#4Act of Kindness: Honoring a Marine in honor of a Marine

18 years ago today my life was dramatically changed. My partner, FTO and friend, Officer Jim Walch, died in the line of duty while rushing to assist me in the pursuit of a stolen vehicle. I have written in detail about this event previously in this blog and I hope you will read that entry here.


Officer Jim Walch

I am always very sad on this date as the events of that night run through my mind and I relive the horrific sights and sounds I experienced. But this year I decided to take a new approach and celebrate Jim and try to make the anniversary a more positive experience. Jim was a big, burly Marine and like most Marines he was damn proud of it! The Marines are a special brand of people and once you become one it will always be part of who you are. For this weeks act of kindness and remembrance I thought it would be great to find a deserving Marine to honor in honor of Jim. This led me to the story of First Lt. Timothy Fallon.


1st. Lt. Timothy Fallon, USMC

Timothy Fallon was a platoon leader of Fox Company for the Marines serving in the Marjah Helmand Province of Afghanistan. This area was one of the most active areas of combat and Lt. Fallon and his platoon saw plenty of it. On November 18, 2010, Lt. Fallon was the victim of an improvised explosive device (IED) and lost his vision as a result. At age 24 Lt. Fallon's life was dramatically changed. learn more about his story here. Like a true Marine, Lt. Fallon continues to strive to live life to its fullest and overcome adversity. Lt. Fallon has a passion for woodworking and is learning to pursue this passion  without his sight. My research on Lt. Fallon revealed a website looking for donations of new tools so that Lt. Fallon can establish a wood shop to practice his craft. This week I purchased a brand new jig saw for Lt. Fallon to help him reach this goal and continue to use his talents and creativity. I dropped by his house and left the saw with his wife. As I drove away I felt as if there was a big burly Marine sitting next to me with a smile on his face! Please take a moment to visit the Jim Walch memorial page and leave a reflection for him on this anniversary of his death.

If you would like to donate to the wood shop of Lt. Fallon you can find a list of tools he needs and further information about how to donate here.

#3 Act of Kindness/Remembrance: Honoring Hero Ryan Rawl

                                                      
                                                               Deputy Ryan Rawl

This week I traveled to Columbia, South Carolina to provide training to Law Enforcement Officers and members of the South Carolina Attorney General's Office. Therefore, I focused my search for someone to honor with an act of kindness to that area. I am so glad I did because I discovered someone most deserving. Ryan Rawl was a Deputy with the Richland County Sheriff's Department. His last assignment with the Sheriff's Department was as a school resource officer where he was a popular role model to the children. But, Deputy Rawl was so much more than this. He was also a standout student athlete in high school, a graduate of the Citadel and a First Lieutenant with the South Carolina Army National Guard.  He was an uncle, a brother, a son, a husband and a father. On June 20, 2012, First Lt. Rawl along with two other members of the S.C. Army National Guard were killed by a suicide bomber while serving a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Ryan left behind a wife and two children (ages 2 and 4).

By all accounts Ryan was the kind of leader and role model we should all aspire to be. While at the Citadel he received an award for outstanding service on the Honor Court and led classmates in Bible study. After graduating from the Citadel Ryan joined the Richland County S.O. and won awards for Deputy of the Quarter and Deputy of the Year. During his service with the Army National Guard Ryan was a platoon leader and earned the Bronze Star and Purple Heart among many other commendations.


                                                      

Each time I hear about the loss of a person with the character and leadership qualities of Ryan Rawl I can't help but wonder how the world ever recovers from the loss of someone like this at such a young age. I have to believe the only way it does is for us all to become more like him and carry on the good work Ryan did in this world in the short time he was here.

In honor of Ryan we have made a donation to the Richland County Sheriff's Foundation. The Sheriff's Foundation was formed with the objective of purchasing bullet proof vests for unprotected officers in the field. The Foundation has also been instrumental in raising funds to purchase other needed equipment for the Sheriff's Department. With our donation we are keeping Ryan's spirit alive as it was the honorable life that he led that inspired our act of kindness. And wouldn't it be meaningful if our donation in Ryan's honor were used to purchase equipment that may one day save the life of another officer.

Please take a minute to visit the Richland County Sheriff's Foundation site and learn more about the great work they do to support their officers. If you would like to make a tax deductible donation you may send them to:

Richland County Sheriff's Foundation
PO Box 1182
Columbia, South Carolina 29202

Or, as always, I encourage you to take a moment and send a card or letter of appreciation and support to Ryans' family. You may send them to:

Family of Ryan Rawl
C/O Richland County Sheriff's Office
5623 Two Notch Road
Columbia, South Carolina 29223




Mourners along the funeral procession of Ryan Rawl (photos by Tiffany Barkley)

#2 Act of Kindness: Supporting Officer Zachary Spires

Zoe and Zarya Spires

                                                             
We are often asked, "What does Signal 13 mean? How did you come up with that for your company name?" For many police departments Signal 13 is a distress code meaning an officer is in need of immediate assistance. We thought it was a clever name for a company whose mission was to train officer to become better at what they do. I can not think of a more appropriate name to associate with this weeks Act of Kindness/Remembrance. Over the past few weeks while trying to come up with ideas for our 52 acts I have searched the internet using phrases like "Officer in need of assistance," or "Help a police officer." What I learned is that unfortunately, there are no shortage of officers with serious needs. One of the most heartbreaking stories I have come across is that of Officer Zachary Spires, of the Orlando Police Department. On September 27th, Officer Spires' wife, Monica Harris-Spires, gave birth to twin girls, Zoe and Zarya. One week after the birth, Monica's condition deteriorated rapidly and she died unexpectedly, leaving Officer Spires to raise the two babies by himself. Monica was only 35 years old. Officer Spires also has two older children from a previous relationship.

