Honoring Troop E: A tribute to Missouri's dedicated highway patrolmen

The Poplar Bluff Museum tells many unknown tales of our community. I want to tell you some of those hidden tales found within the museum walls.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol has been protecting our roads since 1931. Troop E was stationed in Poplar Bluff in 1937. They cover the entire Bootheel area consisting of 13 counties.

There are presently 92 uniformed troopers with their distinctive gray campaign hats on patrol.

Their sacrifice and dedication are written in sweat and blood. Some 31 troopers have given their all on the highways of Missouri, four from Troop E.

“Their duty was to serve. Our duty is to remember.”

In 1945, Trooper John Greim (Badge #148) was pursuing a fugitive in an airplane when it crashed near Corning, Arkansas. He and the pilot were killed.

Sgt. Randy Sullivan (Badge #821) died in 1996 when his patrol car crashed while pursuing a suspect near Fredericktown.

Sgt. David May (Badge #873) was an MSHP pilot. He was killed in 1999 when his helicopter crashed in Poplar Bluff while covering a charity event. The photographer on board also died.

Sgt. Robert Guilliams (Badge #235) was responding to an accident on I-55. He lost control of his patrol car on a rain-soaked highway and died in the crash in 2001.

Corp. John “Jay” Sampietro Jr. (Badge #584) was also an MSHP pilot. He loved hanging out with the Air Evac pilots and talking “aviation.” Jay transferred from Troop E to Troop D (Springfield). Shortly afterward, he was struck by a car while directing traffic around another fatal crash. We lost a friend in 2005.

In 2022, Troop E built a memorial to their fallen troopers.

It reads: “An Angel in the sky must leave his place of rest, gently tucking his wings beneath his armored vest. For duty has called, there is much work to do. Little did he know, this one is dressed in blue. Arriving on the scene, he knows just what to say, “Follow me, fallen brother, I’ll show you the way. Your duty has ended, your work is now through. Come hang your hat beside mine, I’m a Trooper too.”

The Poplar Bluff Museum also honors our fallen “Angels” in the First Responders Exhibit. Troop E has a special exhibit upstairs remembering the past and present “Highwaymen.”

Hats off and salute to our boys in blue.

The museum is open free of charge and handicap accessible. It is open 1-4 p.m. Sundays at 1010 Main St. Tell them Mike sent you.

Note: As a former Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter pilot, I know what chaos looks like on an accident scene. When I saw the boys in blue with their flat hats, I always knew that it was safe to land. My apologies to all the troopers that had to eat my rotor wash dust and chase their hats across the field.

Mike Shane is a veteran, Poplar Bluff resident and board member for the Poplar Bluff Museum.