DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – After over 100 years, six Dayton police officers will finally receive recognition in Washington D.C. on the National Law Enforcement Memorial Wall.
During the Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918-1920, six patrolmen, all under the age of 35 were killed by the illness. According to the Dayton Police History Foundation, the widows of the first three patrolmen who died were convinced their husbands had died due to their professions. As the pandemic rolled on, more concerns rolled in.
The foundation explains that these men not only worked with the public on a personal level, one that put them at risk of transmission, but they also assembled in “crowded and filthy facilities,” including the police station itself, the jails and the courts. Furthermore, these officers worked difficult hours and performed many off-the-clock duties, leading to heavy fatigue.
These conditions very likely lead to the deaths of these six patrolmen:
- Ptl. Lawrence R. Grahm
- Ptl. Vinton E. Harsh
- Ptl. Edward M. Hennessey
- Ptl. Emerson Glotfelter
- Ptl. Clement E. Francis
- Ptl. Troy E. Sine
Their names will be inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Memorial Wall with the honor due to those who have died in the line of duty.
For more information on Dayton’s police history, you can follow the Dayton Police History Foundation on Facebook here.
