The Legendary Trooper Award is the highest award that any Maine State Trooper can receive.

It is awarded in recognition for years of career meritorious service to those Troopers who uphold the highest standards for the Maine State Police. The Maine State Police, in recognition of many years of service, on occasion now awards the Legendary Trooper status to two Troopers in the same year.

2020 Sgt. Lloyd Williams

Dates of Service 1966 – 1987 (21 Years)

CAREER: Lloyd Williams began working in dispatch before starting his State Police career in 1966. Williams was promoted to Sgt. and worked as a patrol supervisor at the Orono barracks. His interest in dogs would become a big part of his State Police legacy. Sgt. Williams made many trips to headquarters to speak with and provide a demonstration to Colonel Weeks and the Command Staff about the benefit of starting a K-9 program. In 1980 because of Williams’s vision, the decision was made for the Maine State Police to provide statewide K-9 coverage. Sgt. Williams was instrumental in building up the K9 Unit in the State Police as well as Municipal and County Agencies. Sgt. Williams would become the lead trainer for eight K-9 patrol schools with K-9 teams from local, county, and State Police attending. When Sgt. Williams retired in 1987 the State Police had 18 K-9 teams throughout the State of Maine.

2019 Det. Conrad McNaughton

Dates of Service 1973 – 1993 (20 Years)

CAREER:  McNaughton joined the State Police in 1973 as a member of the 30th Training Troop. He served in Troops B and D, as well as with the State Police Intelligence Unit. McNaughton was a cadre for the 34th Training Troop. He was twice nominated for Trooper of the Year (1976 and 1982). He was also a founding member of the State Police Underwater Recovery Team. He participated in many of the major events in our agency’s history including the State Prison lock-down in 1980 and the Seabrook New Hampshire powerplant protests in 1977. Det. McNaughton was widely known for his outstanding work ethic and determination. His son, Adam McNaughton, currently serves as a Troop Investigator in Troop D.

Tpr. Michael Vittum

Dates of Service 1966 – 1986 (20 Years)

CAREER: Vittum served the State Police from 1966 to 1986 and patrolled in the Millinocket and Bangor areas in his early career.
Vittum later became a member of the former State Police Drug Unit and participated in the seizures of tons of marijuana being smuggled into Maine on small boats and ships along the coast. Vittum was named Trooper of the Year in 1982.

Sgt. Dale Ames

Dates of service 1964 – 1984 (20 years)

CAREER: Det. Sgt. Dale Ames was named Legendary Trooper for 2016. During his 20-year career in the Maine State Police, he was part of the “Homicide Squad” which investigated nearly every homicide in the State of Maine.

2016 Lt. Herb Morse

Dates of service 1961 – 2003 (42 Years)

CAREER: Named “Legendary Trooper”, the highest honor for a State Police retiree was retired Lt. Herbert Morse of Hermon, who retired in 2003 after serving 42 years with the State Police.  Morse was the commanding officer at Troop E in Orono for 27 years. Morse grew up in Bath and joined the State police in 1961.

Major Christopher Grotton who served under Morse for twelve years as a member of Troop E, said, “Lt. Morse had an ability of inspire and mentor that forged his leadership legacy guiding scores of troopers. His sage advice and guidance made a significant impact on my career and many others.”

Detective Arnold Gahagan
Dates of Service: 1966-1994 (28 years)

CAREER: Gahagan, from Stockholm, served the State Police for 28 years, from 1966 to his retirement in 1994, and he continues to work for the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office as a victim witness advocate. The Chief of the State Police, Colonel Robert Williams said Gahagan was considered one of the State Police’s expert child abuse investigators and he was involved in every major State Police investigation in Aroostook County from 1978 to his retirement. In 1984, Gahagan was selected as Trooper of the Year.

Harold “Skid” Savage
Dates of Service: 1972-2004 (32 years)

CAREER: Savage served as a state trooper for 32 years, retiring as a corporal. His first patrol was the Rumford-Mexico area, where he served for 17 years.Retired Maine State Police Maj. Charles Love presented the award, recalling that Savage had earned the reputation of being exceptionally friendly, capable and well-respected. Savage was “known as fair, but do not test him,” Love said. Savage didn’t simply go to work in the Rumford-Mexico area, he cared about people and earned the trust of many. “He became a fabric of his community,” Love said. Savage played a role in keeping peace during a tense paper mill labor strike in the 1980s. During the Rumford strike, “Skid Savage was a known and trusted part of the fabric of the area, and could be counted on to provide to the administration a real-life, real-time assessment,” Love said.