On Saturday, July 7th, my friend Wes Hardy was killed in a motorcycle wreck while on duty as a Plano police motor officer. Wes was an usher in our wedding and was also a Deputy at Wise County with me. He leaves behind his wife of 7 years Ashlee and twin 3 year old daughters. Please keep his family in your prayers.
The funeral procession was the most incredible thing I've ever seen. There were 150-200 police motorcycles and even more patrol and fire vehicles in the procession. They shut down I-35 headed North from Hebron road to Denton and then shut down US380 from Denton to Decatur. They took him by the Sheriff's Department in Decatur where he started his law enforcement career one last time on the way to the cemetery in Boyd. The trip took 2 hours and 15 minutes. Here is some video from the procession. The Lewisville Police and Fire Departments really honored Wes by assembling on an overpass as the procession passed underneath. They had many police and fire trucks on the overpass and all of their personnel stood at attention as we passed by. They had 3 ladder trucks with the ladders extended in formation - what a sight to see. The Lewisville bagpipe and drum corp also played the entire time the procession was passing. I could hear the bagpipes in my car with the windows up. I just started bawling as I saw this in the distance. The video helps to visualize all of this.
All along the route, we saw fire and police departments in similar formation. Wes would have been so proud.
He was also a volunteer firefighter in Howe. One of the fire trucks in the procession had his bunker gear on the tail for one last ride.
The Wise County Messenger also has a great video of the procession and some shots from the burial. It can be found here.
At the cemetery, they had a police helicopter flyover in the missing man formation, a riderless Dallas PD mounted patrol horse that carried only Wes's boots in the stirrups, a 21 gun salute, and echoing taps. One of the most moving things they did was to make a final tour of duty announcement over the Plano police radios. In the police world, we start our shifts by checking on duty with the dispatcher via the radio and similarly check off duty with them at the end of our shift. Over every radio, we heard the dispatcher call his number - "Mary-4"...no answer..."Mary-4"...and Wes's voice answered her and you hear Wes check off duty for the last time. It was one of the most impactful things of the ceremony. I still cry just trying to explain it.
Wes, a Christian, was a good man, husband and father. He had a huge heart and would do anything for anyone. He still wore his conference championship ring from his days as a walk on player at Texas A&M. He had a great sense of humor and loved to laugh and joke. I'm going to miss him.
If you feel inclined, you can leave a reflection about Wes or to his family on the Officer Down Memorial Page here.
Finally, The Plano Police Association is accepting donations for his wife and twin daughters. If you have the ability, please consider a donation. You can donate here.
Rest in Peace My Friend.
Here is Wes holding our daughter Anna as well as some recent pictures of him and his daughters Cora and Caitlyn.
3 comments:
Oh, I am so sorry to hear about your friend's death. I will pray for his wife and children.
Michael: I read about Wes in the DMN, then on Texags, and I immediately thought of you. I was sure you knew him, and I was planning to write and ask soon. I'm truly sorry.
The video of the procession and your description of it reminds me of the three firefighters killed in Ft. Worth in 1999. We knew one of them, Phillip Dean, and attended the funeral and procession. It remains one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. Over 100 fire trucks showed up, many from other parts of the country and some from well over 1,000 miles away, to be a part of the procession. There were probably at least three times that many other service vehicles involved. And that was just for Phillip's funeral -- this happened three times. It was indescribable.
Reading that Wes had young children also reminded me of Phillip. His wife delivered their first child two days after his funeral, and one of the other men killed also left behind a pregnant wife. It was more than I could process; probably still is.
Wes sounds like a terrific guy. I'm sorry he's gone, and I pray peace for you guys and for his family.
Michael, I am sad to hear this news and I am sure it was very heartbreaking and almost surreal. I am sad that you lost a dear friend, and his family lost a incredible father and husband. You are in my prayers!
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