I have never met Officer Spires, but it is no surprise that when I did some research on him for this entry I found information about him on the internet detailing kind deeds he had done during his career. One of the things I came upon was a recognition by the city council of Orlando for one of Officer Spires' deeds. It read:

Officer Zachary Spires

"In December 2002 Officer Spires participated in the Orlando Police Department's Angel Tree Project, where the department's employees purchased toys for needy children. Officer Spires sponsored 11 children, purchasing six bicycles along with clothing and toys. Additionally, Officer Spires made a generous monetary donation to the project and solicited donations from other sources. Because of his generosity and devotion to the children of Orlando, Officer Zachary Spires was awarded the Outstanding Employee Award."

By all accounts he appears to be a typical cop that cares about his community. How sadly ironic that a man known for his generosity and compassion for children in need, now has children of his own in need. It is time for the good deeds of Officer Spires to be repaid with the generosity and kindness of others.

We have sent a care package consisting of diapers, new dresses and teddy bears to Officer Spires and his family. We hope you are inspired to share your kindness with them as well. Even as little as a card letting them know you think about and pray for them is invaluable.

If you would like to send them care packages they can be mailed to the following address:

                                       Officer Spires Family
                                       Attn: Lt. Pursley
                                       Orlando Police Department
                                       100 S. Hughey Ave.
                                        Orlando, Florida 32801

If you would like to send a monetary contribution, a fund has been established in Monica Harris-Spires memory. Make  checks payable to the Benefit Account for Monica Spires and mail it to 1117 S. Westmoreland Drive, Orlando, FL 32805.

#1-Act of Kindness/Remembrance (Corporal Courtney Brooks)

                                                              
                                                       Corporal Courtney Brooks


On January 1, 2008, exactly five years ago, Corporal Courtney Brooks, of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police Department was killed in the line of duty. In an utterly senseless act Cpl. Brooks was struck by a drunken driver while performing a traffic detail. As is so often the case in line of duty deaths, a superb human being who has devoted their life to public service is lost at the hands of an irresponsible menace. For an extremely thorough account of the incident and notes from a chilling plea agreement proffer by Assistant State's Attorney, Theresa Shaffer, please read this article.

Each year on average between 125-200 police officers are killed in the line of duty. The outpouring of support by law enforcement after an officer is killed is nothing short of awe inspiring. Representatives from law enforcement agencies from around the country and beyond respond to pay their respects and participate in funeral processions that can be several miles in length. Corporal Brooks' funeral was no exception. Unfortunately, as time goes by more and more officers join Corporal Brooks among the names on the Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial wall in Washington, D.C. The memory of those who have fallen tend to fade with time to those who did not know and love them.

For the first "Act of Kindness and Remembrance" of the year I thought it fitting to honor an officer that had given their life on New Year's Day. New Year's Day is a day of celebration and hope. A day to clean the slate of disappointments from the previous year and look forward to better days in the coming year. A day to spend with friends and family. On New Years Eve, 2007, Corporal Brooks, like so many other officers across the country reported to work. While most people have the day off to celebrate and spend time with the ones they love, Corporal Brooks and those many other officers sacrificed spending time with their friends and family for the holiday and went to work. Corporal Brooks stood outside in the cold working a traffic detail while most of the rest of the population were in the comfort of the indoors, celebrating. Simply for the sacrifice of leaving their families and going to work on holidays we should honor law enforcement officers. But in this case, Corporal Brooks' sacrifice was so much more.

Corporal Brooks served his country for six years in the Army and served his community for 13 years as a police officer. He left behind three children and a fiance. His children were ages 17, 4 and 2 when he died.

In honor and remembrance of Corporal Brooks we placed flowers on his grave on this, the five year anniversary of his death, and made a donation in his honor to the Concerns of Police Survivors, a non-profit organization whose mission is as follows:

"Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc. provides resources to assist in the rebuilding of the lives of surviving families and affected co-workers of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty as determined by Federal criteria.  Furthermore, C.O.P.S. provides training to law enforcement agencies on survivor victimization issues and educates the public of the need to support the law enforcement profession and its survivors.'

We have also left a message of reflection for Corporal Brooks at the Officer Down Memorial Page. We encourage you to leave a reflection as well. You can visit the site here.

We also encourage you to support C.O.P.S. and their important mission to assist police survivors. Visit their website.

Finally, please take a moment to view this video of a standing ovation that was given to Corporal Brooks at his funeral. Five years later, I hope you can all find a way to honor Corporal Brooks.