State Police Sergeant Weddleton to be Added to National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial

The name of Massachusetts State Police Sergeant Douglas A. Weddleton, who last year gave the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, will be added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., this weekend.

A series of events, including a candlelight vigil to be held tonight and a wreath laying on Sunday, will solemnly commemorate the addition of the names of Weddleton and 315 other officers killed in the line of duty.

Weddleton’s end-of-watch came in the early morning hours of June 18, 2010, as he worked a detail protecting a road construction crew on Route 95 in Mansfield. Weddleton had pulled over one drunk driver who was trying to drive through the set-up, and was out of his cruiser, when another impaired driver struck and killed him.

At the time of his death, Weddleton was assigned to the State Police Barracks in Foxboro. Prior to that, he had served for many years in the department’s ballistics unit.

Attending the ceremonies are Weddleton family members, State Police colleagues and members of the State Police Command Staff, including Colonel Marian J. McGovern, superintendent of Department; Lieutenant Colonel Stephen G. Matthews, deputy superintendent of Department; and Lieutenant Colonel Timothy P. Alben, commander of the Field Services Division. Also participating are the State Police Drill and Ceremonial Unit and the State Police Pipes and Drums.

Sergeant Weddleton was the 31st member of the Massachusetts State Police killed in the line of duty. The first line of duty death occurred in 1909.

This year marks the second consecutive year in which a member of the Massachusetts State Police has been added to the Memorial. Last May, the name of Captain Richard J. Cashin was added. Cashin died in January 2009 when his cruiser crashed while he was traveling on Route 1 in Saugus in search of an erratic driver.

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is the nation’s monument to law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. Dedicated on October 15, 1991, the Memorial honors federal, state and local law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the safety and protection of our nation and its people.

The memorial features two curving, 304-foot-long blue-gray marble walls. Carved on these walls are the names of nearly 19,000 officers who have been killed in the line of duty throughout U.S. history, dating back to the first known death in 1791. Unlike many other memorials in Washington, D.C., the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is ever-changing: new names of fallen officers are added to the monument each spring, in conjunction with National Police Week.

The memorial sits on three acres of federal park land in an area of Washington, D.C., called Judiciary Square. The memorial grounds boast plush carpets of grass, nearly 60,000 plants and 128 trees. Each April, more than 10,000 daffodils bloom at the site, providing a burst of color for visitors. The memorial’s central plaza features an intricate paving pattern and a bronze medallion with the memorial fund logo: a blue shield with a red rose draped across it.

Bordering the memorial’s beautifully landscaped park are the two tree-lined “pathways of remembrance” where the names of the fallen officers are engraved. Each of the pathway entrances is adorned with a statuary grouping of an adult lion protecting its cubs. Sculpted by Raymond Kaskey, the bronze statues symbolize the protective role of law enforcement officers and convey the strength, courage and valor that are hallmarks of those who serve and protect.