When I am Queen, the first item of business will be a ban on vocal variations when performing this song, effective immediately.
Other items of business, Congrats to SLCPD’s Robbery Squad for their kick-ass solvability stats, and to Det. Mike for completing his chemo/radiation treatments for Hodgkin’s!
As the country prepares cemeteries and monument sites for Memorial Day, and we as a nation acknowledge the sacrifices made by many on both foreign lands and the home front, two memories immediately come to mind.
First is from a visit to Washington D.C. on a warm, humid night. The Korean War Memorial and the surrounding monuments are lit so that they can be visited on self-guided tours after dark. There was lightning that night, non-threatening but frequent and the strikes would add a flash of light to the silent, motionless soldiers on patrol. They wear rain jackets and each one looking in a different direction, their expressions solemn yet focused. As I walked around this memorial I felt that even if it wasn’t intended to be viewed at night, it should be. How terrifying it would have been to not know, nor be able to see clearly what lies ahead, and yet these soldiers continue moving forward with bravery and purpose.
The second is that of the burial for a Fallen Officer. I didn’t know this officer well as I had only been working at the police department’s dispatch center for about 9 months. The great loss of this man was evident by the overwhelming feeling of grief the day that he was killed, and became most apparent to me at the end of that long shift when I46 gave the radio transmission that this fallen officer was 10-42 (end of service). Never again would I hear such sorrow in an officer’s voice as he respectfully ended his friend & co-workers shift. I could barely get past the lump in my throat to reply with an audible time check.
Following the funeral service in Herriman, it was a very long drive to the cemetery. The procession went on for miles. I saw something even more impressive than the endless line of police vehicles, motorcycles and glowing light bars. It was the assisting police agencies that helped with traffic control. Each officer or trooper assigned to an intersection was not just directing traffic, but standing at attention, as were many of the citizens that lined the streets. Traveling to Bountiful the freeway crosses over Beck Street. It was there off to the side, that construction workers stood facing the motorcade with their hats over their hearts. It’s most likely they didn’t know this officer, but they expressed their gratitude with this simple gesture. It was mid July, stifling hot, and the Bountiful Cemetery filled with people, all there to pay respect to one who made the ultimate sacrifice. After the 21-gun salute, the wind picked up and made the temperature bearable with a warm breeze as “Taps” was played.
All give some…some give all. A sentiment that couldn’t be more true and appropriate as we remember those who have given their all, be that soldiers of war, parents & children of soldiers, and those who protect us a little closer to home too.
Thank you to my grandfather’s, uncles, friends, co-workers, and all those who served in the Armed Forces.
