In May each year, law enforcement gathers to mourn our heroes that were lost the previous year. In California it begins the first week in May. A ceremony is held in Sacramento, the state capitol, whereby the names of all State officers who were taken from us in the line of duty are forever memorialized on a plaque that is then placed on a monument. Even these events are preceded by local events like that of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Memorial, held one week before the State event.

During the second week in May, a larger ceremony is held in Washington, D.C. when we honor the law enforcement officers killed on a national scope. This week culminates in a candlelight vigil on May 13th and a formal ceremony on May 15th in which the President of the United States speaks. The names of all law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty are read aloud while family members are escorted to a flowered wreath. One of the family members places a rose on the wreath in honor of their loved one. This wreath is guarded by an honor guard while it's on display at the National Memorial through the next day. The names of all those lost are engraved on the memorial, accompanied by the names of all peace officers lost in the line of duty throughout history. In addition, each year research is done to uncover any names left off from previous years. Those names are also placed on the "wall" and memorialized forever. The list of names is enormous. Each name carries a story, known only to those who lived that embattlement.

For those that attend the State memorial for the first time, especially when they have lost a friend or loved one, it's an emotional event. The event in Washington D.C. is ten fold that. I am always in awe of those that attend these events. It is costly, emotional and requires a strong soul. Attendees there for the support of a lost friend or family member get support from a multitude of sources. They are never without that support. Attendees there on their own, to see the grandeur of the event are often overcome by grief, even if they are not there for a specific lost hero.

I am a yearly attendee. I began going in 2002 after the loss of Jake Kuredjian. I was honored to attend both the State and National event that year and honored even more to be asked to be an escort at both events. Going to these kinds of ceremonies is difficult for sure. However, they also help to heal the pain, the emptiness that follows the death of a friend. I can't speak of lost family, but the grief felt at the loss of a partner and friend is tremendous. To see others in the same boat and share time together helps put the tragedy in perspective.

If you ever have an opportunity to go to your State's memorial each year, please take it. If you can make it to National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial week in Washington D.C., I assure you it will be worth your while. We have web site links available for these events as well as others who sponsor our cause, located in our links section.

Anthony Arnold