A solemn spring tradition returned Monday for the first time since 2019 when members of the Indiana State Police gathered to remember their fallen during a ceremony at the Lowell Post.
ISP Superintendent Douglas Carter and First Sgt. Terrance Weems read the list of 49 names and the cause of their deaths before the assembled troopers, who formed perfect lines as they stood in front in the courtyard created by the addition of the new crime lab.
The list of troopers who made the ultimate sacrifice included three new names since the last time the memorial was conducted at the Lowell Post: Trooper Peter R. Stephan from the Lafayette district, who was killed Oct. 11, 2019; Master Trooper James R. Bailey of the Fort Wayne District, who was killed March 3, 2023; and Trooper Aaron N. Smith from the Indianapolis District, who was killed June 28, 2023.
The family of Trooper Scott Patrick, who was shot and killed in the line of duty Dec. 22, 2003, also was in attendance.
“The greatest tribute we can pay our fallen comrades is this reverent acknowledgment and our obligation to remember them,” Carter said.
“It’s been said the strength of the ISP lies in the character of its men and women. You and I will long remember the deeds of our deceased who were forever mindful of that public trust …They have set the pattern we must follow in the days and years to come,” Carter said.
Sgt. Doug Parcel, who served as the acting first sergeant for the event calling the troopers in line, said hearing the names of the colleagues who have made the ultimate sacrifice in serving their communities makes him very solemn.
“Also at the same time, I’m honored to wear the same uniform as those who wore it before me and carry on the tradition of helping people. Carrying that torch for them they can no longer carry is an honor for me,” Parcel said.
Aidn Chesner, 15, a Lowell High School freshman, performed “TAPS” to close the ceremony. The teen was joined by his mother Becky Reyes and grandmother Lisa Chesner, who described her son as a talented trumpeter.
“It makes me very solemn and, at the same time, honored,” Aidn Chesner said of the opportunity to perform at the service. The ISP superintendent gave the teen an ISP 2024 Challenge Coin for his efforts.
“This is so special. I haven’t felt this feeling ever,” Chesner said.
Carter said he worries about his troopers and their safety every day and wants to see them all make it home safely at the end of their shifts to keep the list of those lost in the line of duty from growing. The proliferation of handguns makes that more difficult.
“Their safety and getting home to their families is of the utmost importance to me,” Carter said.
