Four flag-draped caskets containing the earthly remains of four police officers senselessly gunned down in a local coffee shop where they had met over coffee to begin their day's work, serving our community.
There really aren't adequate words, are there?
Four police officers , 3 men and 1 woman who had families. They each were of outstanding moral character and contributed much to their families and community in many, many ways..now dead. For what reason were they killed...because they wore police uniforms.
The Tacoma Dome was a sea of police officers from pretty much every state, and Canada. Thousands of men and women who serve on police forces united to pay tribute to 4 officers slain senselessly.
The service started late because the line of police and emergency vehicles from all over our state and many surrounding states was 20 miles long. Before they began the trip from Lakewood to the Tacoma dome they were parked 30 cars wide by 1/4 mile long and it took over 4 hours for them all to get to their destination, the Tacoma Dome, for the Memorial service.
People stood silently alongside the entire route, some holding flags, some holding their hands to their hearts, some saluting.
Lakewood is a community that also shows honor and appreciation for the many men and women in our military. Lakewood is surrounded by Ft. Lewis Army and McChord Air Force. Our area has lost many men and women during the war in Iraq and Afghanistan too.
It seems to me we have lost too many men and women of valor these past few years, and senseless evil seems to rear it's ugly head way too often. What is left behind is the legacy a fallen member of the services ( armed , police, emergency) that shows very often the character that attracted them to their chosen path in life in the first place. The noble idea of service to our communities and our country. Where would any of us be without such men and women? Praise God for them!
As you can tell, I took these pictures from my T.V. as I watched this service most of the day. Our local television broadcasted this without any commercial interruptions and often you could tell by the reporter's voices that they were crying. Our state lost another officer just last month in Seattle where he was gunned down in his squad car while writing up reports. As I listened to the families and friends of these officers I was struck by how their character ( and their families character ) and their contribution for the better to so many, contrasted the character of the killer and his family...the killer's family KNEW he was going to do this and aided and abetted him before and after the murders. The killer's family and friends all have children, some of them too must have been aware of some aspects of this intent because the killer discussed his plans over THANKSGIVING meal. I find this chilling...what will those children become?
Four flag-draped caskets containing the earthly remains of four police officers senselessly gunned down in a local coffee shop where they had met over coffee to begin their day's work, serving our community.
There really aren't adequate words, are there?
Four police officers , 3 men and 1 woman who had families. They each were of outstanding moral character and contributed much to their families and community in many, many ways..now dead. For what reason were they killed...because they wore police uniforms.
The Tacoma Dome was a sea of police officers from pretty much every state, and Canada. Thousands of men and women who serve on police forces united to pay tribute to 4 officers slain senselessly.
The service started late because the line of police and emergency vehicles from all over our state and many surrounding states was 20 miles long. Before they began the trip from Lakewood to the Tacoma dome they were parked 30 cars wide by 1/4 mile long and it took over 4 hours for them all to get to their destination, the Tacoma Dome, for the Memorial service.
People stood silently alongside the entire route, some holding flags, some holding their hands to their hearts, some saluting.
Lakewood is a community that also shows honor and appreciation for the many men and women in our military. Lakewood is surrounded by Ft. Lewis Army and McChord Air Force. Our area has lost many men and women during the war in Iraq and Afghanistan too. It seems to me we have lost too many men and women of valor these past few years, and senseless evil seems to rear it's ugly head way too often. What is left behind is the legacy a fallen member of the services ( armed , police, emergency) that shows very often the character that attracted them to their chosen path in life in the first place. The noble idea of service to our communities and our country. Where would any of us be without such men and women? Praise God for them!
As you can tell, I took these pictures from my T.V. as I watched this service most of the day. Our local television broadcasted this without any commercial interruptions and often you could tell by the reporter's voices that they were crying. Our state lost another officer just last month in Seattle where he was gunned down in his squad car while writing up reports. As I listened to the families and friends of these officers I was struck by how their character ( and their families character ) and their contribution for the better to so many, contrasted the character of the killer and his family...the killer's family KNEW he was going to do this and aided and abetted him before and after the murders. The killer's family and friends all have children, some of them too must have been aware of some aspects of this intent because the killer discussed his plans over THANKSGIVING meal. I find this chilling...what will those children become?
