SCRANTON -- Just days after the funeral for fallen Scranton Police Officer John Wilding, there is now a permanent tribute to his sacrifice.
Wednesday afternoon, his name was etched into a memorial outside Scranton police headquarters.
There was no big event, no ceremony, just the simple task of adding a name to the memorial to fallen officers.
But what took only minutes had so much meaning and will last as a reminder for generations.
Patrolman John Wilding gave his life in the line of duty.
"We don't ever want to put a name on a memorial. Now that John has passed, it has to be done and we'll honor that. We'll honor that going forward and he'll be remembered forever," Scranton Police Chief Carl Graziano said.
Those that worked for years to get the memorial built wanted that lasting reminder placed here right away.
"Oh, I called immediately. It was important because that's where it deserves to be," said memorial planner Roseann Novembrino.
But when this memorial to fallen officers went up, there was a wish for its future:
"You never have to come back and add any names to it," said Jason Parise of Monuments By Parise.
"Yet here we are."
"We are here today unfortunately."
"I've been doing memorials for 27 years and you know it's a job you have to do it, if you get personal it messes you up," said engraver Dean Holbrook.
This time, Holbrook's heart was pounding as he sandblasted over the stencil, as he etched a name into this city's history.
While this memorial now honors Patrolman Wilding's sacrifice as a police officer, those doing the work here know so much more was lost.
This is the name of a man loved by many.
"The worst thing of all is children lost a father, a wife lost a husband, and another lost a son. That's the worst part of it all."
In the days and weeks to come, temporary tributes outside Scranton police headquarters will go away, but now, Patrolman John Wilding's name will not. It remains a constant reminder of his sacrifice.
It's a name now etched in stone for the future, but the man behind that name is still very much on the minds of every officer on the job.
"I don't think we'll ever be back to normal. We just have a new normal. A new set of standards that will be normal going forward for the department," said Graziano.
While there was no ceremony at the fallen officers memorial Wednesday, the chief imagines there will be something special done there on National Peace Officers Memorial Day next May.