Law Enforcement Memorial
How many of us have been assisted by a law enforcement officer during our life time? Some may not have fond memories of these times but most of us can remember a time when we were very grateful for their assistance.
These men and women of law enforcement take their oath to serve and protect very seriously. They run toward trouble when the rest of us are running away. I remember a personal experience I had when my friend and I were at a meeting and were eating lunch with one of the police officers who was also at the meeting. We were in a building where the acoustics were very good, and we heard an extremely loud noise. My friend and I instinctively started to run away from where the sound came but our friend, the police officer, without hesitation started to run toward the sound. It turned out to be just a sound, no danger, but that quick little thing showed me the difference in myself (and many others, I might add) and the law enforcement officer. Me: run away from trouble; Him: run toward trouble.
I am so glad that we have law enforcement people who “stand in the gap” for all of us. All of them put themselves in the line of danger everyday for us, some of them have given their life for us.On May 9 at 10 a.m. at the Cape Bible Chapel, 2911 Kage Rd. in Cape Girardeau, the memorial service will be held for those from our area who have given their life in the line of duty. This ceremony, in some small way, is designed to show the families of these fallen officers, our gratitude for their loved ones service and sacrifice. There are 48 names on the memorial . Our prayer is that we never have to add another name to the list.
This year the Law Enforcement Memorial will have a very special meaning for me because I lost a very good friend who was a Cape Girardeau police officer. Assistant Chief Roger Fields passed away on March 30. Roger was not killed in the line of duty but we miss him just the same. In fact Roger was the driving force behind the Memorial Service for many years. He put in long off duty hours finding the names of law enforcement officers who were killed in the line of duty and contacting their family members to let them know that the Cape Girardeau County SALT Council had not forgotten them.
If you are interested in attending the Memorial you would certainly be welcome by the Cape Girardeau SALT Council who is responsible for organizing and promoting this annual Memorial event.
