Families of fallen police officers and those injured in the line of duty were honored during a special heroes "healing cruise" earlier this month.
Seven families from California and Massachusetts attended this year's voyage down the Rhine river in Germany – the 13th annual Vantage Heroes Program – to provide survivors of tragedy with an opportunity to bond, honor the memory of loved ones and share common healing experiences.
Andrew Mejia and his wife Jennifer Heidt of Desert Hot Springs, California, remembered Andrew's father Officer Gil Vega, a 37-year veteran of the Palm Springs Police Department who was shot and killed while responding to a domestic disturbance call in 2016. Officer Vega was just two months away from retirement.
Heidt is also a survivor of the 2018 Las Vegas shootings – a group that was honored last year. She said that this was the first time since the shootings that she was able to relax and feel safe in a public place.
Cynthia Hurley, of Reading, Massachusetts, lost her husband Jeremiah, a member of the Boston Police Department bomb squad, in 1991 when a bomb he was trying to defuse blew up. Officer Hurley had been in the department for 23 years and his memory inspired each of his four children to go into law enforcement.
Shawna Piquette of Corona, California, brought her 16-year-old twins on the trip to commemorate her husband, Deputy David Piquette's memory. Deputy Piquette of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department was killed in an automobile accident in 2006. Deputy Piquette had served with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for 10 years.
Dara Gannon of Dennis, Massachusetts, and her brother Ross, attended the cruise in memory of Dara's husband Sergeant Sean Gannon of the Yarmouth, Massachusetts, Police Department. Gannon was shot and killed last year while serving an arrest warrant. His K-9 partner Nero was also shot and is now retired and living with Dara.
Officer Ryan Moore of Falmouth, Massachusetts, was shot during a domestic disturbance call. He survived his injuries but had to retire from the police department. He is back in school pursuing a degree in criminal justice and brought his mother, Annemarie McGhee to experience his first trip out of the United States.
Doris Beauregard-Shecrallah of Springfield, Massachusetts, attended in honor of her late husband Officer Alain Beauregard of the Springfield Police Department who was shot and killed during a vehicle stop in 1985. With her was good friend Carla Ambrose also of Springfield, who attended in honor of her late husband Officer Kevin Ambrose of the Springfield Police Department who was shot fatally while responding to a domestic violence call in 2012. Officer Ambrose had served on the Springfield Police Department for 36 years.
The Vantage Heroes Program provides selected heroes with free travel so they may leave their everyday cares behind for a few days, and enjoy the healing power of travel. Previous cruises have been offered to survivors of the Las Vegas Shootings, Boston Marathon Bombings, 9/11 and United 93 families, and those who lost loved ones in the devastating Yarnell Hill, Ariz., wildfire in 2013.
Photo above, from left to right:
Front: Jennifer Heidt, daughter-in-law of fallen Palm Springs Police Officer Gil Vega; Jordan Piquette, daughter of fallen Los Angeles Police Deputy David Piquette.
Second row: Shawna Piquette, wife of fallen Los Angeles Police Deputy David Piquette; and Andrew Mejia, son of fallen Palm Springs Police Officer Gil Vega.
Third row: Annemarie McGhee, mother of retired Falmouth Police Officer Ryan Moore; Justin Piquette, son of fallen Los Angeles Police Deputy David Piquette; Cynthia Hurley, wife of fallen Boston Police Officer Jeremiah Hurley; and Doris Beauregard-Shecrallah, wife of fallen Springfield Police Officer Alain Beauregard.
Fourth row: Dara Gannon, wife of fallen Yarmouth Police Sergeant Sean Gannon; Ryan Moore, retired Falmouth Police Officer who was shot in the line of duty; and Patricia Lewis, co-founder of The Vantage Heroes Program.
Fifth row: Leanne Teehan, daughter of fallen Boston Police Officer Jeremiah Hurley; Carla Ambrose, wife of fallen Springfield Police Officer Kevin Ambrose; and Ross Bryan, brother of Dara Gannon.
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