Danny Lynchard's Kevo

Tulsa Police Officers Memorial Dedicated
Friday March 04, 2005 6:57pm Reporter: Bill Mitchell Posted By: Kevin King

Tulsa - Fallen Tulsa police officers are remembered with honor. A police memorial has been nine years and 400-thousand dollars in the making. Now, the dream to honor those who have died in the line of duty is finally a reality.

The monument, entitled "With My Life If Need Be," shows an honor guard officer giving a flag to a little girl after a police officer's funeral.

There have been 39 such funerals in Tulsa since 1917. And, each one's name, picture and devotion to duty will be displayed in this memorial.

[] Former Tulsa county District Attorney S.M. "Buddy" Fallis says these fallen heroes were great human beings. Police chaplains and other volunteers worked tirelessly to make this happen.

[b]Police chaplain Danny Lynchard[/b] calls the memorial a fitting tribute to the men and women who lost their lives protecting others.

"When you come into the police department, you're told you're family," [b]Lynchard[/b] says. "This is what we said through the years. We've never forgotten that pledge, never forgotten that promise. And you will always be a member of the family of the Tulsa police department."

Officer Bert Slay died in a traffic accident in 1986. His sister, Hope Kelly, drove in from Chicago for the dedication. Bert Slay's widow Marilyn Rains, calls the monument a fitting tribute.

"They've done a great job on it," she says. "It will even be better when they get all the phases done on it."

She has a son in college studying law enforcement. He wants to be a police officer like his late father, wants to take the sacred oath of a police officer and live by those words -- With My Life If Need Be.

Police are still raising funds to complete the memorial. If you'd like to help, visit the memorial website at www.tpdmemorial.com.