Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Department of Public Safety honored troopers killed in action with an annual memorial service in Austin.
The annual Peace Officers Memorial Service occurred May 20 in front of the Fallen Officers Memorial at DPS Headquarters. Abbott joined Public Safety Commission Chairman Steven Mach, DPS Colonel Freeman Martin, and the family of fallen DPS Trooper Kevin Ramirez Vasquez for the service.
“DPS troopers perform an often thankless duty,” Abbott said in a press release. “They do it with a badge on their chest and a pledge in their heart to protect and serve.”
Captain Joe Millhouse opened in prayer, asking for God’s protection and comfort for troopers and their families:
Almighty and eternal God, we are here at the Texas Department of Public Safety headquarters to honor the men and women of our DPS family and all in law enforcement,” Millhouse prayed. “St. Michael, defend us in battle. Watch over our troopers, rangers, special agents, and all who stand on the front lines of danger. Lord, may the courage of those we remember today inspire us to live in the same dedication to courtesy, service, and protection. Bless their families with comfort and peace.
Abbott was the keynote speaker. He started by thanking members of DPS and remembering their families. He acknowledged that the day brought “mixed emotions.”
“On the one hand, [it is] completely heart-wrenching when you think about what families are going through. The family who is here with us today, but there are other families who have suffered losses in the past themselves, and those losses don’t just evaporate or disappear in one night, in one week, or one year,” Abbott said at the service. “At the same time, another emotion prevails – the emotion of inspiration. It is extraordinarily inspirational that we have law enforcement that is willing to stand up and sacrifice their lives to make our state better.”
Abbott said Texas is “built on law and sustained by those who enforce it.” After his speech, troopers in dress blues honored those gone before with a 21-gun salute and a procession around the memorial.
“In Texas, we recognize the weight of that calling and the price that some are asked to pay,” Abbott said in the release. “That is why we honor our fallen peace officers, who gave their lives so that others might live in safety and peace.”
Martin said in the release that the service reminds DPS officers why they wear the badge and train and that they “must always be at the top of our game” — “Tomorrow is never promised,” he said.
The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office honored 19 fallen deputies in a memorial service at Founders Plaza on May 15, as The Dallas Express previously reported. Abbott also gave the keynote address at a similar event, the Texas Peace Officers’ Memorial Ceremony, in April. He dedicated the Fallen Officers Memorial close to a year ago.
“Not only do we honor the fallen at today’s service,” Martin said in the release, “but we thank their families for all they sacrificed along the way – and we remind them that their heroes will never be forgotten.”
The video of the May 20 Texas Peace Officers Memorial Service follows: