Vice President JD Vance Delivers Remarks at the Annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service

Whose brush stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight over the ramparts we watched Whistled. And the rocket track led the moons bursting in air Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there O say does that star spangled banner.

Wave.

O' er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Colors, Right shoulder. Ready.

Cut.

Colors. Honor guard Order.

Ready.

Cut.

Parade rest. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the vice president of the united states, j.d. vance. And the second lady, usha vance.

Colors. Otter guard. Colors, right shoulder.

Ready.

Cut.

Colors.

Outer guard.

Freeze.

Head. It's it.

Colors, right shoulder.

Car.

Ready.

Cut.

Colors, outer guard. Order.

With the effective elements.

Ready.

Fix.

Rick Schneider, Chaplain of the National Fraternal Order Police will now deliver an invocation. Honorable colors, Parade Rest.

With these words of prayer, let us now rise and raise our eyes and our hearts to heaven. Father God, we invite you into this time of remembrance, reflection and recommittal. Father, the hour has come. We thank you for receiving the souls of the ones we honor today. May your son, whom you glorify through the ultimate sacrifice, be glorified here too, amongst these sons and sisters of sacrifice whose names we gather before this altar of supreme sacrifice. As you gave them authority to uphold your commandments and to protect the rights that come only from you, Grant these your faithful, fallen with eternal life that you have given him whom you have sent as our Prince of Peace. May you, Lord, the one true God, be glorified here on earth. Even in this moment, and especially in this place. As our nation pauses, we stand alongside our Vice President of the United States of America. And we declare these makers and protectors of peace have finished their work which you gave them to do. They were obedient to your call. So now, Lord, bless them and their families with your peace, which surpasses all understanding. And with your glory, which came before the world was. May you now manifest your name before us in your return. For all those given out of this world, they were yours. They were given in your name. And they kept your word by showing a love no greater than this. Than one who would lay down their life for a friend. Yes, the grass we walk upon today will surely wither. And the flowers we place today will surely fade. But your word, God, stands forever.

Ever.

Yes. We pray all of this in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Yes, I pray in the name of Jesus, our Christ. Amen.

Please be seated. Good afternoon. My name is Patrick Gilles, and I have the honor of serving as National President of Fraternal Order Police on behalf of Our national Board of Trustees and our more than 380,000 members nationwide. I want to extend a heartfelt welcome to our survivors, law enforcement families, fellow officers and distinguished guests that have joined us here today for the 44th annual National Peace Officers Memorial Service. I also want to acknowledge those that are watching across the the country on YouTube live and on C Span, and thank you for taking time to honor our fallen with us. This service began in 1982 by a small group of people who met and had a meaningful gathering not far from here at Senate Park. To my right, there were law enforcement supporters, there were survivors, there were Fraternal Order Police members, and there were Boy Scout troops that stopped by and became part of that. There were a total of about 100 people that participated in its day memorial service. Today. It stands as a solemn cornerstone of what we now know is Police Week. It's a time where tens of thousands come to the nation's capital in honor of the fallen and their families that are left behind. As we gather here on the west front of the United States Capitol, we do so to ensure that the sacrifice of our fallen brothers and sisters has never forgotten. At this time, I would like to introduce the distinguished guests that have joined us here on the stage. Beginning in my far right, please welcome the Senate sergeant in arms, Jennifer Hemingway and Lori Sharp. Day chairman of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, Thomas Austin, the architect of the United States Capitol and a national president of the concerns of police survivors, Connie Moyer, Two of our most steadfast allies, the general president of the International association of Firefighters, Ed Kelly and the president of the International association of Chiefs of Police, Ken Walker, are also here with us today. Ryan Burchnell is here with representing FirstNet, built by AT&T, which is a major sponsor of the Fraternal Order Police and this event. Please welcome Mike Patilla, Acting director of the United States Marshals Service, and William McCool, Special Agent and Trust Charge of Secret Service, Washington D.C. field Office. I want to thank the chief of our host agency, Chief Tom Major with the United States Capitol Police, for all he and his agency do every year for this memorial service. And Chief, thank you for being here and thank you for your years of service and we wish you the very well, very best in your retirement. Glenda Lehman, national President of Fraternal Water Police Auxiliary is here and she will be welcoming you in moments. In a few moments. Turning now to my far left, please welcome the house sergeant in Arms, William McFarland and Acting Director of COPS office, Cory Randolph. We're Grateful to have with us Mike Wagers of Axon, one of our steadfast corporate sports sponsors. It's good to have you here again, Mike. Please welcome Acting DEA Administrator Robert Murphy and Tom Lyon, Acting Director of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement. We also want to welcome US Border Czar Tom Holman, as well as our friend, FBI Director Keshe Patel. We're also proud to have with us our Nation's top cop, U.S. attorney General Pam Bondi. We're grateful for her leadership and for being here with us today. And finally, it is our privilege to have with us our nation's Second Lady, Lucia Vance, and our keynote speaker, J.D. vance, Father, Vice President of the United States of who I'll introduce shortly. Thank you all for attending. Vice President Vance, General Bondi, distinguished guests, members of Congress, law enforcement leaders, survivors and friends. Thank you for joining us today as we honor the courage and the memory of our fallen heroes who gave their last full measure in the service of others. Each year, we gather on this sacred ground to remain, reflect, to grieve, and to celebrate the lives of those who answered the call to serve, knowing full well that might one day be asked to give everything in the defense of their communities. Law enforcement is not a simple job. It's a calling. It's a hard purpose. It's a choice to stand between good and evil, between danger and safety, and between order and chaos. Our brothers and sisters we remember today made that choice willingly. They wore a badge not for recognition or reward, but because they believed in something greater than themselves. They believed in justice, in duty, in service. They kissed their loved ones goodbye, not knowing if they would return home at the end of their shifts. And far too many did not. We gather here not only to mourn their loss, but to ensure that their names, their stories, and their sacrifice is never forgotten. They're not statistics. They're not headlines. There are mothers and fathers, sons, daughters, husbands, wives, partners and friends. And behind each name etched in stone sits a white chair. These white chairs before us represent far more than just a place to sit. They represent families forever changed. Dreams interrupted, empty seats at dinner tables and milestones that will be missed. To our survivors, your strength inspires us. Your grief humbles us. And your presence here today reminds us all that the sacrifice of this profession is never made alone. You carry a burden that no one should bear. But you also carry forward a legacy of those we honor by sharing their stories, by living with courage, and by reminding the world who your loved ones are and what they stood for. Today and every Day we are with you. For we never let our surviving families walk alone. As officers, we know the risk, but we lace up our boots each day with the same resolve to protect, to serve and to defend. And while the job takes much from us, we find purpose in knowing that we're making our community safer and our nation stronger. Let us continue to live lives worthy of the sacrifice made by our fallen. Let us serve with integrity, love with intention, and never take each other for granted.

Granted.

As we remember these brave men and women, let their legacy be the light that guides our path forward. Let their sacrifice not be in vain, but the foundation upon which we build a safer and more united future. May God bless our fallen heroes. May he comfort their families. And may he continue to watch over the men and women of law enforcement who stand in line each and every day. Thank you. I now ask Glenda Layman, President of the National Fraternal Order Police Auxiliary, to welcome you to this memorial service.

Good afternoon, Vice President Vance. Esteemed guests, brothers and sisters of law enforcement, and families and friends of our fallen heroes, welcome to the Fraternal order of Police 44th Annual Peace Officers Memorial Service. We gather with heavy hearts to honor the memory of our brothers and sisters, our heroes, but most importantly, your loved ones, who dedicated their lives to protect and serve their communities and who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week which in it falls as National Police Week. And every year during the month of May, cities and towns across this country celebrate National Police Week by hosting memorial services, tributes and many other events that honor those law enforcement officers that lay down their lives to show support for the brave men and women still serving. And each year, thousands of law enforcement and their families travel here to Washington D.C. where we gather on the west lawn of the United States Capitol, along with the leaders of our country and the leaders of law enforcement. And for those few short hours, our countries pause to pay tribute and to honor the memory and the sacrifice of those brave officers. The 232 brave law enforcement officers whose names will be read today are heroes. Heroes because they, like thousands of other law enforcement officers, were dedicated to the safety of others. Each day they put on a uniform and they pinned on a badge and they left their homes and your homes and your families to protect our homes and our families. Not knowing the challenges that they might face, not knowing what that next call may bring. Each of these brave sos answered a call greater than themselves. And in Their service came great sacrifice. They sacrifice their safety for ours. We also recognize that you bear great sacrifice. Those forever plans, those important milestones, those everyday moments that will be missed. While no words or actions may truly express our sorrow or lessen the sadness or ease in your, lessen the sense of your loss. Know that we do grieve with you. The void that they leave behind is immeasurable. But so is the impact that they had on the countless lives they touched hearts and their legacy lives on in the lives that they protected. And in the towns and the communities that they served. They showed us that being a hero is not about superhuman strength or superhuman feet. Being a hero is showing up every day, being ready to make a difference. These heroes made a difference. They made our world a little safer. I am humbled to stand before you today, along with thousands of other law enforcement officers from across the country, not only to acknowledge these heroes, but also to support you. There are things that death cannot touch. Your love for your officer, your memory for your officer. That those things will live on forever. Know that your loved ones have left a mark on our country and our hearts. And your loved ones sacrifice will never be forgotten. Be assured that the men and women of the Fraternal Order of Police and the Fraternal Order of Police Auxiliary are here to support you and we hope that today's service will bring you comfort. On behalf of the law enforcement families everywhere, we extend our heartfelt condolences and to our fallen. We honor you. We remember you and your legacy will endure forever in our hearts. To those who continue to serve, we support you. We thank you for your unwavering commitment to our safety and we will continue to pray for your safety. To the families and the friends and the co workers here today, know that the members of the Fraternal Order of Police Auxiliary extend our unending support. We pledge to never let you walk alone. May God bless you and keep you.

President Donald Trump wanted to be with us today, but his responsibilities have taken him overseas. He has, however, recorded video tribute and I'd like to play that now.

A very special hello to all of the law enforcement heroes, family members and friends of our police who have come to the nation's capital this week to honor our brave men and women in blue. Every day, countless thousands of courageous officers, sheriffs, sheriffs, deputies, troopers and federal agents risk their lives to protect our communities and keep America safe. They stand firm in the face of crisis and faithfully pursue justice. They are the thin blue line and it really is very special. It has to do with a thing called civilization and chaos. And we love them, we respect them, and we salute them and we thank them for their incredible, big, beautiful hearts. Today on Peace Officers Memorial Day, we especially honor those who have made the supreme sacrifice in defense of our laws. Last year, 147 officers gave their lives in the line of duty that some high number so terrible, so terrible, they were some of the great and very best among us. We cherish their memories and we wrap our arms around the beautiful families that they left behind. We will honor their sacrifice for all time. And their loved ones will always have our infinite gratitude and unyielding support. On my first day in office, I signed an executive order directing Department of Justice to seek the death penalty for any criminal who murders a police officer. And it was my wonderful honor to you. I want every law enforcement officer across the country to know that you have a president who will always have your back. So thank you once again for what you do for our country. You are a great people. Great, great people. God bless our police officers and God bless America.

President Trump asked that I share with you that tonight at nightfall, the White House will be illuminated in blue in honor of our fallen. One is solemn day of remembrance. It's an honor to welcome our keynote speaker, J.D. vance, Vice President of the United States. During his time in the United States Senate and now as the Vice President of the United States, he has been a relentless advocate for the men and women who wear a badge. Please join me in welcoming the Vice President of the United States, J.D. vance. Thank you.

