We don't often remember to include correctional officers in the list of those who stand on the front lines, day in and day out, putting their own health and safety at risk in the midst of a pandemic. But the loss of two correctional guards earlier this year reminds us those men and women didn't have the option to hole up at home, working remotely to avoid potential contact with a deadly virus.
West Virginia Department of Homeland Security officials did the right thing this month when they honored Cpl. Mark Rustemeyer and Lt. Delmar Dean, adding them to the state Capitol memorial for those who have died in the line of duty.
Rustemeyer, of Sistersville, had worked at the St. Marys Correction Center since 1998. He was the first correctional officer to die of the virus. Dean, of Weirton, had been working for the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation for more than two decades, and was serving at the Northern Regional Jail in Marshall County at the time of this death.
"These have been heartbreaking losses for the DCR family," said Commissioner Betsy Jividen. "As we continue to confront COVID-19, it is important to remember and honor those among us who have gone above and beyond. May their memories be a blessing."
Indeed, their memories must also serve as inspiration to do all we can to stop the spread of this vicious virus. Those who are committed to doing their duty under any circumstance are relying on the rest of us. For Rustemeyer and Dean, it is too late. Their memorialization in Charleston will be cold comfort if we learn nothing from their loss.