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Morgan Park Brothers Honored By Chicago Police Department

 Thomas Gorman (from left) stands with his father, Joe, and brother William. Both Thomas and William Gorman received awards from the Chicago Police Department on Tuesday.
Thomas Gorman (from left) stands with his father, Joe, and brother William. Both Thomas and William Gorman received awards from the Chicago Police Department on Tuesday.
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DNAinfo/Howard A. Ludwig

MORGAN PARK — The Gorman family had a big day on Tuesday.

Both Thomas and William Gorman of Morgan Park received awards from the Chicago Police Department.

Their father, Joe, sat with his two sons at a table at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. He offered a bit of a smile and a bit of a smirk when asked to reflect on the accomplishments of his boys.

Joe Gorman raised seven children in Morgan Park. He worked as a police officer for almost 40 years before his retirement.

William Gorman still lives and works in Morgan Park. He received the Thomas Wortham IV Military and Community Service Award on Tuesday at the downtown hotel at 151 E. Wacker Drive.

The award is named for Wortham, a police officer was shot and killed on May 20, 2010, as four men tried to steal his motorcycle. The award in his honor recognizes a police officer with current or former military service.

Wortham twice served in Iraq with the Wisconsin Army National Guard.

Listen as Bill Kurtis announces William Gorman's award:

William Gorman is a 23-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department. He's been deployed to Kosovo, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and twice to Iraq and Afghanistan. He spent 29 years on active and reserve duty before retiring from military service last year.

"Five of his six deployments were to active war zones where he earned two bronze stars for his bravery in combat and several campaign medals," said Bill Kurtis, who served as emcee for the 54th Annual Police Recognition Ceremony and Luncheon.

William Gorman has also been an advocate for disabled veterans and other returning soldiers in need of medical or psychological care. His latest effort has focused on raising $100,000 for the fight against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

His younger brother Thomas Gorman is a 13-year veteran of the Police Department. He still lives in St. Cajetan Parish, where all of the Gormans were raised, and he received the Superintendent's Award of Valor on Tuesday.

The award was given to a team of officers who worked with the U.S. Marshal's office to arrest a man wanted for multiple counts of attempted murder and aggravated battery on Oct. 7.

As officers tried to arrest the man, 42-year-old Daniel Brown, a gunfight broke out and police were trapped in the building's vestibule. Two police officers were shot, including then-Englewood District Capt. Ed Kulbida. Brown was later arrested.

Ald. Matt O'Shea (19th) has known the Gorman family for years. Both William and Thomas Gorman also attended Mount Carmel High School. William Gorman was two years ahead of O'Shea at the all-boys high school in Woodlawn.

"Growing up, Billy was the guy who stood up for the little guys who couldn't stand up for themselves," O'Shea said.

Police Supt. Garry McCarthy and Mayor Rahm Emanuel were also on hand for the ceremony and offered a few opening remarks ahead of the awards presentation.

"I believe these are the finest police officers in the world," McCarthy told the crowd gathered on Tuesday.

"It's important that we recognize — and I hate to use this word — but the common valor of the Chicago police officer," he said.

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