“A three day weekend always reminds us that there is one Memorial Day at the end of May, but most Americans don’t know that there is another Memorial Day, a little earlier.  Peace Officers Memorial Day takes place every year on May 15.  There is no Monday off for the purpose, but this day is designated for the remembrance of law enforcement agents killed or disabled in the line of duty.

Like our men and women in the military, our peace officers serve the public good in uniform.  They are charged with the safety of the general public and the enforcement of the laws we make, and they are indispensable to our quality of life.  These officers, whether they are County Sheriff or Highway Patrol, make tremendous sacrifices to serve their communities, state, and nation. And also like our military men and women, they do a dangerous duty, and loss of life is a real possibility.

Nationwide, more than 870,000 men and women serve in law enforcement, and last year 146 were killed in the line of duty.

There are fallen heroes in the uniforms of law enforcement just as there are fallen heroes in the uniforms of our military.  May offers us two opportunities to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

Law enforcement officers and members of our military undergo strenuous training.  When they complete it, they enter into stressful, demanding jobs.  Their families do not get to see them as often as they would like, and they may be absent from home for a long period of time.  These men and women don’t sign up for glory or for money, they do it to serve others and to protect the freedoms we hold dear.

For someone who takes up this selfless mantle and then loses limb or life, our whole country grieves.  We were their family, too; they thought of us as neighbors and countrymen in their service.  And while we tend to draw out a few examples of heroism from those men and women who are buried with medals pinned to their uniforms – it is the uniform where the real honor resides, and the American flag that drapes a casket.

There is no mistaking the similarities between the passing of a peace officer and the death of a soldier in their lines of duty.  Few of us will ever in our existence risk our very lives for anything – but these men and women risked them every day.

As we set aside two days of remembrance this May for those who have lost their lives in the line of duty, also set aside time to honor those veterans who are still with us as well as those who have gone before us.

It is also an opportunity to encourage service, whether it be as a vocation or as a volunteer.  The best way to honor the memories of our peace officers and military men and women is to follow in their footsteps.  A few hours each weekend of service at a veterans hospital or home goes a long way towards repaying the debt we owe to our veterans.  So does mowing the lawn of a military family in your neighborhood, going to the baseball or softball game of a young player whose mother or father is serving away from home, or even attending a Memorial Day event and saluting our flag with the proud veterans who will be there.

We all share a duty, as Americans, to remember the legacy of those who have served and died for our country.  This month offers us two opportunities to do that very important work.  To our military and law enforcement families, thank you and God bless.”