TOWN OF WALLKILL – Troop F of the State Police covers the five counties on the west side of the Hudson River from Greene County south to Rockland County.
Their annual Memorial Day service to honor the memories of their 13 troopers killed in the line of duty was held on Friday.
Troop F Commander Major Paul DeQuarto addressed the more than 100 relatives, current and retired troopers, who attended a brief ceremony at headquarters in the Town of Wallkill.
- “Ceremonies like this are a way to honor our deceased, but they are also a grim reminder of the grave, life-threatening dangers law enforcement face every day,” he said.
DeQuarto said whether the line of duty death involves a trooper, local officer or deputy, “we all feel the pain.”
The 13 troopers killed in the line of duty were:
- Investigator John Cotter, November 21, 1970. He was 33 years old.
- Trooper William McDonagh, December 14, 1975. He was 24 years old.
- Trooper James Kelly, Jr., August 8, 1980. He was 31 years old at the time of his death.
- Investigator Richard Snyder, September 20, 1984. He was 37 years old.
- Investigator Joseph Aversa, March 5, 1990. He was 31 years old.
- Trooper Nathaniel Burroughs, February 14, 1997. He was 30 years old.
- Trooper Truscott Kelly, May 31, 2000. He was 49 years old.
- Trooper Kenneth Poormon, May 31, 2000. He was 23 years old.
- Sergeant Jeffry Edelson, November 23, 2003. He was 34 years old.
- Trooper John McKenna IV, August 16, 2006. He was 43 years old.
- Trooper David Brinkerhoff, April 25, 2007. He was 29 years old.
- Trooper David Lane, November 4, 2009. He was 30 years old.
- Trooper Winston Martindale, Jr., July 24, 2013. He was 40 years old.
