Tribute To Our Fallen Brothers and Sisters

[bird1]

I got choked up after watching this. Officer Michael Gordon E.O.W 08 Aug 04 and Officer Jose Vazquez E.O.W 12 Feb 07. Rest in peace brothers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNDC4Funn2c

[KaiGywer]

Wish I could watch it. My firewall at work blocks YouTube.

[countybear]

Excellent video. Thanks for posting it.

It is my most fervent prayer that none of us ever forget the gravity of the responsibility that we have accepted in this profession, nor that society ever forget the sacrifices made by our brothers and sisters in arms, who have given their lives in service to their fellow man.

I have had the dubious honor of standing (in honor guard and/or in uniform formation) at seven funerals for peace officers killed in the line of duty. I vividly remember each one. Some I knew personally, three I called a friend, but all serve to strike deeply within my consciousness and remind me every shift that nothing on earth is more sacred than human life.

Sometimes we get caught up in the drudgery of our duties, and the evident limited capacity of human wisdom that we must bear close witness to daily, but complacency is folly and in our chosen path we must never lose vigilance. Every day, every shift, and in the walk of our lives, let us always remember that our dead brothers and sisters have left the watch here on earth to us. We must respect and cherish them always. We must carry ourselves in a manner that makes us a fitting representative of our office, our community, and most importantly, our fallen.

No, the above isn't an excerpt from some speech given at a graveside. It is just a statement of some of the principles that guide me whenever I suit up for another shift. Knowing that life is fleeting and uncertain, I only wish that should I ever become a name on a wall, my legacy be that I kept another's name from being engraved beside me, or a very least, my actions lengthened the life of an innocent, enabling them to enjoy further days of freedom and happiness.