Des Moines Police Guild

82 years ago today, more than 156,000 Allied troops crossed the English Channel and stormed five beaches along the coast of Normandy, France. By the end of June 6, 1944, over 4,400 of them had given their lives. The largest amphibious invasion in human history changed the trajectory of World War II and, with it, the world.

Many members of this association are veterans. Many have parents and grandparents who served. The legacy of the men who landed at Normandy lives in the people who wear a uniform today, regardless of which one it is.

Today, this association honors them. Their courage was the cost of the freedoms we still defend every shift.

Share this post in honor of the men who gave everything on June 6, 1944.

Memorial Day is a day with one purpose. To remember.

General John A. Logan issued the proclamation establishing Decoration Day in 1868, and after World War I it was expanded from honoring Civil War casualties to honoring the American military fallen from every conflict. In 1971, Congress officially declared it a federal holiday observed on the last Monday in May. A tradition that began with flowers on graves is now observed by more than 330 million Americans each year.

Our personnel are out across the community today maintaining security so that every cemetery visit, every memorial service, and every family gathering can happen without incident. They show up on days like this because that is what this profession asks of them.

Comment below with the name of a fallen service member you are honoring today.

Today is Children of Fallen Patriots Day, and it is one of the more sobering dates on the calendar.

May 13 was chosen for this observance because it marks the day Arlington National Cemetery was established in 1864. That connection is intentional. The Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation estimates that approximately 25,000 children have lost a parent in the line of military duty over the last 35 years. Without support, only 20 percent of those children complete college. With the foundation's assistance, that rate rises to 91 percent.

These are children who carried a loss most people their age could not begin to understand. Many members of this association are veterans. We do not take this day lightly.

Share this post to bring visibility to the children and families still carrying the cost of military service.

This week is National Police Week, and it carries a weight that words do not always do justice to.

National Police Week 2026 runs from May 11 through May 17, with memorial ceremonies, honor guard tributes, and survivor events taking place across Washington D.C. This year marks the 38th Annual Candlelight Vigil, where the names of every law enforcement professional killed in the line of duty in the past year are read aloud, one by one, in front of the families and colleagues they left behind.

For our association, this week is personal.

The members we represent know what it takes to put on the uniform every day. They know the names of the ones who did not come home. They carry that with them on every shift, and they show up anyway, because that is the job.

Share this post so every name remembered this week reaches one more person.

Today is Mother's Day, and we want to take a moment to actually mean it.

Anna Jarvis, who campaigned for the holiday's creation, later spent years fighting to keep it from becoming too commercialized. By the 1920s she was publicly critical of the greeting card industry and even called for the holiday to be removed from the national calendar. She believed it was meant to be a personal, sincere expression, not a commercial event. It is a reminder that the original intent was simple: stop and recognize the people who give more than they are given credit for.

Our members working shifts today are serving this community while missing time with their own families. That sacrifice is worth acknowledging today just as much as everything else.

Comment below and recognize a mother in your life who makes this work possible.

Happy Cinco de Mayo to every family in our community celebrating today.

The date marks something worth knowing. On May 5, 1862, a Mexican army of roughly 4,000 soldiers defeated a French force of more than 6,000 at the Battle of Puebla under General Ignacio Zaragoza. The French army had not suffered a major battlefield defeat in nearly 50 years before that day. It became one of the most celebrated moments in Mexican military history and a symbol of resilience that carries forward to this day.

Our members are out on patrol making sure every celebration in this community stays safe so families can enjoy it the way it was meant to be enjoyed.

Share this post so your network knows the real history behind today.