GREENVILLE, S.C. - Forty-seven law enforcement officers have made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting and serving the people of Greenville County. On Tuesday morning, each one of them was remembered during the annual Greenville County Fallen Officers Memorial Service.

The event was held just outside the Greenville County Law Enforcement center where a memorial bearing each of the names stands as a forever tribute. Over a dozen people attended the event which featured a speech by Hobart Lewis, the Greenville County Sheriff. 

“Every in-the-line-of-duty death since I started my law enforcement career in 1994, this community has always come together and supported people."

In addition to an address from the Greenville Police Chief Howie Thompson, the service included a helicopter flyover. The highlight of the morning was the reading of the forty-seven names, many of them represented by family and loved ones in the audience.

"It's certainly tough, but the families deal with it every day," said Sheriff Lewis, "To continue to kind of hug on them, love on them, let them know you're thinking about them—I think they just learn to deal with it. I don't think it ever gets easier; I just think you learn to cope."