Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

Jane, I remember when you were a Rookie Officer. Always eager, always willing to learn. You will never be forgotten by anyone privileged enough to work with you, including me.

Lieutenant Owen Jones (retired)
Columbus Ohio Division of Police

September 2, 2008

God Speed Sister...

A true measure of a Hero is not how you were injured, rather your reaction to it. You fought and fought. You fighting spirit is an inspiration for all to emulate.

You are a Hero to more than anyone can imagine.

May God bless your family and friends.

Anonymous

August 21, 2008

Officer Bowman your work on this Earth as we know it is done. You are in God's Hands now sister. May you rest in peace.

SGT. Daryl Brewer
Clarksville Police Dept. Clarksville, Tennessee

April 17, 2008

YOU ARE REMEMBERED TODAY OFFICER AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, YOU ARE A HERO JUST BY THE PROFESSION YOU CHOSE

VANDENBERGHE
MANCHESTER, NH

March 12, 2008

Thankyou for your service and sacrifice OFFICER THOMPSON-BOWMAN. You will never be forgotten

POLICE OFFICER
PHILA PA

February 21, 2008

"The Badge"

He starts his shift each day
To respond to calls unknown.
He drives a marked patrol car.
A police officer he is known.

He's paid by the citizens' taxes
To make it safe on the streets.
But he usually has a second job
'Cause a waitress has his salary beat.

Now he doesn't know a holiday
'Cause he works all year round.
And when Thanksgiving and Christmas finally arrive
At his home he cannot be found.

He's cursed and assaulted often,
The one whos blood runs blue.
He seldom ever gets a thanks,
To some he's just a fool.

His friends are always other cops
'Cause people just don't understand
That underneath his badge and gun,
He's just another man.

He knows there might not be a tomorrow
In this world of drugs and crime.
And he gets so mad at the court system
'Cause the crooks don't get any time.

And each day when he leaves for work,
He prays to God above.
Please bring me home after my shift
So I can see the ones I love.

But tonight he stops a speeding car,
He's alone down this ole' highway.
It's just a little traffic infraction.
He does it everyday.

Well, he walks up to the driver's window,
And his badge is shining bright.
He asked the guy for a driver's license,
When a shot rang through the night.

Yes, the bullet hit its mark,
Striking the officer in the chest.
But the Department's budget didn't buy
Each officer a bullet-proof vest.

So he lay on the ground bleeding.
His blood wasn't blue - His blood was red.
And briefly he thought of his loved ones
'Cause in a moment the officer was dead.

In the news they told the story
Of how this officer had died.
And some who listened cared less,
But those who loved him cried.

Well, they buried him in uniform
With his badge pinned on his chest.
He even had his revolver,
He died doing his best.

Written By:
David L. Bell
Sergeant
Richland County Sheriff's Department
Columbia, South Carolina
Used with Special Permission of the Author
Copyright © 1999 - All Rights Reserved
and may not be duplicated without permission

Investigator David L Bell
Richland County Sheriff's Dept., Columbia, SC

December 31, 2007

Thinking of you and your loved ones during this holiday season. Continue to watch over all of your loved ones. You have not been forgotten.

Bob Gordon
Father of Michael P. Gordon, EOW: 8/8/04

December 21, 2007

Rest In Peace

We continue the fight for you sister and you are not forgotten by your department we honor you daily by wearing the uniform proudly and remembering the fallen brothers and sisters that came before us

detective scott alexander
columbus division of police

July 24, 2007

On behalf of the Fraternal Order of Police, Capital City lodge #9 in Columbus, Ohio we are very sorry for the loss of your life while serving your community and our country! God bless your family!

President Jim Gilbert
Fraternal Order of Police,Capital City Lodge #9, Columbus, Ohio

July 9, 2007

Eighteen years may have passed but you have not been forgotten nor will that ever be the case. Your loved ones will always keep your memory alive in their hearts. You are a true hero and true heroes never die.

Bob Gordon
Father of Michael P. Gordon, EOW: 8/8/04

May 23, 2007

What you did in service to your community meant more than you'd ever guess - Thank you so much for your service

Sgt Don "Boots" Jensen Retired
Milwaukee Police Department, Milwaukee, WI

May 12, 2007

May sweet sleep be yours and may Our Lord bless you and your loved ones.

