Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

Duke,

Today has finally come. When I woke up this morning (before the alarm went off), I looked at the clock to see what time it was. It read 6a. Two years ago today at 6a, you leaned over the bed, kissed me and told me you loved me. The words "I love you" were your last spoken words to me. The last time I would hear your voice. I never dreamed that the last time I would see you alive would be the way I did. You never regained consciousness after the crash. I was holding your right hand at the hospital when you took your last breath. We were inseparable for ten years and ten days and we were suddenly torn apart.

This past weekend on the 14th, Tim's grandfather passed away. On the 16th, Aunt Margie's mom passed away. Here Stephanie wanted to get married in July so that there would be a happy day to celebrate and yet, two more deaths hit our family. I attended Aunt Margie's moms funeral yesterday and Tim's grandfather's is on Saturday. Today is not only tough on me and the rest of my family because of losing you, but because we also lost grandma two years prior on this date as well. I really do hate July! Please give my grandma a hug for me and tell her I love her.

While attending the viewing for Aunt Margie's mom Tuesday night, I looked at Katie and started to cry. She is the age Little Debi was when we lost you. Seeing her walking around the funeral home reminded me of Little Debi walking around the funeral home where you were viewed two years ago. I also started thinking about Josh and the day at the hospital. I haven't seen Josh except one time since he, Stephanie and Tommy moved out of State, but I will never forget the piece of mind that little boy gave me because of what he saw the day you died at the hospital. When everyone returned home that evening, Stephanie, Mary and them were trying to explain that you were dead and that he was not going to be able to see you again. He did not believe them. After several attempts by them to convince him that you were not coming home, he got extremely mad. He told them that you weren't dead because he saw you walk out the doors with three police officers. As you got to the doors, you turned back, looked at him, and smiled. He said you were wearing a T-shirt and jeans. Josh was only six years old at the time and didn't know that three police officers with your department were killed prior to you. At the time, neither did anyone else. Capt. Wilkens during his speech at the funeral put the connection together for everyone. The day after your funeral, my family and I went to Cactus Willies for lunch. Josh was there as well. I told him to come sit with me. I asked him if he saw you the week prior. He looked at me with hesitation. I told him I wasn't going to get upset with him, but I just wanted to know if he saw you. He shook his head yes. I asked him who you were with and he told me three police officers. A week later, he was still sticking to his original story. I then gave him a hug and kiss and thanked him. Children are innocent. I truly believe he saw you. His seeing you gave me piece of mind and comfort in knowing that you were not on your journey to Heaven alone.

Not a second goes by that you are not on my mind Duke. I miss everything about you. I miss everything about us. I love you more than anything in the world my Snookums.

Love you,
Jenn

Jennifer Aaron
Duke's Wife

July 20, 2006

Duke i didnot have the honor to meet you and say thank you for your support and prayers for me, my family, and the bcpd on 7-3-04. God has his own way of bringing strangers together on this earth. we as humans will never understand his way or his powers of doing what he does. i have to thank God in a strange way tonite for putting your wife in my life. i am so sorry he had to call you home in order for us to meet. you also gained a friend as i did. i will never forget you. i thank you for the job you've done well on this earth and for putting a wonderful person in my life that i will never forget nor loss contact with. may God continue bless you for a job well done. i will never stop praying for you and your family. please continue to look out for us on earth. thank you isnot enough. _Jennifer you know i thank you for everything you've done for me. i thought of you on July 5th,10th, and tomorrow you will be in my prayer all day. i do understand. may God give you strength to do what ever you do tomorrow. i am here whenever you need me. you are right. sometimes the best words are no words. i do know what you mean. all my prayers for you and your family tomorrow. love lorrie

lorrie winder
friend

July 19, 2006

Duke

The 2 yr. point is coming up since you were taken away from us. I was just sitting here thinking of you!! You are certainly missed by your fellow Officers.....I think of you often and wonder what you would be up to?

Officer II K. Potter
MdTA - fellow officer

July 18, 2006

Hey Buddy! It has been a while since I have written you on here. Two years ago tonight we were hanging out and laughing about the Coronas that were donated to us the year before. You helped get rid of that ratty old sofa that you two loved so dearly. lol. I finally put the movie away that you borrowed that night. It was in the glovebox of my car forever and I ran across it the other day when I was cleaning. Well my friend I better get going. Please continue to watch over your brothers in blue, and your family and friends down here.

