Brad Fox Among Fallen Officers Honored in Washington

Plymouth Township Police Officer Bradley Fox and more than 300 fallen law enforcement officers are being recognized during National Police Week in Washington, D.C.

Thousands began flowing Saturday into Washington, filling a sacred section of the Northwest portion of the capital and the national memorial honoring fallen officers.

Fox, who was killed in the line of duty last year, is among those honored, his name freshly etched into one of the two 304-foot-long marble walls that are now part of the living National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.

The names of more than 19,000 officers who have been killed in the line of duty are etched into those walls. This year, 321 were added.

The curving blue-gray marble with all those names on it was dedicated in 1991, and it has become the focal point of National Police Week every year since, with friends, families and fellow officers trekking to Washington to, as one entrance to the memorial implores, "Respect. Honor. Remember."

"The whole week is going to be important to us because we'll be with people who know what it's like when a police officer doesn't come home one night," said Nick Gresko, of the Ohio town of Berea, whose brother, Willoughby Police Officer Jason Gresko, was killed while on duty Sept. 21.

He, the officer's widow and other family members had just placed paper over the engraved name on the wall. Then they took pencil to the paper to create a traced impression of the name, their way of taking the name on that wall home with them.

National Police Week, established in 1962, pays special recognition to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Events are held throughout the week.

On Monday, thousands will gather at the memorial for a candle-light vigil, where Officer Yung's name will be read along with 320 others that have been added to the wall since last year. A service and wreath-laying will be held on Wednesday.

National Police Week 2013 full schedule of events.