Honoring the fallen

Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe gave the keynote address as the families of the fallen, representatives of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, donors, and members of the public gathered to dedicate a memorial on Tuesday, Aug. 30. The memorial recognizes the three Troop G officers who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Trooper Kelly L. Poynter was killed on January 18, 2002, when he was struck by a passing vehicle operated by an intoxicated driver as he conducted a crash investigation.

Sergeant C. Dewayne Graham Jr. was ambushed and killed outside his residence on March 20, 2005. Trooper Donald K. “Kevin” Floyd was conducting a traffic stop and was struck and killed by a passing motorist on September 22, 2005.

Jack Pahlmann, program coordinator and MASTERS Troop G director emeritus, presided over unveiling of the black stone monument at the Troop G headquarters in Willow Springs.

“Troopers rush into circumstances most would avoid,” Lt. Governor Kehoe said in his keynote address. “Danger is never far away… Thank you for standing in the gap for me, for my family…To the families: I hope this monument brings you a new sense of pride.”

The stately black stone features images of the three fallen troopers and short details of their ultimate sacrifice. The memorial is permanently on display at the public entrance of Troop G Headquarters in Willow Springs.