Citizens and law enforcement personnel gathered on May 9 in the auditorium of the Dr. A.J. Ferlazzo Building in Woodbridge to pay tribute to fifteen local fallen heroes. 

This year, Justice of the Peace Thomas S. Meredith was included in the roll call for the first time since his death in 1922. 

Fellow officers and a few family members lit a candle and laid a rose on a table to commemorate the sacrifice of Meredith and each of the following:

• Trooper Jackie M. Bussard, Virginia State Police
• Officer Paul T. White, Jr., Prince William County Police
• Investigator Claude E. Seymour, Virginia State Police
• Trooper Johnny R. Bowman, Virginia State Police
• Sergeant John D. Conner III, Manassas City Police
• Officer Philip M. Pennington, Prince William County Police
• Trooper Jose M. Cavazos, Virginia State Police
• Special Agent William H. Christian, Jr., Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Detective John M. Gibson, United States Capitol Police
• Officer Marlon F. Morales, Washington, D.C.  Metropolitan Transit Police
• Second Lt. Francis J. Stecco, Fairfax County Police
• Special Agent Chad L. Michael, Drug Enforcement Administration
• Special Agent Forrest N. Leamon, Drug Enforcement Administration
• Officer Paul M. Dittamo, Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.

Honored law enforcement members lived or worked in Prince William County.

The event was organized and facilitated by the Prince William County Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association (CPAAA) as part of ongoing events celebrating National Police Week.  Jim Hollis, a member of the association, said after the ceremony, “It’s a small way to show our appreciation for the service of [these] officers and the sacrifices they and their families made.”