Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Sheriff Moran served as Las Vegas' real-life Duke

JOHN MORAN always reminded me of John Wayne.

The Duke was a man who fought for his country and won. So did John Moran. As Mike O'Callaghan so often said about his longtime friend, "He was one heck of a Marine."

When it came time to stand up for what was right, John Wayne never shirked his responsibility. Neither did John Moran.

And when he put on the badge to stand between the good people in society and those who would prey upon them, John Wayne was as good as they came. So was John Moran.

The big difference, of course, is that the Duke was an actor. He played the hero in his many outstanding roles in the movies. The man Las Vegans knew as Sheriff John Moran was a real-life hero. There was no acting on his part -- ever.

When the time came to stand up to the bad guys, John Moran was there for Las Vegans ever since he put on a badge for the Las Vegas Police Department in 1948. And when it was necessary to stand up for the police officers with whom he served on behalf of the people of this community, John Moran was always there, too. They were his friends and his family, and he never let them down.

Even when as Sheriff Moran he had to discipline an officer, those who were on the receiving end knew their boss was doing what was right. The compassion and good grace with which he carried out that difficult part of his job earned him the enduring admiration and respect of every police officer in his command. And it helped earn him the public's admiration over a lifetime of public service.

On Thursday, this community will say goodbye to the man who played the role of hero better than the Duke ever could have acted the part. St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church will be overflowing with friends and family who will join with tens of thousands of Las Vegans who can be there only in spirit to pay their last respects to a man who throughout his life paid his respects to the city he loved.

To be sure, Sheriff Moran's life was not perfect. Whose really is? The mistakes he made, though, were out of reverence for the law and concern for the people who relied on him to stand between them and disaster. And that he did, proudly. Every day of his life.

One mistake he did not make, though, was in his choice for his life's companion. Goldie Moran is not a woman of significant physical stature. But in her love, honor and respect for her husband, she has always stood taller than the giants. And John's devotion to her was unmistakable. As a couple, you could pick them out for blocks. He looked like a seven-footer walking down the street with a woman who barely cleared five feet -- maybe. But there they were, holding hands and holding themselves together in a bond that grew stronger through the years.

Las Vegas survived some pretty rough-and-tumble times before most of the population found its way to this valley. The good old days required some good old-fashioned common sense, and John Moran was one of the few in law enforcement who could pull it off and make it look easy.

I remember when he first was elected sheriff in 1982. The streets of Las Vegas resembled a war zone, and the previous sheriff threw up his hands in defeat. When former police officer Moran threw his considerably large hat into the ring, he knew what to do and how to do it, and he had the strength of purpose to get it done. The people of Las Vegas understood that and supported him overwhelmingly.

When he took office the following year, Sheriff John Moran wasted no time cleaning up the Strip and making our community a safer place to live. In no small measure, his efforts to enhance our law-enforcement image contributed greatly to our ability to sustain the unbelievable growth of the past two decades.

After Sheriff Moran retired after 46 years in the law-enforcement business in Clark County, he entered the next phase of his life with the same grit and determination with which he had lived the first 70 years. When he learned he had cancer, he was determined to fight that battle for all he was worth.

In that last battle, he had his family at his side -- Goldie and her boys, John Jr. and Rick, and their wonderful families. He also had the hopes and prayers of a very grateful community. That was plenty for him.

His quiet and very personal retirement ended Monday morning with those he loved by his side. The news of his death sent shudders of sadness throughout our town, followed quickly by words of respect and admiration from state and local leaders, from those who knew him best and, perhaps, more importantly, from those who hardly knew him at all.

But the feelings of the people for whom he cared the most -- aside from his loved ones -- were those expressed by the men and women wearing the Metro Police uniform. For they were the people of whom he was most proud. Their expression will come in the honor they pay him at his funeral Thursday.

The entire Las Vegas community will join in that tribute.

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