May, it seems, is a time for saluting fallen heroes.

On Friday, local law enforcement officers remembered the six lawmen with Colquitt County ties who have died in the line of duty. The first of them — Moultrie police officer Julian Palmer —  fell in 1934, shot when his own weapon discharged during a motorcycle crash. The most recent, Colquitt County sheriff’s deputy Tony Wilder, was shot down during a standoff in 1986.

Attendance was intentionally kept small due to lingering concerns over COVID-19.

Also on Friday, the community learned that Cobb Funeral Chapel will not hold its traditional Memorial Day gathering to show respect to fallen servicemen. The coronavirus was the cause for that, too.

Cobb’s gathering cannot be kept small — most years about 200 people attend, some years it’s closer to 300. A patriotic team of motorcyclists roar in to start the ceremony, American flags waving from the backs of their bikes. The Colquitt County High Junior ROTC color guard presents the colors, and someone — usually Lt. Col. Paul Nagy, the ROTC adviser — leads everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance. A minister gives a prayer. A speaker encourages support for the military or the remembering of their sacrifices. The Daughters of the American Revolution place a wreath. The Woodmen of the World give out flags. The Moultrie Federated Guild provides refreshments.

The Observer has covered many of the ceremonies. Often it’s just been a photo or two. Sometimes the speaker doesn’t have anything to say that would extend beyond the assembly gathered with him. But we try to make sure the event itself is noted because such salutes are important.

As Bobby Cobb often notes, “All gave some, some gave all.”

With that thought in mind, we salute again the officers listed on the county’s Fallen Officers Memorial. 

We salute the servicemen who’ve died in defense of our country and our way of life.

We salute Cobb Funeral Chapel for holding the Memorial Day observance year after year, and we look forward to joining with them next May to resume the tradition.

And we join with the Cobbs in urging you as individuals to visit the graves of the fallen heroes you cherish. Even though we cannot come together to remember them in a single event, we should still remember them in our own quiet ways.