Stan

July 14, 2006

Happy Belated Birthday, Duke :)

SHANNON

July 14, 2006

Jenn, I have been thinking about you all week. Hang in there! You have my #.

Jen

Det J Rollhauser
BPD

July 13, 2006

Duke,

Today we would have been celebrating what would have been twelve years together. I will never forget our first (blind) date on July 10, 1994. I don't think I ever bought my uncle that hot fudge sundae from McDonalds that I bet him as you were getting out of your truck and came through the gate LOL. I thought you were cute!!! He won the bet because he believed I was going to like you, whereas I was thinking the whole blind date thing was going to be a disaster. You laughed when I told you that story. When you scooped my right hand up and held it through the entire movie and then held my hand as we walked around Golden Ring Mall, I knew you were enjoying your time with me and likewise. You enjoyed those mashed potatoes my grandma made for dinner that night as well. Every time I tell the mashed potatoes story, everyone laughs at you. The rest as they say...is history.

Stephanie and Tim's wedding turned out beautifully. I knew you were with us Friday night during the rehearsal and Saturday as well. Tim's little cousin could have been Brittney's twin. From the way she looked, dressed and stood, I thought I was looking at our niece. Then after I left the rehearsal and was pulling out of the church parking lot, the song "Holes in the Floor of Heaven" came on the radio. It has been a long time since I heard that song. After the wedding Saturday night, my mom and I drove past Upper Landing Rd. I haven’t been down or any where near Upper Landing Rd. since the first time I heard your voice on your answering machine when I called you to make arrangements to meet you. Remember I was babysitting Katelyn and Molly that day and I called you shortly after 2p. I realized you were at work (because you worked 2p-10p) after your answering machine picked up so I just left a message for you to call me. You did and we decided to go to the movies on July 10, 1994. It is just weird how symbolic dates, things, songs, people and places hit at such the right times. I truly believe you had a hand in making everything happen to let me know you were definitely there.

I went and visited your barber Tony Saturday before the wedding. Please look over him Duke and make sure he gets well. He is outraged at everything from the guy who killed you to your Chief and all that crap he did and still does. He said he has cut out many newspaper articles. I haven’t seen Tony since I went with you and sat while you got your hair cut months before the crash. He and I were both in tears. He really misses you. He said you and I were like two teenagers in love and how much you and I loved each other. He said he misses seeing the corvette or pick-up truck pull up and you coming in with your Dunkin Donuts coffee in hand. He mentioned how you were wanting so bad and worked so hard to become part of the HEAT team at work and get that camaro and how disappointed you where when they didn’t choose you. After that incident, you filled out the papers to lateral over to the county police so you would get a take home car. I regret ever saying to you, as you were filling out the lateral paperwork, “why you want to go there when you are safe where you are”. After that conversation, you never did submit your paperwork. Had you have, you would have been at the county by the time the crash took place and therefore, the crash never would have happened to you.

I better stop dwelling on the past and get back to doing what I was doing before I started to write to you before I get myself even more upset. Please continue to keep me strong. I love you more than anything in the world Duke.

Love you,
Jenn

Jenn Aaron
Duke's Wife

July 10, 2006

Duke,

Time has gone by fast. I see things have changed in two years. Keep watching over everyone here on earth.

your friend Williams

July 9, 2006

Hey duke just wanted to say happy b-day,sorry it's a little late, but it's been a busy day a work. Guess what...I got a brand new truck the other day, but i am sure if you were still here you would have had one a long time ago...LOL, that's just how you were. Once again happy b-day to ya pal. SEE YA.

Justin
friend

July 5, 2006

Duke,

I forgot to tell you earlier that while I was driving down Marley Neck Boulevard this past Sunday, I heard on the radio Kid Rock paying tribute to the late Waylon Jennings after singing his song "Cowboy". I started laughing. I could hear you singing the following lyrics loud and proud as I thought back to the many times I actually did hear you sing this song:

The Dukes of Hazard Theme Song- Waylon Jennings

Just the good ol' boys,
Never meanin' no harm,
Beats all you've ever saw
been in trouble with the law
since the day they was born.

