QUANTICO, Va. -- With Memorial Day weekend serving as the backdrop, the Office of Special Investigations Headquarters orchestrated a unique observance to honor several in the federal law enforcement community who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
OSI HQ staff members presented the inaugural Russell-Knox Building Memorial Day Remembrance Ceremony May 25, honoring the lives of the Fallen from agencies headquartered at the RKB.
In all, 37 Fallen, 19 from OSI, 11 from the Army Criminal Investigations Division, five from the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, and two from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service were remembered for their patriotism, virtue, valor, sacrifice, and above all their lives.
Following the singing of the National Anthem by Blake Nielsen, Chief of Information Law, OSI Staff Judge Advocate, the invocation delivered by Chaplain Jon Smithley, OSI Command Chaplain, and various historical facts about Memorial Day researched by Robert Vanderpool, OSI Command Historian, Col. Amy S. Bumgarner, OSI commander and event host, delivered the keynote remarks.
“We are here today to remember and celebrate our fellow law enforcement members and teammates that dutifully answered their nations call and paid the ultimate price,” Colonel Bumgarner told the attendees gathered by the seven signature flagstaffs in front of the RKB. “As we head into this long weekend, I encourage you to reflect on those who lost their lives to ensure our freedom and way of life. As you listen to their names being read, think about what their sacrifices mean to our organizations, but most importantly, honor their legacy.”
Representatives from OSI, CID, DCSA and NCIS read the names of the Fallen from their respective agencies. As each name and their End of Watch date (of their passing) was read, an OSI staff sergeant placed a red rose along the concrete base of the flagstaffs as a visual remembrance.
The ceremony was then punctuated by 37 seconds of silence, each second in honor of one of the 37 Fallen remembered that day.
The playing of Taps concluded the event, but not the memories of the Fallen in the hearts and minds of the attendees.