Honoring A Fallen Hero

"You guys didn't have to do all this."

That's what Thomas Corum would say about a ceremony held in his honor, his nephew David McDonald said and smiled.

Corum -- a 19-year veteran with the -- suffered a fatal heart attack during a struggle to arrest two men on assault charges.

That was 47 years ago.

On Tuesday, McDonald and about 100 others including police officers and public officials paid tribute to Corum.

"I'm just awed at the respect that has been shown here today," said McDonald -- a Pottstown resident. 

Corum was well-known and liked in the community, McDonald said.

"He was just a good person ... a Pottstownian," he said. 

James Rodgers, Pottstown's police chief from the early 1970's until 1991, said he was pleased to participate in the tribute for Corum.

"It was long overdue," Rodgers said. "It makes you proud."

Corum was the first black police officer on the Pottstown force, Rodgers said.

"Through Tom's effort, I got hired," Rodgers said.

Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman led the event, which included a plaque dedication.

"It is an honor to be here," Ferman said of the ceremony. "It's a way that we can say, 'Thank you for your service.'"