Waukesha Public Safety Memorial dedication; 'It is a bittersweet day'

WAUKESHA, Wis. - Waukesha is paying tribute to five men who made the ultimate sacrifice protecting the city. 

After four years of planning, city leaders came together on Friday, Sept. 22 to dedicate the City of Waukesha Public Safety Memorial.

"There’s no greater love than to lay one’s life down for their friends. Clearly, those men have done that in service to their community," said Waukesha Fire Chief Steve Howard.

Three Waukesha firefighters have died in the line of duty. Albert Mevis in 1891 when his wagon overturned on the way to a fire. Also, Bernard McCaffery and Frank O'Brien in 1934, when their fire engine hit a train. 

For police, both officers killed in the line of duty have a special place in Gary Bach's heart. 

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"Bear with me, this is kind of tough… even though it was a long time ago," Bach said. "I don’t think there are many people that are still around that can say that they knew both Capt. Lutz and Det. Schmidling."

Bach's uncle was Detective George Schmidling – shot and killed by a robbery suspect in 1961. He was the police department's first line-of-duty death. FOX6 News spoke with Schmidling's children in August during a ceremony unveiling Schmidling's new tombstone. 

"It breaks my heart for all the officers that get killed in the line of duty.  I carry them in my heart every day," said Vickie Monroe, Schmidling's daughter.

In 1994, Capt. James Lutz was ambushed by fugitives James and Ted Oswald after a bank robbery. 

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"The gun battle ensued, I was caught up in the middle of the gun battle.  Shot up everything I had," Bach said. 

Bach was on-scene as a Pewaukee police sergeant – and was friends with Lutz. 

There is hope no other names will be added to the memorial. 

"It is a bittersweet day today for me. It's bitter in that I am sad for the reason that we're here – to recognize the brave men that gave their lives in service to the community," said Battalion Chief Jim Haakenson. "And yet, I take solace in the fact that the community recognizes their sacrifice. To me that's a point of joy."

"Today, the memorial stands as a permanent reminder that good men and women served this community – 24 hours a day, providing safety and security to all its residents and visitors," said Lt. Kevin Rice. "And on any given day, they can be called to sacrifice their lives in exchange for the safety of others."

"The memorial's presence at the entry into city hall says the community honors every firefighter and police officer for providing care and protection to the community," said Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly.

The dedication ceremony took place at the memorial which is located outside of Waukesha City Hall, 201 Delafield Street. The City of Waukesha Public Safety Memorial can be found at Waukesha City Hall, 201 Delafield Street.

Complete dedication ceremony