Straight'nin' the curve,
Flat'nin' the hills.
Someday the moutain might get 'em
but the law never will.

Makin' their way,
The only way they know how,
That's just a little bit more
than the law will allow.

Just good ol' boys,
Wouldn't change if they could,
Fightin' the system
like a true modern day Robin Hood.

Jenn Aaron
Duke's Wife

July 5, 2006

Happy 31st birthday my Snookums. The day is still early and I am already... well you know. I HATE JULY!!! The fireworks were eventful last night all over the place. As I was coming over the Key Bridge, they were going off everywhere I looked. Poor Amber was a nervous wreck. I found her in the bathroom shaking. I told her how I wished her daddy were here to tell her it was all right. She calmed down some when I put the fan on in the bedroom to cover up the noise as much as possible. I had to chuckle yesterday thinking back to that one Fourth of July party we had about four or five years ago when Stephanie brought that weird guy to our house before she met Tim. I don’t know if I was chuckling thinking about the weird guy or what you two were actually doing (which was not funny at the time). You and him were out back lighting off M-80 knockoffs you had got at your work somehow (because I wouldn’t bring the “good stuff” home for you as you would always say). I was so nervous the cops were going to come that I went in the house until you got rid of all of them. You just laughed at me and assured me the cops weren’t coming. Besides being nervous about the cops, I was also afraid one of you was going to get hurt. I never liked to see you in pain or feel bad.

I was with Becky Sunday afternoon for several hours. She told me how she spent some time with you at the cemetery the other day before she went to work. I liked her little cross with the happy birthday sign on it she made you. She misses you too Duke. So do her parents. Can you believe her brother is going to be a dad? Yeah, we were all laughing at that one, but like I told Becky, when her future niece or nephew comes, we can take them all to the mall.

Stephanie and Tim’s wedding is this coming Saturday. Thank goodness that slight problem that happened last Wednesday with the reception and catering was fixed. She and I were talking on the phone one night about two weeks ago. She started to cry and told me how she is upset that you won’t be there and how she had planned her wedding in July so that there was at least one happy day that everyone could think of. I told her that her wedding was the only thing I was looking forward to in July and how you would be there with all of us just not the way we would want you to be. I offered her the opportunity to wear my pearl necklace you gave me as her “borrowed” item, but she wanted to wear a necklace she bought that matched what she had bought for us bridesmaids to wear.

Well my Snookums, even though it is not a happy day to say the least, Happy Birthday again. Make sure to eat plenty of crabs and drink some beer, as I am sure that is what we would have been doing today anyway. I love you more than anything in the whole wide world.

Love,
Jenn

Jenn Aaron
Duke's Wife

July 5, 2006

Happy Birthday to the most wonderful son-in-law ever. You will always be in our thoughts and hearts. Love, Big Deb and Philly.

Debbie Keiter
Mother In Law

July 4, 2006

Daddy,

Happy Father's Day! We all miss you very much. We all miss how you used to play with us and snuggle with us. And we miss hearing you call our names at night before you and mommy went to bed and feeding us in the mornings before you would go to work. We especially miss being able to give you a card from all of us on Father's Day and watching you try to gather all of us together as you read it. That was pretty funny. Please continue to keep an eye on all of us and mommy from above.

All of our unconditional love,
Amber, Rocky, Daisy & Blackie

Amber, Rocky, Daisy & Blackie
Daddy's Furry Babies

June 18, 2006

Hey Duke,

Three years ago tonight (actually around the same time that I am typing this to you) we got woken up by my mom telling us to get up to the hospital because our surprise niece/nephew (because we didn't know what the sex of the baby was) was going to be born. You couldn't go with me because you had to get up early for work the next morning, but shortly after 11p, Deborrah Anita came into the world. I will never forget coming home and waking you up as I whispered into your ear that we had another niece and you saying "another girl!" LOL. She was slightly over 13 months old when you were taken from us. She is getting so big. She loved her party at Chuck E Cheeses tonight. I admit, it has me in tears knowing you weren't here to share in the fun of playing ski-ball with me to win tickets so we could get better prizes for her like we used to do for not only her, but for all the kids (we always used the kids as an excuse as a cover up for our own personal fun because we enjoyed going there just as much as they did LOL). Also, please give my grandma a hug and tell her happy 87th birthday for me and that I love and miss her. Today is also her birthday.

