Fallen PSPD officers honored as part of National Peace Officers Memorial Day
Fallen officers from the Palm Springs Police Department were honored Tuesday morning as part of National Peace Officers Memorial Day. They included Officers Jose “Gil” Vega and Lesley Zerebny who were among thousands honored across the country who died in the line of duty.
A powerful rendition of the national anthem echoed in front of officers from PSPD, a somber moment of reflection as fellow officers were remembered for giving the ultimate sacrifice.
The four Palm Springs officers who lost their lives in the line of duty are memorialized here in front of department headquarters, so that their memories are never forgotten.
Memories that for Cora, the nearly 2-year-old daughter of Officer Zerebny will eventually understand.
Her family dressing her as a junior officer so that she’s aware of her mom’s legacy.
“We show her pictures of Lesley. We show her pictures of mommy and talk about her mom daily,” Joni Zerebny, Lesley’s mother in law, said.
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For Gloria Vega, a daughter of Officer Vega, there’s still lingering struggles with the feeling of loss.
“You think that with almost two years going by that it wouldn’t be as hard as it was initially and it not true,” she said.
It was especially hard for Sgt. Mike Villegas, who considered Officer Vega to be a close friend. He became emotional and teared up while giving remarks during the ceremony.
“I feel like I lost a brother and it just feels like you relive that moment all over again,” he said.
A moment family members and fellow officers hope they’ll never have to experience again and instead keep the legacies of the fallen officers alive in memoriam.
Also honored were Officers Gale Gene Eldridge and Lyle Wayne Larrabee, both of whom died in the early 1960’s. The observance of fallen officers was officially created by President John F. Kennedy in 1962.
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