Trooper Island Camp, Inc., a youth camp in south-western Clinton County on Dale Hollow Lake, began the 49th camping season this week for underpriviledged and at-risk boys and girls in Kentucky who are chosen by sworn officers to attend a free week of summer camp.

Prior to the start of each camping season, camp officials, Kentucky State Police officers and their familieis and a host of private citizens gathered at the camp last Saturday for the annual Trooper Island Appreciation Day.

Although the day is billed as a celebration of the start of another camping season, the most solumn gathering during Appreciation Day festivities is the ceremony to pay tribute to the officers who have died in the line of duty.

A new monument was recently completed on the north-west end of the island that holds individual plaques honoring the fallen officers. The monument also features a blue lightbar that will remain glowing at all times as well as an eternal flame that will be projected in a swirling pattern at the rear of the memorial.

In this set of photos taken Saturday, the Kentucky State Honor Guard is shown standing at attention while the names of the officers killed in the line of duty are read.

At upper left, Camp Director Endre Samu welcomes those attending Saturday’s Appreciation Day, while below left, KSP Commissioner Rodney Brewer briefly addresses the crowd gathered near the new memorial.

At left, a closer view of one of the members of KSP Honor Guard and the special uniforms the team members wear while performing Honor Guard duties.

In the bottom photo, a front view of the recently completed Fallen Officer Memorial that was built near the Chapel on the northwest end of the camp property.

The construction of the new monument, along with all aspects of Trooper Island Camp operations, is funded solely through private donations.

Operated by the Kentucky State Police, Trooper Island Camp each year gives some 700 underprivileged 10-12 year old youth the opportunity to enjoy a free week of summer camp that they likely wouldn’t be able to enjoy otherwise.

The concept behind the camp is to expose those young campers who come from likely “at-risk” environments, to a week of summer camp activities while at the same time, enjoying those activities side by side with sworn officers from the Kentucky State Police.