LIVE OAK, Fla. — The annual salute to the military, law enforcement and first responders during the Suwannee River Jam at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park on Saturday was extremely moving in many different ways.

This year serving one’s citizens took on new meaning locally after Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Deputies Sgt. Noel Ramirez and Taylor Lindsey were shot to death just days before the 2018 Jam. These young deputies were on duty eating in a restaurant in Trenton when their lives were taken. Reports indicate they were shot and killed without the chance to draw their weapons and defend themselves. No motive has been found as yet. The man believed to be the shooter was found dead and believed to have taken his own life. A huge painting of the two young officers had a place of honor on the stage during the SRJ ceremony with an honor guard on each side.

For this timely event, Suwannee County Sheriff Sam St. John wrote a song about law enforcement and the dangers they face today in America.

When it was sung by Karley Scott Collins, the crowd cheered, clapped and screamed its approval.

Suwannee County’s own Brigadier General Paul B. “Trey” Chauncey III, Commander 83rd Troop Command and Assistant Adjutant General Florida Army National Guard, spoke to the crowd about service and said the SOSMP and SRJ were honored to recognize all military, law enforcement and first responders. Brigadier Gen. Chauncey asked all vets, military, first responders and law enforcement to come forward to be honored.

Suwannee County Judge William F. “Lin” Williams III, a retired military officer, talked about serving mankind with pride and dignity.

“No matter where you served, there is one fundamental truth, no matter what uniform you wore, on the field of battle we all stand together as one,” he noted. “I, like you, have come to appreciate all the back slaps, handshakes and thank yous for your service. Tonight we honor another group who don another uniform daily and keep the home fronts safe for each of us…they also bleed on their own battlefields.

“They live and serve with a simple code, ‘protect and serve!’”

St. John was the main speaker. Joining him on stage were law enforcement officers from the Live Oak Police, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Suwannee and Lafayette County deputies. Lafayette County Sheriff Brian Lamb also joined St. John on stage for the entire ceremony.

Both sheriffs were among the first sheriffs to arrive in Trenton the day of the shootings to assist Gilchrist County Sheriff Bobby Schultz and his department.

St. John’s song centered on protecting the “Team in Green.” He introduced the song, written in memory of the two fallen Gilchrist County officers and sung by Collins, a Lake City singer and songwriter/musician who performs at the SOSMP often.

Collins was a prime partner in making what was to be part of St. John’s speech into a dynamic song regarding the price law enforcement officers across America are paying.

St. John later had more to say about the song and why he was inspired to write it. He said he went to Trenton the day the officers were killed.

“I went down to be with Sheriff Schultz, what I wanted to do was stand behind him while he talked with the media, while he talked about what had taken place, and it just touched my heart,” he said, later writing the song in memory and honor of the fallen officers. “I felt we had to do something to turn this around.

“One thing that touched me was what Sheriff Schultz said about demonizing law enforcement. I knew I was participating in this event at the Spirit of the Suwannee, and I wanted to write something that would ask people to back us, be with us, you know.

“As I got to writing, we put in about the two officers in Trenton and came up with the idea of a country song for the Suwannee River Jam!”

St. John contacted Steve Briscoe at the Music Park, ran the idea by him and Briscoe suggested bringing Collins into the plan.

“My speech was to raise awareness of law enforcement where every department is different, some don’t have enough money to fund things like communication,” the sheriff lamented. “The words just kind of flowed from my heart about the trials and tribulations law enforcement faces every day. It’s like a feeding frenzy some days.

“It has got to stop,” St. John added. “I just felt so sorry for Bobby when he was making the speech about his guys shot for no reason. We need to let people know law enforcement is not bad, but human, and we want to work with everybody. This song was written to touch everybody.”

The touching words to the song expressed how difficult it is now in law enforcement as so many have been killed in the line of duty.

‘Team in Green’

“There’s a storm a brewin, seems things are getting out of hand,

Instead of fightin for our freedom, we’re fightin our fellow man,

It’s hard in small town America to realize the American Dream,

But there’s a new day a dawning…

Let’s protect our Team in Green.”

— Team in Green, written by Sheriff Sam St. John

Briscoe took the lead in bringing this heart-warming salute to the stage. With Briscoe’s vision, it turned out as an incredible tribute to the warriors who fight for our freedom overseas and in our home towns. When Briscoe saw the song draft, he thought it was the right way to honor law enforcement, first responders and armed forces at the national and local level. 

“Karley has an amazing talent, and I thought she would be the perfect addition to this collaboration,” Briscoe said. “Karley took the initial speech and turned it into a song. She wrote the music, developed the bridge and turned the idea into a very moving song paying tribute to our fallen heroes, veterans, military and first responders.”

Brigadier Gen. Chauncey told the large crowd of patriots after the song: “For over 240 years our flag has endured everything you can imagine, wars, conflicts, but it’s also waved proudly at times of prosperity, times of happiness and joy.

“They’ve posted it on the battlefield for soldiers to rally around when the battle was very thick and the outcome was unclear. At home, as we’ve seen recently, it lays still, it lays quiet for those who have given their last full measure of devotion.”

To close the salute, he then called for the salute to the American Flag, proudly held by Suwannee County Deputy Jacob Williamson with Collins singing the national anthem as all who gathered tried to hold back the tears.