continues. “I was in the Marines for four years before I became
a cop. Being in the service, you always have that sense of hon-
oring those who went before and made that ultimate sacrifice.
So when we do the flowers, we are honoring those who came
before us.”
Maroon adds that it’s also not something that the officers do
for attention, but rather because it’s just the right thing to do.
“We don’t it for the ‘atta boys,’” he says with a laugh. “The fami-
lies know we do it and appreciate it, but we do it strictly to honor
those buried there. It needs to be done.”
He is also reassured by the fact that one day he will be one of
the recipients of a flag and a flower on his own gravesite. “It re-
ally is good to know that, once you are gone, you will always be
remembered,” he says. d
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