WAUKESHA, Wisc. — Standing just steps from the doors of Waukesha City Hall, a new public safety memorial honors the lives of those who died in the line of duty.
Etched in the concrete are the five names of the city’s police and fire department members who made the ultimate sacrifice.
During a special dedication ceremony, current and retired first responders shared stories of the men, as well as their hope for the memorial’s presence in the community.
“On any given day, they can be called to sacrifice their lives and exchange for the safety of others. And so, we owe it to these fallen heroes to remember their sacrifice and express to their surviving families that we are truly grateful for that service,” said Lieutenant Kevin Rice, Waukesha Police Department.
At the feet of the tribute lay bricks inscribed with messages of support and names of other officers and firefighters.
One of those names is Sergeant Thomas Sinkovits.
Sgt. Sinkovits served alongside one of the men on the memorial, Det. George Schmidling.
Sgt. Sinkovits' daughters Carol and Mary Lynn say they still remember the day Det. Schmidling was killed.
“My dad was his sergeant. It touched him emotionally, it was really sad. He was crying the night before when he came home from work,” said Mary Lynn Gormanson.
They say came to the ceremony to honor their father and to share the history of their city so that future generations always keep their fallen heroes in mind.
“Today, police officers aren't always looked at, like they were years ago. And I think it's hard. Kids need to know what happened in the city and how both Schmidling and Lutz gave their lives,” said Carol Gallagher.
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