony yesterday
honored the law enforcement officers and civilians
involved in a shootout in August with a New
Hampshire man who had just killed four people.
"In particular, I do want to say a very special
thank you to the Vermont state Police, the New
Hampshire State Police, and the U.S. Border Patrol,"
Gov. Howard Dean said at the ceremony at the
Statehouse in Montpelier.
The two New Hampshire State Police troopers
and the U.S. Border Patrol agent wounded in
the Vermont shootout with Carl Drega were given
standing ovations during the ceremony at the
Vermont Statehouse when they accepted their
awards.
New Hampshire troopers Jeffrey Caulder, Robert
Haase, Fish and Game Warden Wayne T. Saunders,
who did not attend the ceremony, and Border
Patrol agent John Pfeifer all received the
Combat Cross and Purple Hearts.
The two troopers and Pfeifer were wounded on
a farm road in Brunswick Aug. 19 while they
approached a New Hampshire State Police cruiser
stolen by Drega in nearby Colebrook, N.H.
Drega had just killed two New Hampshire troopers
and two civilians.
Saunders was wounded earlier on Vermont Route 102
in Bloomfield where Drega crossed into Vermont
from New Hampshire.
All four wounded officers have since recovered
and returned to work.