(PIKESVILLE, MD) – Governor Wes Moore and Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel Michael A. Jackson joined police survivor families today to honor those who have given their lives in the line of duty at the annual Maryland State Police Fallen Heroes Ceremony at Headquarters.
“The men and women whose names are on this memorial are heroes in every sense of the word,” said Governor Wes Moore. “Though their watch has ended, this State’s commitment to these families never will. As long as I’m Governor, Maryland will always have their back.”
“Our fallen heroes are the extraordinary people we honor today,” said Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel Michael A. Jackson. “We celebrate these brave men and women for how they lived, how they served, and what they mean to all of us who answer the call for service.”
The ceremony honored the 43 state troopers who made the ultimate sacrifice serving in Maryland, two troopers killed while on active military duty in World War II and one fallen deputy state fire marshal. In addition to the families of Fallen Heroes, current and retired state troopers, civilian personnel, and deputy state fire marshals attended the annual ceremony yesterday to honor their fellow troopers and deputy.
The Maryland State Police Memorial Garden, a sacred location in the center of the quadrangle, is home to three monuments. The largest of the three monuments is a memorial built by the Maryland State Police Alumni Association and displays the members of the Department who lost their lives while serving the people of our state. The memorial was designed by the late Lt. John Sawa, just months before his son, Trooper First Class John Sawa, was struck and killed by an impaired driver on I-95 in Havre de Grace.
Adjacent to the memorial is a monument dedicated to two Maryland State Troopers drafted into military service during World War II who lost their lives in Europe while serving our nation. There is also a monument dedicated to a chief deputy state fire marshal from the Office of the State Fire Marshal who lost his life while serving our state.
These monuments proudly display the names of those individuals we hold in the highest regard. They are our Fallen Heroes. They lost their lives while serving others.
The Maryland Department of State Police pledge to never forget these heroes or their families while we proudly uphold their tradition of service and sacrifice as Maryland’s Finest.
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