March 9, 2007

To Officer Jane Thompson-Bowman Thomas and her loved ones:

On this the seventeenth anniversary of your tragic death, please know that your memory is honored and revered today.

My heart goes out to your family. You’re in our thoughts and our prayers.
You soldiered on for many years after your severe injuries...a true warrior, heroine, and inspiration.

Jane, you rescued us, saved our possessions, our lives and our families. You are one of the rare heroes among us. You were always there for us in the most traumatic moments of our lives. No matter when we called, we just expected that you would come and do whatever it took to help us, and you always met our expectations. Your selflessness and dedication are awe-inspiring.

This world, this country, your community truly are better places because of you. To have lost you is a great tragedy, an irreplaceable, immeasurable loss for society. We are grateful for and to you, and honor you for all you did for us day in and day out whether you received a word of thanks or praise.

Rest in Peace, Officer Jane Thompson-Bowman. I am so humbled by your valor and courage.

This reflection is sent with the utmost respect for the distinquished service Jane gave to her community and the citizens of Ohio, and for the supreme sacrifice she and her family made on March 9, 1989 and all the intervening years after she was shot.

Phyllis Loya, mother of fallen officer Larry Lasater, Pittsburg PD, eow 4/24/05

March 9, 2006

Dear Officer Thompson-Bowman,
A year or two before I joined up with CPD, I saw you being escorted by family members into Grant Hospital. You were being checked in for surgery. I was at the time a security officer at the hospital, and was standing nearby with another guard. He commented, "Man, I can't believe it, she's been here so many times." At the time I had no idea who you were. I had been in the military when you were shot, and was stationed out of state. The other guard told me that you were a retired CPD officer who had been shot a couple years before, and had had to undergo an unbelievable number of surgeries. I remember the pained look on your face, your slow shuffling walk, being slightly bent at the waist, and one of your family members holding onto you so that you would not fall. At that moment I was flooded with such sorrow for your condition. I wanted so much to go over and tell you how bad I felt, and to thank you. But I wanted to repect you and your family's privacy. I wish that I had now.
So many people have no idea how much you suffered for so many years. I know that your pain and suffering has been rewarded in Heaven so many times over.
Years later, when they announced at roll call that you had passed away, I reflected for some time on that brief encounter at the hospital.
My heart goes out to your family, and your tremendous sacrifice honors all of those who wear the uniform.
Sleep well sister.

Retired P.O. Dan Cockerham
Columbus Div. of Police

November 18, 2005

Thank you for the back up from above. Rest in peace.

Officer J. Ashenhurst #1204
Columbus (Ohio) Police

May 31, 2005

Thank you for your dedication, you made the ultimate sacrifice of protecting others. Rest in peace.

YPD

May 17, 2005

I sat here for several minutes attempting to find words of reflection, but I realized there is not enough space to convey all of the good qualities of your character. You are truly missed by everyone and there is not a day that goes by that we don't think about you. I remember the days of seeing you in uniform and realizing how proud I was to have a cousin as a police officer. Little did I know that years later I would wear the same uniform. I can't say that I knew you as an officer, but I knew you as a person and I can say without a doubt you were one of the most beautiful person I have ever known. You were the glue that held the family together, you were the shelter from stormy weather, to have spent a small portion of time with you was a true pleasure. We miss you.

Sgt. Anthony Wilson
Columbus Division of Police

March 19, 2005

IF I KNEW

If I knew it would be the last time
That I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more.

If I knew it would be the last time
I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,
so I could play them back day after day.

If I knew it would be the last time,
I could spare an extra minute
to stop and say "I love you,"
instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.

If I knew it would be the last time
I would be there to share your day,
Well I'm sure you'll have so many more,
so I can let just this one slip away.

For surely there's always tomorrow
to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance
to make everything just right.

There will always be another day
to say "I love you,"
And certainly there's another chance
to say our "Anything I can do?"

But just in case I might be wrong,
and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you
and I hope we never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
you get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you'll surely regret the day,

That you didn't take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,
and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
and that you'll always hold them dear

Take time to say "I'm sorry,"
"Please forgive me," "Thank you," or "It's okay."
And if tomorrow never comes,
you'll have no regrets about today.

January 5, 2005

I remember you

Ofc. T. Edwards
Chatham County P.D.

YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN. KEEP AN EYE ON
ALL OF US WHO CONTINUE TO DO THE JOB.
GOD BLESS YOU.

POLICE OFFICER
C.P.D.