(GRAND ISLAND, NE) Deb Collins / NSP Public Information Coordinator
Family, friends, fellow officers, and the public gathered at the Memorial to pay tribute to the fallen and to recognize the service and sacrifice of all law enforcement officers.
State and local dignitaries were on hand to pay their respects. Lieutenant Governor Rick Sheehy provided opening remarks. Nebraska Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike Heavican was the keynote speaker. Chief Justice Heavican was Lancaster County Attorney in 1987 when Lancaster County Deputy Sheriff Craig Dodge, was killed in the line of duty. 2012 marks the 25th anniversary of Deputy Dodge’s death. Remarks were also provided by Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner.
The ceremony included the addition of two names to the Memorial. Lancaster County Sheriff’s Deputy William Johnson died of a heart attack in March 1959, while transporting a prisoner. U.S. Park Police Officer Julie A. Weir was killed in a car crash near Kearney in February 2011. Officer Weir was moving to a new duty station at the time of the crash. There are now 134 officers whose names are engraved on the Memorial’s granite panels.
The Nebraska ceremony was held as part of National Police Week May 13-19, 2012. Dedicated during National Police Week in 2009, the $400,000 Nebraska Law Enforcement Memorial was paid for through the generosity of private donations. For more information on the Nebraska Law Enforcement Memorial and how you can contribute to its upkeep, visit the Nebraska Law Enforcement Memorial Committee website at < http://www.nememorial.org >