By:Anthony Rifilato
It was the procession of Harley Davidson police motorcycles moving slowly down Police Plaza in Hicksville last Saturday that captivated the two young boys, dressed impeccably in suits that fit their small frames perfectly.
The rev of the motorcycle engines had the boys pointing, even smiling on a day when it was no doubt hard to smile, as bagpipes bellowed in the distance, uniformed police toting flags marched across Route 106 and relatives stood somberly and reflectively, honoring the memories of lost loved ones.
The two boys, Stephan, 8, and Rudolphe, 6, are the children of Detective James V. Nemorin, whose name was added to the New York State Fraternal Order of Police-s memorial wall in Hicksville May 1 at a ceremony honoring 10 police officers killed in the line of duty, some dating back to 1906.
Four of those officers lost their lives in New York state in 2003, including two from Long Island: Nemorin, who lived in Baldwin and was killed along with his partner during an undercover gun deal in Staten Island a little over a year ago, and Sgt. Jeffrey Todd Edelson, who grew up in Hewlett and was killed in November while in pursuit of a suspicious vehicle in the upstate town of Liberty.
Other names added to the wall last week included Nemorin-s partner, Detective Rodney J. Andrews, of Queens, and Onondaga County Deputy Sheriff Glenn Searles, who died while assisting a stranded motorist.
More than 100 family members, friends, police officers and politicians attended the ceremony at 911 Police Plaza. In front of the building is a wall of marble bearing the engraved names of 1,136 police officers, including those who died on Sept. 11, 2001.
For the families, this wasn-t the first memorial service. On the anniversary of Nemorin's and Andrews' deaths in March, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg dedicated a plaque in their honor.
But the latest memorial held no less meaning than the others, said U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola), who told the audience that no one should ever forget the ultimate sacrifice their loved ones had made. In time we do learn to laugh again, McCarthy said. People do move on with their lives. That does not mean we forget.
Nemorin-s wife, Rose-Andre, said she was appreciative and moved by the moments of silence, prayers and inspiring words offered by those on the podium. My husband would be very pleased, she said of the ceremony, in which she, her children and relatives placed roses at the base of the wall, just below her husband-s name. It gives us some strength, and you don-t feel so alone.
It has been a struggle for Rose-Andre since her husband-s death, something her three children cannot fully comprehend. Sometimes, she said, the kids want to know when Daddy is coming home, when he-ll be back.
You have to take it one day at a time, she said. [James] will always be a part of my life.
But the family is persevering, she said, and is remaining in the community where her husband had always wanted his family to live. Rose-Andre's father has moved into the home to help the family, and the neighbors have been extremely supportive, she said.
[James] worked so hard to get his family into a nice home and neighborhood, she said. That-s something he really wanted for us. That-s what keeps me going.
Steven and Ellen Edelson also placed a rose near their son-s name, as Edelson-s sister, Lynda, choked back tears. Afterward, Lynda was too emotional to talk about the ceremony and about such a huge loss.
I wish we would never have to put another name on this wall, said Marge Dwyer, president of the Parents Survivors of the Shield, whose son, Anthony, was killed in the line of duty. But as we all know, that-s too good to be true.
Not only were the Nemorin and Andrews families devastated by their loss, but so too was the entire New York Police Department, with perhaps the greatest impact felt in the Firearms Investigation Unit, where Nemorin and Andrews worked as undercover detectives, trying to take guns off the streets.
NYPD Chief Douglas Zeigler told the audience that police officers killed in the line of duty should never be forgotten, and that memorials such as these can boost morale. This whole event is a reminder of what we do day in and day out, said Zeigler, adding that, each day, police officers put their lives on the line -- something the families of the officers who were honored knew all too well.
