[Music] good morning morning let me Begin by extending our heartfelt gratitude to the families of our most heroic officers and many thanks to all the law enforcement agencies represented here the president of the United States established National Police week years ago in dedication of all officers who lost their lives in the line of duty today we honor our 49 officers and Mark this day as San Antonio police officer Memorial Day the Legacy they have left is one of a continued commitment to maintaining Law and Order Devotion to duty and an unwavering capacity to serve and protect our community today we remember these 49 officers and we also ensure that the family and friends of these officers that you too are remembered on this day it's now my great pleasure to introduce the 50th attorney Attorney General of the state of Texas The Honorable Greg Abbott protecting Tex Texans has been a Hallmark of Attorney General Abbot's Administration since he took office in 2002 he established a cyber crimes unit to arrest criminals who use the internet to pre upon children this fugitive unit tracks down and arrests sex offenders who violate their parole and his Medicaid fraud control unit protects the safety of residents long-term care facilities throughout the state of Texas Attorney General Abbott is a strong supporter of law enforcement his office regularly partners with local peace officers and prosecutors in bringing criminals to Justice recently attorney general abis investigators and prosecution team broke open a 20-year-old East Texas multiple murder case obtaining life sentences for each of the defendants in the case attorney general General Abbott and his wife of 27 years Cecilia live in Austin with their daughter Audrey please join me and wel welcoming our special guest attorney general Greg Abbott Attorney General Chief thank you very much for your outstanding introduction thank you also for the very warm welcome uh that you've shown me today it's an honor and privilege to get to be with you uh as well as all the men and women of the San Antonio Police Department and let me also express my gratitude to the Senate Antonio Police Department for inviting me to be with you today and while I am recognizing people in groups I do want to take a moment to recognize and express my gratitude and probably the Gratitude of all of us here uh to have the Gillette Elementary School sing the national anthem what a great job you did [Applause] want you to know it's an honor to be in San Antonio which is truly an historic City and it's an honor to be at this very moving Memorial and that in part is because of my duties as attorney general but frankly it's a lot more personal than that because I share the same feelings that thousands of people across San Antonio share and that is to me what the San Antonio Police Department does is personal like so many other people here and across This Town and County I have a lot of family in San Antonio my wife whom I've been married to for 27 years grew up here her family is still here my brother is here as well as his family and they like all these other families across San Antonio depend upon the San Antonio Police Department as the shield of protection against the horrible tragedy of crime so I want to join all of the families across the greater San Antonio area for saying thank you for the dedicated service that you provide to my family and all other families in San Antonio it's important for us to recognize and understand that today we are in the Company of Heroes these heroes are not with us today here in body but they are with us in our hearts and in our minds across Texas and across the entire country flags are lying at half Mass they do that this week in honor of National Police Week in recognition of the peace officers who gave their last full measure of devotion we are here to honor them and we are here because of them these Fallen peace officers took seriously their vow to serve and to protect and we owe them our deepest gratitude for keeping us all safe these officers valued human life so much they gave their own lives to protect it that's what was said when the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial was dedicated and and Washington DC in 1991 that expressed America's heartfelt sentiment and it's a sentiment echoed every year since President John F Kennedy signed the proclamation that established the first national Peace Officers Memorial Day it's a time when grateful citizens across this great land join grieving family members as well as surviving colleagues to remember the sacrifice made by these brave men and women we honor that sacrifice today the 49 officers whose names are etched in the wall behind me and whose lives are remembered as we gaze at this eternal flame gave everything to protect San Antonio these Brave officers served in a variety of different roles within the police department but they shared the common commitment to protect and to serve Texas and San Antonio in particular have a long and proud Heritage of courage in the face of danger from the very earliest days of the republ republ we've been inspired by the tough band of patriots who stream from all over the country to fight for Texas Independence at the Alamo those Brave individuals put the liberty of others and of future generations to come before their own lives and ever since that time the men and women of San Antonio law enforcement have proudly carried on that Legacy of Courage those officers and their Brave actions are honored on this wall dating back almost to the very beginnings of Texas their stories of sacrifice are as varied as they are tragic including shootouts drownings motorcycle accidents and cold blooded murder the first decade of the 21st century has brought even more sacrifice after losing three officers in 2001 San Antonio has lost an officer in each of the last four years the most recent is Officer Robert Davis who tragically died on December 1st 2008 it was only 26 years old and it served just a year and a half in the forest his wife Simona is with us today Mrs Davis our thoughts and our prayers are with you and our gratitude to you your husband and your entire family for the sacrifice all of you have made to ensure that San Antonio is a safer and better place officer Davis was one of the 14 fallen officers in Texas during 2008 that is the most of any state in the Union well as terrible as that statistic is it represents a 36% drop Statewide from the year before now while that trend is in the right direction it's small Comfort