Each year, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) engraves the names of FLETC graduates who died in the line of duty during the previous year on the FLETC Graduates Memorial, and honors all who made the ultimate sacrifice with a Peace Officers Memorial Day Ceremony in May. This ceremony is performed side-by-side with FLETC’s Participating Organizations and community law enforcement to provide a memorial service for fallen FLETC graduates who died in the line of duty while protecting and serving those in harm’s way.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, FLETC postponed this year’s ceremony, and will honor and remember these officers during its 2021 ceremony. In recent weeks, FLETC engraved the names of four new fallen graduates on the Memorial. FLETC Director Walters, Deputy Director Fallon and FLETC personnel etched their names on tracing paper. FLETC is sending these tracings to family members along with letters expressing FLETC’s sympathy and plans to honor their loved ones during next year’s ceremony.
“It is with a heavy heart that we postpone honoring our fallen. However, this decision will afford the survivor family members, colleagues, and our community the ability to unite next year and memorialize our fallen heroes with the respectful ceremony they deserve,” said Director Thomas J. Walters. “We will never forget.”
The FLETC and Participating Organizations remember fallen U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agents Donna M. Doss, Robert M. Hotten, James S. Litz, and Transportation Security Administration Federal Air Marshal Michele Paul, with an inscription on the FLETC Graduates Memorial. (Photo by David Tucker, FLETC OPA)
Melissa Peralta, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) supervisory officer with the Field Operations Academy at FLETC-Glynco, participates in the engraving process at the FLETC Graduates Memorial. (Photo by David Tucker, FLETC OPA)
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Academy Section Chief Billy J. Williams, for the Federal Air Marshals at FLETC-Glynco, traces the name of Federal Air Marshal Michele Paul, whose name was engraved on the FLETC Graduates Memorial this year, and is the first TSA incription. (Photo by David Tucker, FLETC OPA)
FLETC Director Thomas J. Walters traces the names of the recently inscribed fallen law enforcement officers on the FLETC Graduates memorial to present to survivor family members. (Photo by David Tucker, FLETC OPA)
FLETC Deputy Director William Fallon prepares copies of the recently engraved names of fallen law enforcement officers on the FLETC Graduates Memorial to support survivor family members in memorializing their loved ones. (Photo by David Tucker, FLETC OPA)
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Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers
Protocol & Communications Office
Contact: 912-267-2447