Every day, our men and women in blue rise to the duty of protecting the living. During a memorial ceremony Monday night, they took a few moments to honor "their valiant brothers and sisters" who have died.

"We are gathered here for the noble purpose of paying our respects to the noble brothers and sisters of our lodge," said Tamaqua patrolman Michael Hobbs, who led the annual memorial service for the Fraternal Order of Police, Schuylkill-Carbon Lodge 13. "Ours is a duty to carry on in the strength of our tradition."Summit Hill Police Chief Joe Fittos placed a wreath in front of the granite stone where the names of the deceased officers are engraved. Before the ceremonies began, a bouquet of flowers was placed at the base of the stone by the family of the late Lt. David Midas, Carbon County Sheriff's Department, who died in 2013.David Everly, retired from the Mechanicsville Police Department, read the names of the officers. Bernadette Jespersen of Drums, a member of the Wyoming Valley Pipe & Drums, played taps and "Amazing Grace.""We know full well that their souls have found peace in a heavenly home," said Chaplain John Kast, retired from the Tamaqua Police Department.After a moment of silence, officers from various department gave a gun salute. Those officers were Todd Woodward, Summit Hill and Walker Township; John Milkovits of Summit Hill and Coplay; Tim Wuttke, Nesquehoning; Jeffrey Wainright, McAdoo; Jeff Tanner of Lansford, Rush Township and McAdoo; William Curilla, McAdoo; and Chief Mike Morresi, Beaver Meadows.