Son Gives Powerful Last Salute To His Fallen Father

He was respected by many, especially his 4-year-old son. Detective Joseph Lemm was a man of many things. He was a dedicated soldier, down-home country boy, husband and father. He also was a New York City police officer for over 15 years and a member of the Air National Guard – his entire life was dedicated to serving those around him and the people of our great country.

But tragically during his third tour in Afghanistan, Detective Lemm was killed when a suicide bomber crashed a motorcycle packed with explosives his Army patrol vehicle. His family was absolutely devastated and the rest of the country mourned right along with them.

At Detective Lemm’s funeral in New York City, family members, fellow police officers, soldiers and hundreds of other loved ones piled into the St. Patrick’s Cathedral to say their last goodbyes. The crowd included one very special little boy named Ryan, and he did something that brought everyone in the church to tears. The detective’s 4-year-old son stood up proudly and gave one last emotional salute to his father. He was Ryan’s hero and he will be sorely missed!