National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial

I have a confession to make. Many years ago I worked in Washington DC. My daily commute on the Red Line dumped me in Judiciary Square, which is home to the National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial. My morning and evening trudge through the Memorial made me blind to the ultimate sacrifice made by so many of my brothers and sisters in law enforcement. I stopped once or twice to find names of people I knew to pay homage, but for the most part, I hurried past without considering the gravity of the Memorial I was breezing through.

In the intervening years, I have lost other friends, but have not come to the Memorial to honor their memory. It is a difficult issue...one that might be far too common in the law enforcement community. I believe there is sometimes a tendency to jade yourself to death and focus on the next task at hand. It becomes very easy to lose yourself in your work and ignore the elephant in the room. Every day...as I prepare for work, my primary duty for that day has always been to come back home. When our brothers and sister "end their watch" we grieve and move on. I lost a co-worker last year in a shoot out. It hit me different this time and I'm not sure I really know why. I made a resolution that I would attend the Memorial Services this year in honor of his service. I'm glad I made that decision. It is amazing how differently the Memorial appeared to me when I viewed it with fresh eyes.

The Memorial doesn't have the subtle effect of the Viet Nam Memorial, which slowly envelopes you with it's height. The Memorial could almost be missed by visitors as just another marble garden in a city full of statues and stone. The low walls stand waist high and create two semi-circles opening on either end to "E" Street and "F" Street. The Memorial is guarded on each end by sculpted lions, a noble and fierce creature that embodies the strength of the men and women whose names are recorded within. The Memorial is inscribed at the ends with scripture and quotes that embody the work that these men and women performed. Among these inscriptions are words to the effect of In Valor There is Hope...It is not how these men died that made them heroes, but how they lived their lives...

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