Eternal flame offers light to the grieving
Wednesday, May 13, 1998BY TANYA BRICKING
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Hundreds of area police officers salute at police memorial ceremonies Tuesday on Fountain Square.
(Glenn Hartong photos)
| ZOOM |
|
Voices came together Tuesday and urged a police force to heal.
A trauma surgeon challenged officers to have courage to grieve. A chaplain offered prayers for their peace and safety.
A child read a poem and turned tearfully to hug her police officer father.
And Cincinnati Police Chief Michael Snowden's voice broke as he told how he's been touched by the 15 officers he's known who have died carrying a badge.
On the day the force lighted an eternal flame to commemorate officers killed in the line of duty, hundreds of community members joined in the celebration.
Tuesday's local Police Memorial Day was the first since the fatal shootings of Cincinnati Police Spc. Ronald Jeter and Officer Daniel Pope, partners who were gunned down while serving an arrest warrant in December in Clifton Heights. They were two of the 160 officers across the country killed in the line of duty last year. Their deaths sparked an idea that caught fire: expanding the local police memorial to include an eternal flame to burn in memory of all slain officers. In 12 weeks, and with $100,000 from the city and donations, the project materialized.
In a symbolic ceremony that lasted more than two hours and traveled from Fountain Square to police headquarters, survivors of 31 officers joined in a celebration of their lives.
Linda Pope, left, widow of Officer Daniel Pope, and Brenda Collier, mother of Spc. Ronald Jeter, hold hands after lighting the eternal flame.
| ZOOM |
|
Some of the sounds were reminders of death, with bagpipes playing "Amazing Grace," a 21-gun salute and a roll call of fallen officers.
But survivors left a happier image.
Brenda Collier, the mother of Spc. Jeter, and Linda Pope, Officer Pope's widow, joined hands, lighted the flame atop a 10-foot bronze column, stepped down and kissed.
The crowd -- which included students from Edwin H. Greene Intermediate School in Blue Ash, who raised $519 in a bake sale for the memorial -- cheered.
For Harry Lietz, who held a blue banner for retired police, the day was like a reunion. Mr. Lietz, 74, a former Cincinnati detective from Westwood, was on the force from 1950 until 1977.
Officer Scott Fritz is reflected in the black granite as he touches the Cincinnati Police Memorial.
| ZOOM |
|
"It's a bigger crowd this year," he said, looking around at the hundreds of people. "It's still meaningful to me just to see friends."
For others, the significance came from those they came to remember.
Mary McKinney's cousin, Hamilton County Sheriff's Deputy Phillip Pence, was stabbed to death 14 years ago by an inmate.
His relatives passed a torch as his name was read.
"When I heard his name, it just brought back memories," Mrs. McKinney said. "I'm glad I came."
Others quietly touched the names etched into granite. They reacted with smiles and tears.
Veteran officers said the memorial would become a haven for them to meditate, pray, reflect and remember.
Newer ones said it would give them pause as well. "This class has gone through a lot," said Mike Brogan, 26, a new recruit from Covedale.
His first orientation at the police academy was the day of the December police shootings.
"We're actually fortunate in a way," he said. "We've learned from Day One that it's a dangerous job."
The year has been a reminder that officers can be lulled into a false sense of security, Chief Snowden said. He said they may heal, but they will never forget.
"Our prayers cannot stop," he said. "They must be even more forceful and plentiful."
Local Headlines For Wednesday, May 13, 1998Asbestos cases go to mediation
Candidates Republicans save ire for incumbent
County backs off threat to township
Data pool helps seniors
Diplomas on hold until Miami resolves disciplinary cases
Eternal flame offers light to the grieving
Fairfield to recycle fire station
Farm mansion restored as pride of past
Goal is fair share on highway project
Health Alliance pick for stadium insurance
Issue 2 loss may cost CAC
Motorist stops, chats and delays fugitive
Officer faces dept. charges
Privately run prison apologizes for barring lawmakers
Quilts show woman power
Slain woman's spouse to testify at trial on couple's anniversary
Students create moving artwork
Suburban teens, city kids best pals
Tax money from utility may be cut
Taxes trip up elected official
Tobacco-bill pressure rises
TRISTATE DIGEST
