Remembering those who Protect and Serve

A flower rests on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. at the start of National Police Week 2014. (Photo courtesy of NLEOMF)

“In valor there is hope.”  —Tacitus

In 1962, President Kennedy and Congress established the first National Peace Officers Memorial Day – May 15 – and declared the week in which it falls as National Police Week. This year, from May 11 to 17, communities throughout the country recognize National Police Week as a time to pay tribute to those law enforcement officers who serve and protect others, and honor those who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Members of the law enforcement family travel to the nation’s capital from throughout the United States to take part in National Police Week events.

Thousands of law enforcement officers will visit the National Law Enforcement Memorial during National Police Week. (Photo courtesy of NLOEMF)

My great grandfather served as a police officer in the early 1900s. His dedication to public service is something my family has carried on since that time. Two of his sons, one my grandfather, served in the U.S. Navy in World Wars I and II. My father continued the tradition, serving in the U.S. Army. My other grandfather was career Army, as is my husband. Prior to joining VA, I worked for 12 years at a federal law enforcement agency; many of my colleagues and friends there were Veterans. For me, the link between the military and law enforcement is one bound together by service to the community and the nation.

One of the most moving ceremonies held during National Police Week is the annual candlelight vigil where the names of those officers added to the wall of honor each year are read. The names of 286 officers have been added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial this year, including 100 who died in 2013. In all, there are 20,267 officers’ names engraved on the memorial, representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, federal law enforcement and military police agencies.

We pay tribute to these public servants, many of whom had served our country in the armed forces.

“Carved on these walls is the story of America, of a continuing quest to preserve both democracy and decency, and to protect a national treasure that we call the American dream.” —President George H.W. Bush

(Photo courtesy of NLEOMF)

Below are the names of those Veterans and Servicemembers who made the ultimate sacrifice protecting and serving and whose “end of watch” (EOW) occurred in 2013.

Active duty Servicemembers serving in a law enforcement capacity who died in the line of duty in 2013:

Sergeant Joseph M. Peters, 5th Military Police Battalion, Vicenza, Italy, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command
EOW: Oct. 6, 2013
Sgt. Peters was assigned to the 5th Military Police Battalion, Vicenza, Italy. He died in Zhari District, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.

BM3 Travis Raymond Obendorf, U.S. Coast Guard
EOW: Dec. 18, 2013
Boatswains Mate Third Class Obendorf died from injuries sustained on Nov. 11, 2013, while CGC WAESCHE was conducting search and rescue

Veterans serving as sworn law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2013:

Officer Kevin A. Tonn, Galt Police Department, California
EOW: Jan. 15, 2013
Officer Tonn enlisted in the Army at 19 and became a military policeman.

Sergeant Frederick Albert Riggenbach, Chitimacha Tribal Police Department, Louisiana
EOW: January 26, 2013
Sgt. Riggenbach served his country in the U.S. Navy.

Officer Michael Daniel Crain, Riverside Police Department, California
EOW: Feb. 7, 2013
Officer Crain was a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran and had served with the Riverside Police Department for 11 years.

Sergeant Gary Morales, St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, Florida
EOW: Feb. 28, 2013
Sgt. Morales was a native of the Bronx, New York. He was a Veteran of the United States Air Force.

Chief Anthony Quinn Barfield Sr, Barwick Police Department, Georgia
EOW: April 9, 2013
Chief Barfield served in the U.S. Army from June 30, 1983, until Sept. 21, 1992.

Officer Larry Dale Candelari, Pasadena Police Department, Texas
EOW: April 26, 2013
Officer Candelari served his country for five years in the United States Marine Corps. While a Marine, he completed jump school along with the Special Forces combat diving course.

Detective Charles Wassil, Peekskill Police Department, New York
EOW: May 1, 2013
Detective Wassil served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1977 to 1983.

Deputy Sheriff Timothy Eugene Causey, Horry County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina
EOW: May 19, 2013
Deputy Causey’s bravery led him to serve his country as a member of the United States Marine Corps.

Special Agent James Terry Watson, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
EOW: June 21, 2013
Prior to his DEA service, Special Agent Watson worked for the U.S. Marshals Service and served in the United States Army.

Trooper Winston Martindale Jr, New York State Police
EOW: July 24, 2013
Trooper Martindale was a seven-year veteran of the state police assigned to the New Hampton barracks and was also a member of the U.S. Army Reserves.

Deputy Chad D. Shaw, McCracken County Sheriff’s Department, Kentucky
EOW: Aug. 6, 2013
Deputy Shaw served 12 years in the U.S. Army, with tours in Korea, Nicaragua and Panama. He was discharged with the rank of E-6 staff sergeant.

Trooper William P Keane, New York State Police
EOW: Aug. 23, 2013
Born in Buffalo, Trooper Keane was a 1975 graduate of Bishop Timon High School and served for four years in the Navy.

Officer Jason Lee Schneider, Baltimore County Police Department
EOW: Aug. 28, 2013
Officer Schneider served with the U.S Marine Corps.

Deputy Sheriff David Evan Allford, Okfuskee County Sheriff’s Office, Oklahoma
EOW: Sept. 11, 2013
Officer Allford served his country as part of the U.S. Army.

Officer Jon Steven Coutchie, Laguna Beach Police Department, California
EOW: Sept. 21, 2013
After the September 11th terrorist attacks, Officer Coutchie enlisted in the military and became an Army Ranger. He served his country from 2003 to 2007 and completed tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Detective Frank J. Lema Sr, Naval Station Newport Police
EOW: Sept. 26, 2013
Detective Lema was a U.S. Air Force veteran. He had served with the Naval Station  Newport Police Department for 21 years and had previously served with the  Middletown Police Department for 26 years.

Corporal Keith A. Crenshaw, Eupora Police Department, Mississippi
EOW: Oct. 23, 2013

Senior Police Officer Robert Austin Bingaman, Asheville City Police Department, North Carolina
EOW: Oct. 29, 2013
Officer Bingaman joined the United States Marine Corps in 1996 and was stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina where he was promoted to sergeant before his honorable discharge in 2000.

Officer Casey Joseph Kohlmeier, Pontiac Police Department
EOW: Oct. 30, 2013
Officer Kohlmeier served in the U.S. Air Force from 2002 to 2006 at Offut Air Force Base, Omaha, Nebraska. He was Airman of the Year in 2005.

Trooper Ross M Riley, New York State Police
EOW: Nov. 20, 2013
Trooper Riley served as a U.S. Marine from 1987 until he was honorably discharged in 1992. Ross began his service as a trumpet player in the Marine Corps Band and continued as a Marine Security Guard serving at the U.S. embassies in Nicaragua and Uruguay.

Sergeant Ronald L. Ray, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee
EOW: Dec. 17, 2013
Sgt. Ray, a deputy for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, was a veteran of the Air Force.

Investigator Cuauhtemoc Estrada, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Illinois
EOW: Dec. 20, 2013
Investigator Estrada served his country as a United States Marine in Operation Desert Storm, as well as a tour in Panama.

Sergeant Kevin Gale Stauffer Jr, Tupelo Police department, Mississippi
EOW: Dec. 23, 2013
Sgt. Stauffer enlisted in the U.S. military and served his tour of duty in Iraq as a sergeant in the Louisiana Army National Guard, 1088th Engineer Battalion in 2004 and 2005.

* This list contains the names of those officers whose available information included their military status. For the full “Roll Call of Fallen Law Enforcement Heroes Added to the Memorial 2014,” please visit the National Police Week web page.