Ceremony scheduled to honor Kentucky’s fallen game wardens

​FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 4, 2026) — 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) on May 18, 2026, to honor Kentucky game wardens who have died in the line of duty. The second week of May is designated National Police Week.

The ceremony will be held outdoors at the Kentucky Fallen Officers Memorial on Kentucky Fish and Wildlife's main campus in Frankfort.

Eleven wardens have died in the line of duty since the agency was established in 1912: Elijah Roberts, James R. Claxton, John C. Martin, James Brady McClain, Raymond Birdsong, David T. Childs, Denver Tabor, Robert C. Banker, Bernard Dean Ratliff, Douglas W. Bryant and William “Tex” Bailey.

Speakers:

Commissioner Rich Storm, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources

Col. Jeremy McQueary, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement Division

Maj. David Marques, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement Division

Sgt. Glenn Griffie, Kentucky Conservation Officers’ Association

National Anthem:

Game Warden Recruit James Croley, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement Division

What: Ceremony honoring Kentucky game wardens who have died in the line of duty since 1912

When: Monday, May 18, 2026, at 11 a.m. (EDT)

Where: Kentucky Fallen Officers Memorial on Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s main campus at 1 Sportsman's Lane 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.

Note: In addition to the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife remembrance on May 18, four of the fallen officers with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife will also be remembered at the Kentucky Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation’s memorial ceremony at the Department of Criminal Justice Training center in Richmond at 10 a.m. (EDT) on Wednesday, May 20. The foundation will honor Game Warden Elijah Roberts, Deputy Game Warden James R. Claxton, Conservation Officer James Brady McClain and Conservation Officer Raymond Birdsong, whose names were recently inscribed on the memorial. The foundation will add additional historical names of Kentucky fallen officers each year.

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