Names of 19 fallen officers added to NYPD memorial wall

NEW YORK (WABC) -- "We will never forget".

That solemn vow was uttered repeatedly as the names of 19 police officers who gave their lives protecting the city were added to the NYPD's memorial wall.

The sound of a violin playing Thursday was all too familiar for families of fallen NYPD officers.

A sound that binds loved ones together, recognizing the heroes that made the ultimate sacrifice.

At One Police Plaza, the memorial wall in honor of those officers was unveiled for those families to see.

19 names were added to the wall this year. 19 memories. 19 reasons this city stands tall.

"We are today continuing our promise that we will always remember. That their lives will never be erased from our memory and the memory of time," said NYPD Commissioner William Bratton.

There are almost a thousand names written on this memorial wall dating back to 1849. A reminder of the unbroken chain, of those who served and sacrificed to make this city what it is.

Added to the wall this year are 16 who died at Ground Zero, along with two officers who died in the line of duty:

Detective Brian Moore, shot in the face while trying to stop a man with a gun while on patrol in Queens Village, and detective Randolph Holder, shot in the head in East Harlem during a gunfight with an armed robbery suspect.

And detective Joseph Lemm, an Air Force sergeant who died on active duty in Afghanistan on his third tour overseas.

"The last full measure of devotion. That's what these individuals did. They have for everyone else," said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

These families now are bound together by acts of valor and courage, all part of one family now.