Just before the sun set, families, uniformed police officers and community members gathered Wednesday at Heroes Park to pay respects and remember the city's fallen heroes.

The fallen were fathers/mothers and sons/daughters, husbands/wives and brothers/sisters, best friends and uncles/aunts. They were bound by an oath to serve.

" There is no greater gift than serving others," Arlington Assistant Police Chief Jaime Ayala told the attendees. " This is the gift our fallen officers gave when it mattered most. They expected nothing in return."

Families wept and hugged as retired officer P.J. Brock read the names of the eight officers killed in the line of duty:

• James Evan Johnson, killed in 1930 by gunfire responding to a disorderly conduct call.
• Gary Dwaine Harl, killed in 1975 by gunfire on a traffic stop.
• Terry Lynn Lewis, killed in 1992 by a drunken driver.
• Jerry J. Crocker, killed in 1992 by a drunken driver.
• Craig Michael Hanking, killed in 1994 in a vehicle crash.
• Joseph Thomas Cushman, killed in 2001 by gunfire during a training exercise.
• Craig Gordon Story, killed in 2010 in a vehicle crash.
• Jillian Michelle Smith, killed in 2010 by gunfire responding to a domestic violence call.

Anne Masterson, one of Terry Lewis' three daughters, said her father was the neighborhood's resident " fun dad," who would paint bases in the street so kids could play baseball or host impromptu ice cream parties in his family's driveway.

Carrying her 2-year-old daughter, Terilyn, who she named for her father, Masterson said she is warmed by the continuing support from Arlington.

" It is wonderful to see and feel the love and support after all these years," said Masterson, who lives in Arlington. " We know our father is not forgotten."

Jessica Smith, the sister of Jillian Smith, who was killed Dec. 28, 2010, while trying to shield an 11-year-old from gunfire, said she and her family are thankful for the annual service, which they never miss.

" I honor my sister any chance I get," said Smith, an Arlington resident. " It does not make it easier, but it does make us feel better to remember her and all of the good times."

Officer Bryan Graham presented a wreath, and the fallen received a 21-gun salute, just before the familiar song of the bagpipes played once more.

" We must never forget their stories, their legacy, their service," Officer Ayala said. " We remember our fallen with the highest regard."