I love and miss you more than anything in the world Snookums. Sleep tight my love.

Love,
Jenn

Jennifer Aaron
Duke's Wife

June 16, 2006

Three Wooden Crosses- Randy Travis

A farmer and a teacher, a hooker and a preacher,
Ridin' on a midnight bus bound for Mexico.
One was headed for vacation, one for higher education,
And two of them were searchin' for lost souls.
That driver never ever saw the stop sign.
An eighteen wheelers can't stop on a dime.

There are three wooden crosses on the right side of the highway,
Why there's not four of them, Heaven only knows.
I guess it's not what you take when you leave this world behind you,
It's what you leave behind you when you go.

That farmer left a harvest, a home and eighty acres,
The faith an' love for growin' things in his young son's heart.
And that teacher left her wisdom in the minds of lots of children:
Did her best to give 'em all a better start.
And that preacher whispered: "Can't you see the Promised Land?"
As he laid his blood-stained bible in that hooker's hand.

There are three wooden crosses on the right side of the highway,
Why there's not four of them, Heaven only knows.
I guess it's not what you take when you leave this world behind you,
It's what you leave behind you when you go.

That's the story that our preacher told last Sunday.
As he held that blood-stained bible up, for all of us to see.
He said: "Bless the farmer, and the teacher, and that preacher;
Who gave this Bible to my mamma, who read it to me.

There are three wooden crosses on the right side of the highway,
Why there's not four of them, now I guess we know.
It's not what you take when you leave this world behind you,
It's what you leave behind you when you go.

There are three wooden crosses on the right side of the highway.

June 9, 2006

hello duke when i write brian on this website i always think of you next. i hope you are help keeping brian in line up there. i know his laugh might be a little loud at times. you have a wonderful smile as brian did. i know you are looking out for jennifer and will always. she is a wonderful person with a great spirt. bless you for your works you accomplished on earth and from above.

hello jennifer i miss talking to you. i hope all is well in your world. i will be calling you real soon. peace and blessing to you. love, lorrie

lorrie
friend

June 7, 2006

Hey baby,

Ricky graduated today from Chesapeake. It is also Rick's birthday. I can't believe he is grown up. I am sure you would have been teasing him, as well as telling him how much you hated school and about your graduation had you have been here. But I also know you would have been proud of him.

Katie turns a year old tomorrow. This past year has gone by so quick. She has really gotten big. I asked Debi the other day which truck she liked better yours or mine. She said mine ha-ha. Yeah, I can hear you now saying my Aztek is a Geo Metro on steroids (as you would always call them). I remember when we went to trade in my Cavalier you gave me the choice between the Aztek and the Sunfire. Since I didn't want a two wheel drive Aztek, I chose the Sunfire. You actually liked driving my Sunfire and you weren't embarrassed driving it like you were when I had all my Cavaliers. You said the Sunfire was more sporty looking. It was bittersweet trading in the Sunfire for my Aztek back in September (since last year was the final year they made them), but I knew that you and I would have traded it in come January anyway when it was two years old. We always traded in our vehicles every two years. I was telling someone the other day how many vehicles you and I had in the ten years we were together and they were amazed. My dad was telling me the other day how proud he was of you and I regarding how we made a stable life together and we were able to do what we wanted when we wanted. I owe it all to you and what you taught me. Of course I know you are probably upset with me and shaking your head for forgetting to pick up my purse from the counter (when I sat it down to pay for something) at the store two weeks ago and someone stealing it. My mind was still stuck thinking about all the crap I had to deal with involving the newspaper, roadside memorial, and your Chief. Luckily there were no sentimental items in it such as pictures of you and I or our nieces. I did feel violated though knowing someone was going through my personal stuff. It sucked!