Thank you all, please. I know it's, I know it's a warm day in Washington, but we could have got a lot worse weather in midday in Washington, D.C. so we're honored to have you. We're honored, I'm honored personally to be able to join you today. And I know from the entire Trump administration, the President who we heard earlier, is overseas to this great team behind us. We are proud to stand behind the men and women and blood and we will keep on doing it every day for the next three and a half years. God bless you. Now, I want to express my gratitude to all of this service's organizers, including, of course, the President of the Fraternal Order of Police, Patrick Yos, and its Executive director, Jim Pascoe. Thank you, guys. I want to thank Linda Layman, President of the National FOP Auxiliary Board. Thank you, Linda. And the work that you all do, that everyone here does to advocate on behalf of men and women in blue around our country is vital. You fight for law enforcement officers and their families. You help foster warm relations between the communities that law enforcement serves and the police officers who wear the badge. And most importantly, you make sure our great officers get the dignity and respect they deserve, including from people in power. You hold the people in this building account to account, and you make sure they stand up for the men and women in blue. Thank you. Now one of our administrators. The administration's greatest goals is to give the American people a renewed sense of ownership over their own country, ownership over their homes, over their neighborhoods, and over their city streets. But none of that would be possible if we don't have a functional system of law or the means to enforce it. Law is the root of ordered liberty in the United States. It is the foundation of a peaceful society. A nation of laws gives certainty to its citizens. It enables them to participate in civic life, to work and raise families, to build a business, all with the assurance that they have a consistent and dependable legal system that will keep them safe as they work every day to realize their dreams. But a society that fails to enforce its own rules or that chooses to do so haphazardly, can make no such promises to its people. And over the last few years, too many Americans saw exactly what that looks like. City blocks in flames, storefront windows shattered, Countless citizens made victims to random crime and mobile violence. In America, we honor the men and women who recognize the value of a peaceful, orderly society and who have chosen to devote their lives to preserving, as the President said, that fragile barrier between civilization and chaos. And today, of course, we mourn those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of that duty. These men and women chose their careers not for enrichment or self exaltation, and as you all know, not because it pays better than every job on earth, but for the unshakable belief that we have a civilization that is worth defending. They woke up each and every morning, they put on their uniforms, they said goodbye to their loved ones, and they stepped into the unknown. They ran toward danger when others would flee. They didn't hesitate. They didn't waver. They stood tall when others could not. Those officers upheld the rule of law. They fought for that line between civilization and chaos, so that freedom could remain more than a promise. It could be the reality of day to day life in this country. The foundation of our prosperity and the foundation of American greatness. And we gather today, all of us in debt to these fallen officers. United in grief and united in gratitude, we mourn their sacrifice, their heroism, their courage and compulsion to protect, which extended well beyond their loved ones and across the entire communities they served. But above all, today we mourn the actual officers, the individual men and women who have been taken from us far too soon. We mourn officers like David Lee, an 18 year veteran of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Last September, Officer Lee was responding to a single car crash on Interstate 70, a highway I've driven a number of times. As he was retrieving traffic cones from his own vehicle, an illegal immigrant speeding and under the influence of alcohol, lost control of his car and struck Officer Lee. He was critically injured and passed away during surgery. He died as he lived, serving others tirelessly without failing, and left behind a grieving wife and two beautiful children. We mourn officers like Fernando Esqueda, a deputy sheriff who had served the Houston area with the Harris County Sheriff's Office for five years. Now, after his department launched a manhunt against a suspect thought to have violently assaulted a nearby clerk, Deputy Escadada sprang into action. His fellow detectives were able to narrow down an area of interest from the suspect's getaway vehicle, but unable to find the car, they ended up dropping the search. Yet Deputy Esque returned to the spot and was able to make a positive ID on the vehicle. As he reported the news to his fellow fellow deputies, he was killed in a cowardly ambush attack. Deputy Esqueda was 28 years old, his life unfairly taken in his prison crime. But his funeral last July, as so many of you know, brought over a thousand community members to honor and respect that great fallen hero. And finally, we mourn officers like Hamilton County Special Deputy Sheriff Larry Henderson. Now, I realize this case occurred not in 2024, but more recently, not even two weeks ago, in fact. But the story hits especially close to home because I am, of course, a person who calls Cincinnati my home. Deputy Henderson was an exemplary public servant to southwestern Ohio, the part of the country that made me who I am. He dedicated 33 years of his life to protecting the people of Hamilton County, Ohio. But even after having retired recently from the force, Deputy Henderson continued to step up and serve his community. Or while directing traffic near the University of Cincinnati during a commencement event, he was attacked