Nancy Bernhardt’s husband, James Machado, was murdered in the line of duty in 1978.
“The hardest thing I had to do during this time is learn to forgive,” she told CBS 13. “Life does continue. Sometimes its hard.”
But, almost four decades later, Bernhardt proudly got to see her husband honored in a momentous way. The slain deputy, fatally shot by an escaped mentally ill patient, was praised with a sign on a highway in Auburn, CA. Officers who worked with Machado, as well as ones who never knew him, also showed up to honor him the day the sign was unveiled.
“This dedication means a closure. A healing for myself and for the kids,” said Bernhardt.
Bernhardt, who shed tears for her husband as shown at the 1:47 mark, also showed appreciation for numerous other police officers that have lost their life on the job. She also hopes to raise awareness for the work police officers do, especially the ones who risk their lives to save others on a daily basis.
“We always wanted James' memory to be realized and to remind people that these guys are out on the road 24 hours a day, putting their lives on the line,” she said.
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