Summer is coming and it is going to be another stressful fireworks season again. Every time I issue permits with July 5th, 10th or 20th on them, I feel like I am being stabbed in the heart. I can't believe you will be 31 on July 5th. Remember we spent your 29th birthday at Crab Net with my family. My mom and I were talking about dollar crabs the other day from the Islander Inn. Remember how my mom, Mr. Phil, Mark, Mary, and you and I would all go there once a week for all of you to eat crabs? Then we started talking and laughing about the Valentines Day we all spent there. The food was so bad that you actually spoke up and told the waitress the food sucked. Mr. Shy and Quiet opened his mouth and it shocked us all that we all couldn't help but laugh at you while you were telling the waitress what you thought about the food. And all of us couldn't help but laugh at the entire situation overall. That was a fun night we spent with my mom, Mr. Phil, Mark, Mr. Jim and Mrs. Carolyn, Mr. Leo, Mrs. Marylee and her daughter Jamie. July 10th we would have been together twelve years. I was watching a story on Keanu Reeves last night and all I kept hearing in my head was you telling me to turn that shhh...crap off LOL. You would always make me laugh when you would talk about how you hated Keanu Reeves and when you would do your Keanu impersonation. July 20th was the worst day of my life and always will be. I not only lost grandma on that day, but I lost you as well two years after her. I look forward to getting July over with quickly. The only date I am looking forward to this July is July 8th. Stephanie is one month away from marrying Tim. I went yesterday to get my shoes. I still have to get my dress altered. I have been procrastinating and need to get moving on this. She put me in green. Payback! LOL.

Well Snookums, I guess I should let Amber out to potty so we can all get to bed. Daisy is laying near your pillow right now and Amber is laying where your feet would have been. I don't know where the boys are, but once I turn out the lights and call them, they will show up.

The five of us love you more than anything in the world Duke. Sleep tight my love.

Love ya!

Jenn

Jennifer Aaron
Duke's Wife

June 7, 2006

Hi Duke,

I did not know you but I feel like I do through your Mom Mrs. Linda. I worked at Club One Fitness (before I moved to North Carolina) and she used to always talk to our staff about her "Sonny" She loves you sooo much and Jennifer too. She always talked about you as a kid and how my son Colby reminded her of you. I always thought that was a huge compliment.

I always loved the fact that Mrs. Linda was always so spiritual and had such a great faith in the Lord! She always has these great t-shirts that display her faith :)I really admired that! When she found out that my father was a policeman too (BCPD) she told me that she was glad to know that she had police family around. Those words have always been with me.

God Bless you and I hope that they leave the Memorials alone on the road because you and all of the others deserve your memory to be displayed anyway it can!

* Jennifer ~ I don't know you but I know that you loved Duke esp the way Mrs Linda talked about you. I hope you keep fighting for Duke's memory. God bless and you will be in my prayers!

Diana Potwin
Friend of Linda Aaron (Club One)

May 26, 2006

Hey there,

Are you proud of me? I assisted 911 in getting a drunk off the road last night. He blew a .2 on the PBT. That blew me away when I was told that he was practically double the legal limit. I originally called in to 911 to report an aggressive driver. I don’t know why I had this strong urge to do that. Baby, I believe you were the one driving my car last night. I remember you telling me how you would always make an effort to look out for reported vehicles, but that you knew that other officers had more important things to do and didn’t pay as much attention to that sort of stuff. The guy was tailgating me and then nearly clipped my back bumper trying to pass me a couple of times. He was weaving in and out of traffic, continuing to tailgate every car he got behind, was going over the solid lines on both sides of the shoulders of the road. I was able to give a complete description of the car, tag number, the guy and the fact he had a handicap tag in his rear view mirror. 911 advised me to get as far away from him after being able to give them that much information and when I got in front of him, I continued to keep an eye on him from my rear view mirror and the next thing I saw as a black car in the left hand lane start swerving out of control and then hit the jersey wall head on. The drunk then pulled off to the right side of Rt. 100 and I was able to stop and back up and so I pulled in front of him. I was ready for him to take back off and I was going to follow him again, but luckily he stumbled out of the car and said something to me but I couldn’t figure it out because his speech was slurred. All this happened while I was still on the phone with 911. I could not believe my eyes. Duke, I admit, I was nervous and scared, but I was also excited and my adrenalin was pumping. My co-worker Ryan came to my rescue. It reminded me of the day my car was hit by that young guy and I called you all upset and asking you to come sit with me. I thought for sure the drunk guy had me at first though. Luckily the ambulance arrived really fast. I don’t know the condition of the victim. It bugs me because I wished I knew if they were okay. Of course you know I had to call my dad. You always knew my dad was my role model growing up regarding his career and how I always wanted to follow in his footsteps. There was no sympathy there, just tough love LOL. He says I will see plenty more in my career and this is just making me tougher. Throughout my dad’s entire career at your department, he never lost his thrill for the job. I know he misses the jobs so bad, but I can’t imagine if I would have lost him as well like we almost did when he was hit. The permanent injury he sustained to his leg thank goodness only forced him into an early retirement. He was a good FTO to you wasn’t he! That entire three days you two spent together still cracks me up thinking about it.

