Anderson County service to honor fallen officers, 'We often forget to thank our officers'

Anderson County will host an FOP Fallen Officer Memorial service at 6 p.m. on May 15 at the Courthouse, 100 S Main St.

There will be 23 names read out during the memorial service. These are officers, deputies, troopers, and wardens from multiple agencies in the Anderson County area.

General Robert Maxwell, the first sheriff of Anderson County and the Washington District, is amongst the fallen officers who will be recognized.

He was ambushed and killed while crossing the Saluda River on his way to the Washington District Court in Pickensville.

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week it falls as Police Week.

According to policeweek.org, The Memorial Service started in 1982 as a gathering of around 120 survivors and supporters of law enforcement in Senate Park.

Decades later, National Police Week has grown into a series of events celebrated worldwide and a memorial service that attracts thousands of survivors and law enforcement officers to Washington, D.C., each year to honor those who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

Maxwell became the first law enforcement officer killed in the history of Greenville County and in the state of South Carolina and one of the first killed in the history of the United States.

Blue light procession in Anderson

Before the service, a blue light procession will begin to show support for law enforcement.

The service is open to the public and will include a tribute to those who have lost their lives in the line of duty, as well as prayers for their families.

During the service, a few officers' names will also be mentioned who were not engraved on the monument. These officers died in the line of duty in other counties or states, but they are buried in Anderson County.

The most recent addition to the monument is Deputy Devin Hodges, from the Anderson County Sheriff's Office, who died in the line of duty in 2017.

There will also be a fallen K9 memorial for the K9s who died in the line of duty, and those K9s will also be called during the service. K9 Roscoe, from the Anderson County Sheriff's Office, is the latest addition to the fallen K9 monument.

'We often forget to thank our officers'

Police Chief Jim Stewart said that the City of Anderson's core values are teamwork, professionalism, and integrity. He emphasized that these values apply to the police department and all city divisions.

"Being part of something greater can bring fulfillment and motivation," Stewart said. "We often forget to thank our officers until a tragic circumstance occurs that reminds us how important and dangerous their profession is."

"When a police officer is killed in the line of duty, the community takes notice," he said. "It impacts and affects the entire community."

This occasion pays tribute to the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, honoring their dedication and service to our community.

Participating officers are encouraged to assemble at the Anderson Mall at 3131 N. Main St. by 5:30 p.m.

List of officers killed in the line of duty in Anderson County

1797 – Robert Maxwell, Sheriff of the Washington District

1909 – J. B. McAdams, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office

1920 – Arthur Hughes, Honea Path Police Department

1924 – William Gibson, Anderson City Police Department

1926 – James R. Wilson, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office

1928 – Luther A. Martin, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office

1947 - Willis Edwin Sanders, Sr., Anderson County Sheriff’s Office

1956 – William L. Acker, Anderson City Police Department

1957 – James Tillotson, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office

1965 – Levis T. Sexton, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office

1967 – Earl Dean Compton, Iva Police Department

1969 - A.C. Campbell, SC Wildlife Department

1972 – Berry Creamer, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office

1973 – Edgar Cooley, Honea Path Police Department

1975 – Charles G. Sheppard, Anderson City Police Department

1992 – Chris Taylor, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office

1994 – Randall Hester, SC Highway Patrol

2005 – Alex Burdette, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office

2017 – Devin Hodges, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office

2020 – Ethan Kaskin, Anderson City Police Department

Travis Rose covers Anderson County for the Independent Mail. Reach him via email at trose@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Anderson Independent Mail: Fallen officer memorial service in Anderson County, what to know