A lot has been asked of the West Virginia State Police over the past 90 years, and a lot has been given out of service to the Mountain State by State Troopers.
"We've lost 38 members over the 90 years. That's not only men that have lost everything they had and they will have. That's the wives suffering without their husbands. That's the children growing up without a father," said State Police Superintendent Colonel Tim Pack.
On Monday, the nation's fourth oldest statewide police force celebrated nine decades of service at the State Culture Center in Charleston. State leaders were on hand to say their "Thank Yous" to those who wear the green uniform and wide brimmed hats.
"Anytime we ever see a disaster or tragedy that happens, everyone else is running for comfort and safety. They're running in," said Governor Joe Manchin.
Joining the Governor during the ceremonies Monday evening were two others who learned about the troopers’ willingness to serve from the Governor's Mansion, U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller and Second District Congresswoman Shelley Moore-Capito.
Through a video message, Senator Rockefeller thanked the troopers for watching him, his wife, and their children during his time as the state's Chief Executive.
"As Governor, I saw firsthand the professionalism, the valor, and the courage that defines West Virginia State Police," the Senator said.
Congresswoman Capito reflected on growing up as a Governor's daughter under the watchful eye of the state police while her father Arch was in office.
She said one thing she remembered that beyond their tough exteriors, state troopers had a great sense of humor. She said before the tribute started one trooper shared a story about driving her parents to the event in the state that didn't go exactly as planned.
"They got to their destination and the doors locked up in the back and my parents couldn't get out of the car," the Congresswoman said with a laugh. "So my mother and dad had to climb over the seat of the car and get out in the front seat of the car. You can imagine how mortified the state trooper was at the time."
Through the lighter stories and the tougher times troopers have developed a bond in the force that continues today. Colonel Pack says it's a bond that makes state troopers more than just fellow officers.
"Our members, I like to look at us as a family," he says. “We are truly a family. It's a brotherhood. Brothers and sisters that serve together."
If you want to learn more about the West Virginia State Police you can visit the State Culture Center in Charleston this month. An exhibit containing items collected over the past 90 years of the force is on display. The memorabilia ranges from a motorcycle troopers rode in the past to the more unusual like the fingerprints from serial killer Charles Manson that were collected during World War II while he attended elementary school in Kanawha County