Well babe, it has been an eventful past couple of weeks on top of what happened yesterday. The media still probing into the roadside memorial issue made me so upset I took the cross and flagpole back from the Bridge. The newspaper compromised the security of the stuff when they publicly announced where it was going to be moved to and re-erected and it upset me so bad that I was robbed of that privacy. I guess it was a slow week in the neighborhood that all they could think about was sticking your name in the newspaper again. I have begged with them several times to leave your name out of the news. They don’t care. They don’t understand you need to rest. Of course other people also decided to stick their nose into our business and cash in on the news attention as well. Don’t worry I am dealing with that issue also. I remember what you always told me about the more than one stripe issue. I truly believe you were preparing me for the headaches I was going to have to deal with. I am so glad November is just around the corner. Continue to keep me strong on this issue. I know I am doing what you would want me to do based on conversations we had in the past.

Last week was National Police Week in DC. I chose not to attend. You were honored last year and that was all that mattered to me. To those who asked me why I didn’t go to either DC or Dulaney Valley, my response was that I am trying to move forward in life and I choose not to want to participate in the emotional trauma that comes with going to both events. I don’t need to self inflect any more torture on me than I already endure on a daily basis. Both events reminded me of your funeral all over again. It’s bad enough I can’t listen to bagpipes the way I did before your death. I burst out in tears nowadays and get cold chills. I did however attend a wreath laying ceremony at the Bridge Detachment two weeks ago. Your parents came. The Police Unity Tour came over and gave us a wreath in your memory that was attached to the flagpole out front of the station. They were all wonderful people. They stood out in the rain with dignity and pride and it was all to honor you. They played TAPS. That about killed me. So did when they presented me with the wreath. I hugged and thanked each and every one of them and wished them a safe trip on their way to DC.

Well Snookums, I guess I should close. Please keep an eye on Kevin. When I got the call last week about him, I was really upset. Luckily he is home and when I talked to him the other night, he was getting back to being himself. He has to give up his coffee. He was asking me if I could imagine that. I told him absolutely not. I remember how you and him would sit out on his porch and drink coffee. You would just walk into his house and help yourself. He and I laugh about you every time we talk about you. He always tells me how much he misses you. I have told him in prior conversation how you missed him when he moved away. He will never get rid of your old four-wheeler. I believe it makes him feel closer to you. He has been through a lot. Please be there for him.

I love you more than anything.

Love,
Jenn

Jennifer Aaron
Duke's Wife

May 24, 2006

Dear Duke,
Dear Duke,
This past weekend I spent with your sister in Washington for police week. We had a great time together talking about our brothers to each other. We comforted each other when we needed it also. Cindy is such a wonderful person! She has nothing but great things to say about you. So please keep an eye on her from where you are, and I will keep an eye on her from here!

May 15, 2006

I wanted to stop and leave a reflection to say that you have not been forgotten nor will the Blue Family ever let your name be forgotten. I know the daily pain in the hearts of those that love and miss you dearly. Every hour of every day someone is thinking about you. I do not agree with the sentence imposed on the individual that caused all the broken hearts, I hope he thinks of what he did every day for the rest of his life. His life will go on, those left behind that love you have had their lives changed forever. There are no magic words I can offer to help heal their broken hearts except to keep your name alive and always remember that you are a true hero. Wrap your wings around them to help ease their grief and protect them and those still out on patrol.

