May is a busy month, full of proclamations honoring numerous causes, ranging from National Maritime Day to Law Day. The most celebrated “day” in May is Memorial Day, which started with a different name: Decoration Day. In 1868, the organization of Union veterans, known as the Grand Army of the Republic, established “Decoration Day” as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. General John Logan declared it should be May 30, chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country. On May 28, 1868, President Andrew Johnson issued “General Order No. 11,” designating May 30 as a day to honor the fallen soldiers of the Civil War. 

In 1971 the date was moved to the last Monday of May; by the 1990s this creation of a three-day holiday had its detractors, as people felt the meaning was being forgotten. In response, Congress passed “The National Moment of Remembrance Act,” which encourages Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation. 

This history of Memorial Day led me to take a look at another “memorial day” in May, the Peace Officers Memorial Day. Every year in May there is a ceremony at the Arlington Justice Center Plaza (next to the Courthouse), where the Peace Officer Memorial Statue is located. The ceremony honors the legacy of the seven Arlington police officers who have died in the line of duty. Only their names are listed, but it is their stories that provide a glimpse into the inherent risks involved as a police officer. 

I would like to share one quick story about Officer John Buckley, who was killed in the line of duty on April 15, 1977. On that day, Officer Buckley had been in traffic court and was on his way home in his cruiser when a robbery call was broadcast. A silent alarm had been triggered at Virginia National Bank, at the corner of Glebe Road and Columbia Pike. Two armed men had entered the bank at 1 p.m., dressed in dark clothing and wearing ski masks. The two robbers herded the bank employees and customers into two corners of the room and took an undetermined amount of money. As they were leaving, the robbers fired several shots at the surveillance cameras in the bank. Officer Buckley, who was the first unit on the scene, called in on his radio, “Dispatcher, this is the real thing.” 

As Officer Buckley ran up the front steps, the armed robbers came running out the front door. Shots were exchanged, and Officer Buckley was hit in the chest. As the armed men were running through the parking lot to their car, a deputy sheriff arrived on the scene, and another brief gun battle broke out. The two robbers were able to escape. 

Meanwhile, a private ambulance happened to be sitting at the stop light, and first aid was immediately applied, but Officer Buckley could not be saved. He was pronounced dead at 2:15 p.m. at Arlington Hospital. Two days later, at the funeral, hundreds of police officers from around the country attended the services. They parked their cars in a long line along Washington Boulevard, standing at attention as the hearse drove by. 

Officer Buckley was survived by his wife, Nancy Buckley, who was pregnant at the time. Their son, John was born later that year. Meanwhile, the robbers were never caught, and it remains an unsolved case. 

There are currently 24,067 names of officers killed in the line of duty inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC, dating back to the first known death in 1786. Officer John Buckley’s name is listed on the national memorial, along with the other six police officers from Arlington who died in the line of duty. This national memorial, and our local memorial, are reminders of the sacrifices made by others on our behalf. Next time you are near the Courthouse, I recommend you stop by to see our local memorial.