Honoring Our Fallen

Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with.
~Brodi Ashton, Everneath~

 

I just spent a week in Washington DC honoring our fallen law enforcement officers during National Police Week. Our military, our firefighters and our police officers all put on a uniform each day not knowing if this will be the day they take their last breath.  Every hero deserves to be honored. Last week, it was the law enforcement community's turn to honor their fallen.  I am so very proud to be part of that wonderful community.

It seems that every year, my "partner-in-crime" and I meet someone who touches our hearts in such a way that they become our own.  This year was no different.  We met an elderly couple who were there to honor their only daughter, a Columbia MO police officer, who was gunned down during a traffic stop.  Did you notice that I didn't say "routine traffic stop"?  There is nothing "routine" about ANY call to which an officer responds.  We spoke to this beautiful couple for a short time listening to the stories they had to tell about their daughter - the funny ones and the sad ones.  We could hear the sorrow in their voices and see the pain in their eyes.  We exchanged many hugs and promised them that we would never forget their daughter - and we won't.  She will be on our "list" next year and every year.

We were also fortunate to have met a young officer from Millville, NJ who was there to honor his friend and comrade who was killed when his police cruiser was hit by a driver fleeing from the police.  That young officer will forever be a part of  us and his friend will also always be on our "list".

A father was there to honor his son, a Sandusky, OH officer, who was shot and killed by a suspect he had stopped and was attempting to interview.  The Sandusky Police Department honored this officer by naming their next K9 after him.  Like his namesake, the K9 also was killed in the line of duty.  Another one for our "list".

In addition to our American survivors, we were blessed with survivors from the UK, Ireland, Australia and Canada.  They all had fallen officers on our "list".  The Thin Blue Line stretches across the globe and knows no boundaries.

It takes a special kind of person to be willing to do a job in which his or her life is on the line on a daily basis.  They go about their duty knowing that the person who just spit on them and called them vile names might be the one for whom they sacrifice their lives.  They go into places and situations that the rest of us would not. Their job is to protect us - not themselves.  They do this willingly, lovingly and without regard for their own lives. These are the people I call "hero".

The Bible tells us that "Blessed are the peacekeepers for they shall be called Children of God".  It also tells us "Blessed are those who grieve for they shall be comforted".  God bless our officers and God bless those who love them.