Bob Gordon, father of fallen Chicago Officer
Michael P. Gordon, EOW: 8/8/04

Bob Gordon, Asst Chief, Retired
Riverside PD, IL

May 12, 2006

Thank you so much Jenn, Our girl talk has really helped me! I love you and still think of you often. Jen

Det J Rollhauser
BPD

May 11, 2006

JENNIFER~
Hello Im glad to see you are still writing. It breaks my heart I cry everytime I read them because if I have no idea what I would do if I lost my other half in the line of duty. You are though in inspiration to me, you are strong caring and loving person you have set many examples for me. I truly see what its like to be the other half instead of a daughter. My dads a retird police officer and I can remember when I was little waiting up all night Christmas night and being to tired to open present because I didn't understand why the "bad guys" couldn't be good for Christmas so my dad could be there. Months before they had come to our house to get my mom I remember her crying and saying she had to go be with dad he had a boo boo and had to go to the hospital only to find out a drunk driver had decided to play durby with him. I never really understand the importance of his job either until I was in my teens and one of his fellow officers died. They become a family when they place that badge on there chest. There protective of each other and there families. I remember cook outs all kinds of stuff when I was in high school all my proms they all were there making sure no one had alcohol hidden away. That was the only down fall about him being a cop he always worked close to home so if he wasnt watching over me at school or work his friends did they new the make model and tag number of my car, they were all there for my first car accident. Anyway I understand the importance now that I am older and I am dating a police officer its ten times worse I always say see you later its never good bye and I always so I love you. I just wish that people would see what we see in them and not be so judgemental and harsh there are some that might not be setting that good example but there are ones that are dedicated to there job. I feel like I know your husband by reading all about him. You are truly a wonderful person and a very loving wife. You are in my thoughts and prayers and maybe one day or paths will cross and we will get to meet. Good-bless you and your furry children

May 11, 2006

Hey baby,

Well after a restless nights sleep, I contacted SHA this morning and had your roadside memorial taken up. The States memorial dedication sign was moved to the crash site so everyone can still visit the site if they want to. I put a call into SHA to see if they will plant wildflowers around it and they will be getting back to me hopefully soon. Now no one from the Rt. 97 issue has any reason to complain about your stuff anymore and hopefully the media attention will stop and they can continue to keep making themselves look like fools with their issue (yeah, I really have no compassion for people who vandalized State property by spray painting guard rails and shoulders of highways around their personal memorial and feel that is okay and here your memorial was constructed of a flagpole, cross and planted flowers and they want that taken up if they have to take theirs up). The SHA crew that came out were such a wonderful compassionate crew. They hesitated, but I reassured them that it was the best thing to do. Now we don't have to worry about someone vandalizing it or stealing it. I also had to reassure some of your personal supervisors that this was the best thing to do. You know which of your trusted supervisors came out. That butterfly that flew next to the sign and then flew away was no ordinary butterfly. You made sure to let me know you where there. Your flagpole and cross will be put up at the Bridge station. It is in excellent hands as you already know. Those guys won't let anything happen to it and if there is ever the time where it would have to come down there for whatever the reason, they will make sure to get it back to me, but I know that they will take great care of everything. Gerald, Tony and I made the decision weeks ago to remove the memorial and I believe it was the best decision we could have made for piece of mind.

I love you more than anything in the world. Thank you for letting me know today you were with us. I truly believe you were telling me I made the right decision.

I love you,
Jenn

Jennifer Aaron
Duke's Wife

May 4, 2006

I just read an article in the Washington Post regarding roadside memorials in the state of Maryland and how they are apparently wearing out their welcome. In that article, I read about how the state will soon take down your roadside memorial, which is maintained so graciously by your fellow troopers. Anything that is a tribute to a hard-working and heroic law enforcement officer like yourself NEVER wears out its welcome.

Let’s see, you were a three-time officer of the year in your department. You saved the life of a woman who was trying to jump off of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, which was most likely one of many heroic acts that you did during your tour. From reading that article as well as other articles from other websites, I can say that officers like yourself are whom I model myself after when I suit up in my police uniform and proudly patrol the streets of DC.

If the state of Maryland wants to take down your roadside memorial, then they should take the next step and name that stretch of highway after you. That stretch of road from which you were called home was a part of your beat. It belongs to you just as much as they belong to the state of Maryland, if not more.

Here’s hoping that the part of Route 50 that goes through Anne Arundel County in the future will be called the Duke G. Aaron III Memorial Highway. That would be a fitting tribute for an officer like yourself.

My heart continues to go out to your family, friends and fellow MTA/MD State Officers.

May you rest in peace, my brother.

DC Police Officer
Metropolitan Police Department

May 3, 2006