The National Law Enforcement Memorial

posted at 7:59 am on January 15, 2011 by Jazz Shaw
[ Memorials ]   

Every time I get down to DC I try to hit a few of the many monuments and attractions in the city in between meetings. For those of you who don’t get to visit very often, there are a lot of them, trust me. Everyone seems to catch the big ticket items – Congress, the White House, the reflecting pool, Washington Monument – but there are lots of other ones which don’t get as much attention but are worth a look.

During my last trip I stopped by the National Law Enforcement Memorial to snap a few pictures to share with you all. It’s located out near the end of E Street in Judiciary Square and is actually a short, comfortable stroll from the Capital building should you find yourself in the neighborhood.

Above is a picture I snapped at dawn on my way to breakfast. Established in 1991 and dedicated by President George H.W. Bush the memorial is a stirring tribute to all the law enforcement officers who have given their lives in the line of duty.

From the memorial’s web site:

The Memorial features two curving, 304-foot-long blue-gray marble walls. Carved on these walls are the names of nearly 19,000 officers who have been killed in the line of duty throughout U.S. history, dating back to the first known death in 1792. Unlike many other memorials in Washington, DC, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is ever-changing: new names of fallen officers are added to the monument each spring, in conjunction with National Police Week.

Below is a photo of one of the four lion statues which guard the memorial, each shown in a pose which seems to signify mourning and honor. There is a different inspirational motto engraved below each.

Like many of the open air monuments in DC, the NLEM is open 24 hours per day to the public, though guided tours are only available during normal business hours. It’s a very moving sight, and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting D.C.

Now you can yell at Jazz for being a stupid, wrong-headed RINO even faster than by just leaving a comment. Follow him on Twitter! @JazzShaw

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