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Memorial flags going up at Hall of Fame

TITUSVILLE — The placement of 13,082 small American flags in honor of those who have lost loved ones in the line of duty will get underway at The American Police Hall of Fame (APHF) in Titusville on Monday, May 13, the first day of nationwide Police Week observances.

Every year, the flags -- each one representing a family survivor served by the APHF facility -- are placed on the grounds at the Hall of Fame in cooperation with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Department via inmates from the Brevard County jail.

“The inmates take the task very seriously and are always diligent about getting the job done,” said APHF CEO Barry Shepherd. “A lot of folks drive by our place and think the flags are for Memorial Day...and they are, only they’re for Peace Officer’s Memorial Day, which is May 15.”

The week in which May 15 falls is known as “Police Week,” which culminates in a large Memorial observance on Friday night, May 17, at the facility. The Hall of Fame hosts hundreds of family survivors from across America and, in cooperation with the Sheriff’s Department, pays tribute to all officers lost in the line of duty, with special emphasis on those whose names have been added to the Memorial wall since last year’s event. Just under 500 survivors will be hosted at the 2019 event. The flags honoring survivors stay up on the Hall of Fame property through the end of May in recognition of traditional Memorial Day observances, as well.

The day after the Memorial, the visiting family survivors are all treated to a local activity. This year they will be taken by buses to the Orlando Wetlands and Fort Christmas for a variety of activities. In the past, the survivors have been treated to The Brevard Zoo, Kennedy Space Center, a day at the beaches, Sea World and other local attractions.

The APHF, in concert with its supporting organizations, underwrites the Memorial activities, as well as a number of compassionate programs for law enforcement families nationwide, focusing much of the effort on the lives of children whose parents have been killed or seriously injured in the line of duty. Projects include college scholarships, summer camp funds, birthday and Christmas gifts for children ages 0-17, grief counseling funds and more. The Hall of Fame facility also features a solemn memorial rotunda with over 9,000 names of fallen officers etched in the marble walls.

The Memorial observance takes place at 7 p.m. on May 17 at the APHF at 6350 Horizon Drive in Titusville. The public is invited to attend and show its support for our “thin blue line.”

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