Sacred ground: 'All give some, some give all'
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A new Utah Law Enforcement Memorial was dedicated as sacred ground by President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve, during a ceremony on the grounds west of the Utah State Capitol Saturday morning, Sept. 6.
On what President Packer aptly called a "consummately beautiful morning" during his dedicatory prayer, several hundred people gathered in honor of 126 law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty in Utah. Those attending included family members of fallen officers and representatives from law enforcement agencies throughout the state and from neighboring states.
The memorial, a short distance downhill from the capitol, is surrounded by a circular wall. On the east wall are 126 bronze plaques naming each fallen officer. In the ground in front of the wall is a large bronze medallion stating "All give some, some give all." The medallion covers a 100-year time capsule. Also enclosed in the memorial are statues of two male police officers and a female police officer with a police dog.
The memorial was conceived in 2006 with police officers and citizens helping raise money for its $1.3 million cost.
President Packer prayed, "We gather in a place that we now declare to be sacred and invoke Thy blessings upon this spot, that there be no untoward influence ever come here, but that Thy spirit will be here and the spirit and memory of those who have given their lives."
Law enforcement officers or peace officers, as he said they are often referred to as, can be compared to ancient watchmen in the towers who kept people safe then just as today's valiant officers, with the support of their families, keep people safe.
He further prayed, "We invoke Thy blessings upon all of the families, each of them, the children and grandchildren, that the memory of this day and what it represents will linger from generation to generation."
He also invoked blessings on the state of Utah that "Thy peace and power will be upon the peace officers of the state and their families and upon the population."
In conclusion, he prayed, "I therefore dedicate unto thee, our Holy Father, this spot as a memorial to become sacred. ... That anyone who comes here hereafter feels something. They may not be able to explain what it is, but Thy spirit will linger here to touch them and to bless them because of what has transpired."
Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., in remarks during the ceremony in what he referred to as an "oasis of tranquility," said, "This very spot will be a reminder of a world where real people stand in harm's way the old-fashioned way, willing to lay down their lives to protect their fellow citizens."
He said the memorial has three purposes: "Number one, to provide a measure of solace, thanks and gratitude to the families of those who have fallen; number two, to simply and humbly honor the memories of those who fell and those in the future who will give their lives protecting our citizens; and three, to remind the public of the responsibility and the support that the state offers the law enforcement family."
The governor concluded, "Let us remember the memorial that today we are dedicating, and particularly those officers and families who gave the ultimate sacrifice. This memorial will help all Utahns remember law enforcement and its painful but indispensable legacy."
During a department roll call of the fallen officers, each agency that has lost an officer was called, with current representatives of the agencies assembling on the hillside behind the memorial. At the end of the roll call, the 126 gathered on the hillside were a visual reminder of the number who have died in the line of duty from 1853 through the present. Then there was a 21-gun salute, a trumpeter playing taps and the release of 60 white doves over the memorial.
E-mail to: ghill@desnews.com
