Event-goers examine hand grenades mounted in a 1941 Willys Overland General Purpose Vehicle. The Jeep was among the military and police vehicles on display outside the York Police Museum on the first block of West Market Street in 2004. Police Heritage Museum Director John Stine told the York Daily Record/Sunday News that the event was created "To bring attention to the downtown and the museum." Background posts: Conewago crossing near Manchester a hot spot, literally, for years and Nazis murdered downed WWII airman from York, Part V and Longtime district justice: 'You can wait for my book' and Errant pickup driver knocked on-duty fire policeman out of his shoes.
Last week, former York countian Brian Joseph Buss died when his air tanker plane crashed into a Utah mountain range en route to fight a wildfire.
And Dallastown graduate and Navy Airman Gatlin Scott Green died while working on a ship near Singapore.
These heroes who died in the line of duty may soon be forgotten by the general public... .
To my knowledge, no public forum exists to honor those who die in all types and colors of uniforms in the line of duty.
York's Police Heritage Museum does a wonderful job honoring York County law enforcement officers who die on duty.
For example, a section of the museum's Web site lists names and short bios on county officers and those from surrounding counties who made the supreme sacrifice.
Indeed, the police museum performed a wonderful public service in bringing forgotten police officer Curtis Sowers' death in 1929 into public view.
As another example, the York County Veterans Affairs Office collects the names of those in uniform who die in war. The Vietnam War dead whose names will appear on a proposed statue provide one example of that.
Perhaps the police museum and veterans affairs office could jointly expand their lists to honor all York countians who, like Buss and Green, die in the line of duty.
The York Daily Record/Sunday News offers an interactive listing and map Remembering wars' fallen with local ties that counts War on Terrorism military deaths.
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