to those who've lost a husband a dad a wife a mother a sister a brother or a friend R Reagan once said that the price of a free nation has sometimes counted in the dearest currency human life We Gather here today forever indebted to those who pay the ultimate price and to their families and loved ones who mourn their absence because of these officers we understand more fully the words inscribed at the national law enforcement officer Memorial in Valor there is hope the Valor they displayed in today's past gives hope for the rest of us for a Freer and safer tomorrow so as Taps is played and as the role is called we thank God for these officers and we ask God for his blessings and his comfort for their loved ones may God continue to bless the officers who have been lost their dear families the great city of San Antonio and the state of Texas and may God continue to bless the United States of America [Applause] me please bece just take a second uh to recognize a few other distinguished guests the mayor elect Castro our assistant city manager Eric Walsh [Applause] also let me take the liberty of um introducing two other people um and they probably thought I couldn't see them in the back and my eyes weren't that good but a retired police Sergeant natn headed and her husband I believe is standing back there a retired assistant chief David [Applause] head over the years local school participation has been a fixture in our Ceremony this year we're honored to have the Gillette Elementary School spur choir please welcome them as they sing song of Honor hero [Applause] [Music] There's a Hero you look inside your heart you don't have to be afraid of what you are there's an answer [Applause] if you reach into your soul and the sorrow that you know will melt away and then a hero comes along with the strength to carry on and you cast your Fe inside and you know you can survive so when you feel like hope is gone look inside you and be strong and you'll finally see the truth that I hero lies in you it's a long road when you face the world alone no one reaches out a hand for you to [Applause] you thank you so much for that wonderful performance our family assistant officers program was implemented several years ago to assist families of San Antonio police officers whove been killed in the line of duty officer Charlie rickets who is part of that team will now read the rad call of Honor officer [Applause] rets ladies and gentlemen our fallen heroes assistant chief Marshall Frederick filstrup May 29th 1857 patrolman van NES Wells September 22nd 1867 patrolman William Lacy November 29th 1900 motor police officer Frank East June the 10th 1917 patrolman Joseph Pedraza October 6th 1924 chief of detectives Sam Street September 11th 1927 detective Robert White November 10th 1927 MO police officer Lewis Gro March 22nd 1930 patrolman Theodore Boon July 29th 1930 motor police officer Raleigh Taylor December 25th 1930 patrolman Peter shrivo May 28th 1931 detective Henry perro December 11th 1933 patrolman John Stow December 3rd 1936 motor police officer agnel Edwards January 16th 1937 motor police officer Earl canning December 2 3rd 1938 patrolman Julius Alberton December 4th 1941 motor police officer Frederick coblin November 8th 1942 detective Michael Ellis Jr May 11th 1944 please investigator Otto hilock October 18th 1945 patrolman Winston col pepper September 11th 1954 patrolman Richard quar August 2nd 1968 patrolman guadalupi Martinez September 4th 1970 patrolman Antonio Canales May 18th 1972 patrolman George Jacobs January 14th 1973 patrolman Russell spanagel June 30th 1973 patrolman Harry br June 27th 1974 detective investigator James Anderson July 4th 1975 Police Officer James Bennett Jr September 13th 1975 police officer George copelan iiii September 13th 197 5 police officer Eloy Gonzalez August 15th 1977 detective investigator Barnaby Salazar Jr November 16th 1978 Police Officer Gilbert Ramirez December 24th 1983 police officer Edwin Gill July 5th 1988 police officer Antonio Garcia December 4th 1988 police officer Patricia Calderone December 28th I'm sorry December 27th 1988 Police Officer Gary Williams March 27th 1989 police officer Roger Henry April 13th 1990 police officer Douglas gy April 20th 1991 police officer Randall Cisco January 20th 1992 police officer Fabian Dominguez January 15th 1995 police officer Michael mcginness August 28th 1995 police officer Oscar Perez March 24th 2000 police officer John rohas February 3rd 2001 police officer Hector Garza March 29th 2001 police officer Juan Morales December 11th 2001 police officer John Wheeler October 14th 2005 police officer Valentine Lopez June 21st 2006 detective investigator Mario Moreno September 21st 2007 I would ask you to please direct your attention to the memorial flag guarded by an Honor Guard officer her Plaza this historical flag resides in the chief's office and is prominently displayed it is currently adorned with 48 ribbons listing the names of every San Antonio police officer who has given the ultimate sacrifice defending our community at this time I would like to invite Miss Simona Davis wife of Officer Robert Davis to place the 49th Banner with the name Robert DAV Avis inscribed on it onto the memorial flag on December 1st 2008 officer Robert Davis lost his life on November 28th 2008 AER Davis was struck by a v vehicle and Days Later subsequently died from his injuries officer Davis was 26 years old and had served 1 and A2 years on the department police officer Robert Davis departed December 1st 2008 I would I I would like you to uh direct your attention to the living tree in the middle of the plaza the living tree was planted several years ago and stood only 7 ft tall now the living tree towers over the plaza that includes the 49th plaque bearing police officer Robert Davis name on it I want to share with you the symbolism of this living tree this tree is a living symbol of the constant strength and vitality of the San Antonio police Department the four ancient rivers of the world Spring from the tree of life and they feed the four seasons of the year the plaza acts as both a calendar and a clock each quadrant of the plaza is a month and each concentric ring marks an hour of the day like a Sund dial the passage of time is marked by the moving shadow of the tree around the plaza each Memorial plaque fixes the special moment of transition in time of a officer falling from the Department much like a leaf falling from the tree [Music] all officers pleas it [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] n