and killed by a man he'd never even met, a man who we now know targeted Deputy Henderson simply because he was an officer of the law. Deputy Henderson devoted his career to protecting the lives of complete strangers, only to have a complete stranger take his own. And it's a story all of you know too well and happens too often in our country. Now, that case is now in the courts, where I pray his family gets the swift justice that it deserves. But all of us here today pray for Deputy Henderson, Deputy Escada, for Officer Lee, and for the many other peace officers we recognize and honor here today. Their sacrifice was not in vain, but in the furtherance of the most noble ideals and most critical mission of our nation. They laid down their lives to defend safe homes, peaceful neighborhoods, and the quiet order that gives structure and decency to our great American society. And today, we pray as well for the families, the friends and the other loved ones of every one of these officers, mourning, even today, people who were taken from us far too soon. Behind each of those officers badges was a beating heart. A family waiting to hear how the day went. A home left emptier and quieter and sadder than it should be. And I want to speak directly to all of those personally mourning here today. Your loss is our nation's loss. Your grief is our grief. Your heartbreak is our heartbreak. You all feel their absence with a depth and level of pain, of course, that I can't possibly begin to comprehend. But I'm here today to tell you that our administration and I believe the whole of the American community stands with you both as fellow citizens, but also as beneficiaries of the ultimate sacrifice laid down by your loved ones. We love you and we're grateful to you. Their names will never be forgotten, nor will their heroic act of service which inspire our nation and fill us with great purpose. I hope you know how deeply our administration, from President Trump on down, can care about them and care about you. Backing our nation's fallen officers, as well as their families, has been a consistent priority. The president's whole life, from when he was a real estate developer in New York to now when he's the President of the United States. The president and all of us, we love you. We care about you, and we will do everything in our power to help you. It's why last month, he took executive action to defend our nation's law enforcement officers, including by creating strong new legal protections and directing federal resources to improve training and pay. It's why our great attorney General here, the Department of Justice, is working even today with punishing state and local jurisdictions that restrict our peace officers ability to do their jobs, and with pursuing the death penalty for criminals who murder our cops. And finally, it's why the President cares so deeply about the crisis we inherited at the border, about stopping the violent criminals, the cartels, and the culture of lawlessness that were allowed to pervade our nation. For far too many years. And while we're talking about policy, I want to be clear about one last thing. The Trump administration has zero tolerance for anyone who threatens to defund, abolish or otherwise diminish our law enforcement heroes. And I know that none of us here like crime, but last year in November, I think the American people killed the defund the police movement and they used Donald J. Trump as the murder weapon. It is gone from this country and we're never going to let it come back. And just as President Trump and the administration are filled with strong leaders, we have no tolerance for weak willed municipal leaders who allow petty crime to take root all over our communities. We have no tolerance for people who defy our immigration laws or surrender entire blocks of their own cities to antifa and other ridiculous organizations. And perhaps worst of them all, we have no tolerance for far left prosecutors boosted in their elections by faraway billionaires who come into office and simply decline to take action against criminals. We are going to fight against crime. We're going to fight against criminals. And we are going to empower all of you to do your jobs every single day. Over the past four years, too much of our country was subjected to a giant radical experiment about what happens when you stop enforcing the law. And that's our peace officers. It's all of you. It's your families and our sacred fallen loved ones who bore the brunt of it. But that ended on January 20, 2025. This administration will never disparage or, or degrade our police officers, and particularly not the memory of those who died defending our society. That is our promise, our sacred obligation to never forget. To never allow the sacrifice of our fallen officers to be met with silence, or allow their courage to be met with indifference. Because what our fallen heroes gave us was not just safety, but it was stability, dignity, the freedom to live our lives knowing we were safe, knowing that somebody was watching out for us and for our children. And while these officers watch has ended, the responsibility they carried now falls on all of us. We honor them not only in eulogy, not just with words, but in action. And how we raise our children, how we stand up for our communities, and how fiercely we defend the values that they died fighting for. To the next generation, let the example of these fallen heroes be a lesson that freedom is not inherited, it is upheld. And that a civilization's peace is not inevitable. It is earned and it is kept by those who are willing to protect it. May God bless the law enforcement officers who gave their lives for their nation and the values we hold dear. May God provide comfort and grace to those of us left grieving in their absence. And may he continue to bless all of us, those in blue, and all Americans across our country. And let us continually be true to the sacrifice that all of our officers in blue made and continue to make every single day. Thank you all. God Bless America. It's an honor to be with you and I'm glad to be here. It.