This week, remember heroes of law enforcement
“The wicked flee when no man pursueth; but the righteous are as bold as lions” (Proverbs 28:11).
This past October, I had the privilege to visit the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, D.C. As I humbly looked upon the names of the fallen hereos from my past, I put a sheet of paper over the names engraved in the cold stone and then rubbed a pencil over it to make a copy.
Tears rolled down my cheeks as people walked past on their way to work. Each one avoided making eye contact with me. I am not sure if they did not want to be part of the moment or if they did not know the magnitude of what was unfolding in front of them. I was alone, but not lonely. These men and women, names written in stone, in their silence, were watching over me. They asked me not to mourn for the way they died but to celebrate them for the way they chose to live their lives.
Just like each of us chooses to do the job we do, these officers consciously got up each morning and pinned a badge on their chest. They did it proudly and asked nothing special in return. This year, 286 new names will be added to the columns at the national monument. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
In Montana, there have been 120 souls added to the list over the years. Each of these heroes got up one day, not with the thought that they would die before the end of their shift but with the thought of the good they would accomplish that day. I did not know them but I do know about the call — the call to serve and protect.
My first law-enforcement funeral or EOW (End of Watch), was 33 years ago. I was a 17-year-old Explorer Scout with the San Diego Police Department. A mentor of mine from the northern substation, had just been killed by a kid my own age. The act was so senseless that to this day I still can not understand it. He was a father, a husband, a son, and gave not only to his job but to his community as a coach, church leader, and a volunteer. I still remember where I was the minute I was told of his murder.
In the years to come, there would unfortunately be many more heroes that were lost. I am sad to say I can no longer remember where I was each time I heard of their EOW. I do remember the pain, the tears, the loss, and I have a tracing of each of their names from the memorial walls.
The week of May 11–14 is National Law Enforcement Week. This memorial week has been observed since 1962 but is often overlooked by most people. It is a time when the men and women who wear, or wore, the badge, gather with their families and friends at memorials across this country to pay respect to the fallen heroes who have given their lives for their fellow man.
The scripture at the beginning of this letter is etched in granite at the entrance to the memorial in Washington, D.C. Each of the memorial gates is guarded by a stone lion that maintains an eternal vigil over those souls who are forever memoralized there. It reminds us that the sacrifice they made was not in vain nor will it ever be forgotten.
Hopefully during this National Law Enforcement Week, you will take a moment to thank the people in your community who make the choice to serve and protect. You may not know them by name or recognize their face, but they attend your church, help in your child’s class, coach a youth sports teams. They are the people who respond to assist you when you have an accident or are a victim of a crime, or come to your aid when you are at the lowest point in your life.
It does not take much to show your gratitude for their service: a word of encouragement or thanks, a handshake, or simply a friendly smile. Any show of support will be appreciated by the living breathing lions who watch faithfully over each and everyone of us.
Kathleen Sheffield is a resident of Libby.