ANAHEIM, Calif.—A memorial service was held on Mar. 8 for the Huntington Beach police officer killed in a helicopter crash while on duty last month. Nicholas Vella, a 14-year-veteran of the Huntington Beach Police Department, died from injuries he suffered when a helicopter that he and another officer were piloting crashed into Newport Bay on…

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif.—Hundreds of flower arrangements covered a police vehicle parked outside of the Huntington Beach Police Department on Feb. 22 in memory of late officer Nicholas Vella, who died in a helicopter crash last week in Newport Beach. Surrounding law enforcement agencies along with city officials and residents paid their respects to the fallen…

President Joe Biden on Oct. 16 paid tribute to fallen police officers in a speech at a national memorial service for lawmen who lost their lives in the line of duty in 2019 and 2020. The president said it is now harder than ever to do the work of policing and more difficult to hire…

When an Indiana driver spotted a police officer clearing trash from the side of an intersection, it piqued his interest. Pulling over, he learned that the kind officer was maintaining the memorial site of a crash victim killed two decades prior. Touched by the selfless act, he filmed the interaction to share with others. Kaleb Hall, 32,…

Americans across the country came together on Sept. 11 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks that killed nearly 3,000, wounded thousands more, and left an indelible scar on the nation’s psyche. Observances were planned across the country—from a wreath-laying in Portland, Maine, to flags flying at half-staff at the Washington Monument—marked…

The Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, was once a coal strip mine. On neighboring land, Camp Allegheny’s then-Executive Director Duane Slade recalls the mine used many charges of dynamite at once, creating loud booms as they crumbled the earth. But it was nothing compared to what he heard on Sept. 11, 2001, when…

Fullerton City Council on June 1 will consider authorizing the construction of a Korean War Memorial to commemorate nearly 40,000 U.S. servicemen who lost their lives during the war. The proposed memorial would be located at Hillcrest Park adjacent to the Duck Pond, near Brea and Harbor boulevards, and would feature five granite stars on…

A teen from Fresno, aiming to become an Eagle Scout, tackled a public project to give back to his community—and show respect to military families who have sacrificed for their country. Before Christian Juvet, 17, could reach his goal of becoming an Eagle Scout, he had to show he was worthy of the title. “Throughout Scouts, you’re…

TUSTIN, Calif.—The Orange County Sheriff Department’s advisory council hosted a memorial May 27 to pay tribute to the 53 peace officers that have been killed while in the line of duty throughout county. The event is held at Orange County Peace Officers’ Memorial site in Tustin every year, although last year’s in-person event was cancelled due to COVID-19….

Warrior king and “Papa” Michael Jeffery has been remembered as the former Australian governor-general who treated everyone with dignity. Prime Minister Scott Morrison led mourners on Tuesday at the state funeral for Major General Jeffery, who died on Dec. 18, aged 83. Among the congregation at the ANZAC Memorial Chapel of St Paul at Duntroon…