Where are They Now?

Not only did he get his community back on track, he also made several arrests that any larger department would be proud of. He has caught bank robbers and kidnappers virtually single handedly, while still being able to maintain a tight vigil on his own town.

Zelch held the position of town Marshal for six years and was the last town Marshal of Rosebud, Missouri.

In 2004 Zelch joined the American International Police Force and served in Iraq for two years. During this time he became a member of SWAT for the agency and routinely put his life on the line during patrols in the region. From July of 2007 to July of 2008, Zelch served in Afghanistan with the security forces and helped to train other officers in SWAT and various other tactics and procedures, which of course focused on law enforcement.

His list of achievements and awards include letters of recommendation from the International Police Liaison Officers and the Civilian Police Assistance Training Team of Iraq. He has a Certificate of Appreciation from the Airborne Special Forces for an outstanding job supporting the TUZ Iraq Police Training during Operation Iraqi Freedom III. He has a Certificate of Appreciation from the 1st Infantry Division Provost Marshal Office for services rendered during Operation Iraqi Freedom II. He has a Certificate of Appreciation from the 42nd Infantry Division Provost Marshal Office for Meritorious Service during Operation Iraqi Freedom III. He received the Heroism Reward from the Kirkuk Police. He has a Certificate of Appreciation from the 3rd Brigade/Sulaimani for his efforts in Kurdistan and Iraq. He is also a Certified NRA Instructor.

These achievements also include the basic training required to obtain and maintain a law enforcement license in the state of Missouri. Zelch also has numerous thank you letters from the grateful citizens of Rosebud, Missouri for all the hard work he did while both mayor and marshal of the community.

In May of 2008, while on leave from the International Police Force and visiting his family, Clyde Zelch was offered the position of Chief of Police for Gerald. Zelch had not seen his family in over four months at this time, but he knew he had to get to work immediately if he was to build the department back up. He worked during his two week leave and when he left he assured the council that he would return and continue his duties in July.

Even while overseas serving in Afghanistan, Zelch was in continual communication with his officers and ran his department while sitting in a real life war zone. In July of 2008, Clyde Zelch returned home to Rosebud and started serving the City of Gerald as Chief of Police at that time.

This is the man that stood up and took on the burden of leadership as Chief of Police for the City of Gerald. With him he brought a passion for patriotism and a clear understanding of the Constitutional Rights which are afforded to every citizen of this country.

He believes that the law is for the protection of everyone; and no matter what type of previous encounters an individual has had with police officers he and his officers are here to serve and protect. 

Firm, fair, and consistent is the basis for all branches of law enforcement from the federal to the local level. It is these that maintain an officer’s integrity and effectiveness while performing his duties. When there is no trust in your local law enforcement, they as police officers lose one of the most powerful tools available to them while serving and protecting.

The City of Gerald may have lost that trust for a moment, but due to the reputation of Clyde Zelch and the hard work he and his department did since the incidents of the recent past, the faith has been restored.

* Zelch returned to overseas duty and the title of Chief of Police was handed over to Tom Lowe, a dedicated officer that holds the same high ideals of law enforcement as his predecessor.

- Edward L. Gehlert, Jr