On this Memorial Day, we listen back to a conversation about the book “Final Salute: A Story of Unfinished Lives”. It tells the story of Major Steve Beck, now Lieutenant Colonel Beck, during the several years that he worked as a casualty assistance officer with the U.S. military. Beck had the job of telling family that a loved one had died while on duty. The author of "Final Salute" is former Rocky Mountain News reporter Jim Sheeler, and the book is based on a series that ran in the now defunct newspaper. Sheeler won the Pulitzer Prize for it in 2006. Sheeler and Lt. Colonel Beck spoke with Ryan Warner in 2008.
![RTD Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald Sr. speaking at a press conference](https://www.cpr.org/cdn-cgi/image/width=3840,quality=75,format=auto/https://wp-cpr.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/11/221110-DENVER-SAFETY-PRESS-CONFERENCE-COLORADO-CONVENTION-CENTER-DOWNTOWN-CBD-KEVINJBEATY-31.jpg)