YORK COUNTY, Pa. — A special ceremony was held in York County on Friday, honoring two fallen members of the Pennsylvania State Police killed in the line of duty more than three decades ago.
The service held in Peach Bottom Township honored the lives of Trooper Wayne Bilheimer, 23, and Corporal Paul Almer, 25.
On April 12, 1989, the two were killed when a helicopter they were in crashed into the Susquehanna River while searching for a missing person.
Both active duty and retired members of the force say it's an important event to them.
"It's important to continue to do this to honor their sacrifice, to know their sacrifice made that day will never be forgotten, not to the family members, not to the troopers that worked that day and not to the generations of troopers that came after," said Pennsylvania State Police trooper James Grothey.
Trooper Bilheimer served 21 years with the state police and is buried with full military honors at Quarryville Cemetary.
Corporal Almer was a 14-year veteran of PSP. He's also buried with full military honors at Fort Indiantown Gap.