The City of Garden Grove and its Police Department unveiled a bronze plaque dedicating the bridge at the west entrance of the Garden Grove Community Meeting Center to the late Corporal Han Cho.
Corporal Cho, who served in Garden Grove for 28 years, was 49 years old when he was struck by a car in Anaheim on August 7 while returning home from an off-duty motorcycle ride.
The unveiling ceremony was attended by more than 200 people, including Mayor Steve Jones, all members of the Garden Grove City Council, Police Chief Amir El-Farra, Garden Grove officers and the bereaved family members.
“Corporal Cho’s longstanding dedication to the City, community, and police department was respected and loved by his officers,” said Mayor Jones, “and his contributions to Garden Grove are memorialized on this bronze plaque.”
Police Chief Amir El-Farra added, “It’s a great idea to have Cho’s name on the Community Meeting Center, right behind the Police Department. Every time I drive by this bridge in the future, I will remember his warm heart and smile.” He also encouraged his own teenage son and daughter, saying, “Corporal Cho was always talking about his family.”
The late Cho’s sister, Susan Cho, spoke on behalf of the family, saying, “It is with joy and sadness that I stand here today. My brother did so much to make a positive difference in the world, and he viewed policing as a calling from God, not a job,” she said, bringing the crowd to tears.
After the speeches, city council members, police department officials, and family members removed the curtain from the bronze plaque next to the bridge. The family members touched the plaque and took pictures of the inscription.
“Han worked hard for the city of Garden Grove and the community and had a good relationship with many people,” said Cho’s father. “I am grateful that so many people remember him.”
The late Corporal Cho was born in 1973 in Seoul, South Korea, and immigrated to the United States in 1976. After graduating from Cerritos High School, he attended the police academy and had been with the Garden Grove Police Department since 1995. He was assigned to the patrol and gang enforcement units, the hostage negotiations team, and was responsible for the education and training of new officers.
BY LAWRENCE SANGHWAN LIM, JUNHAN PARK [lim.sanghwan@koreadaily.com]
