A small group of Fish and Wildlife Officers are circled around the Headquarters fallen Officer Memorial
NEWS

Ceremony honors Kentucky's fallen conservation officers

​​FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 19, 2023) — In honor of Kentucky conservation officers who have died in the line of duty, the public is invited to join relatives, state officials and representatives from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and the Kentucky Conservation Officers’ Association, for a memorial ceremony at 11 a.m. (EDT), Monday, May 22, 2023.​​

​​The ceremony will be held outdoors at the Kentucky Conservation Officers Memorial on Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s main campus in Frankfort. Ten Kentucky conservation officers have died in the line of duty since 1918: Elijah Roberts, James R. Claxton, John C. Martin, James Brady McClain, Raymond Birdsong, David T. Childs, Denver Tabor, Robert C. Banker, Bernard Dean Ratliff, and Douglas W. Bryant.

“We are humbled and proud to honor the law enforcement officers who have died in the course of duty over the last century,” said Rich Storm, commissioner for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “They and their families deserve the honor of being remembered and appreciated for their sacrifice and their dedication to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife and the citizens of the commonwealth.”​​

Speakers: Commissioner Rich Storm, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Maj. Shane Carrier, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement Division Maj. Jeremy McQueary, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement Division Sgt. Thomas Blackwell, Kentucky Conservation Officers’ Association ​​

What: Ceremony honoring Kentucky conservation officers who have died in the line of duty since 1918.​​

​​When: Monday, May 22, 2023 at 11 a.m. (EDT)

​​Where: Kentucky Conservation Officers Memorial on Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s main campus at 1 Sportsman's Lane (formerly 1 Game Farm Road) in Frankfort​. The memorial is located between the large, two-story brick Administration Building and the Salato Wildlife Education Center about ½ mile north of the campus entrance. The entrance is located off U.S. 60, approximately 1½ miles west of U.S. 127.​

For more information, visit the department’s website (fw.ky.gov) or call 1-800-858-1549, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (Eastern) weekdays, excluding holidays.​​



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