Funeral Held For LAPD Officer-Reservist Killed In Afghanistan

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Police and military veterans packed the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels on Wednesday for the funeral of an LAPD officer and Marine Corps bomb specialist who was killed Oct. 18 by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan's Helmand province.

The funeral Mass for Staff Sgt. Joshua J. Cullins was followed by a procession to the burial site at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park in Westlake Village.

KNX 1070's Pete Demetriou Reports

Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck was among the mourners.

"He was an incredible young man ... a person who had accomplished so much by the time he was 28," LAPD Cmdr. Bill Fierro said. "He had been deployed overseas a number of times, and because of his job as a bomb technician, he had saved many lives."

A family spokesman read a statement from Cullins' father.

"He was my oldest. He taught me how to be a dad. He saw me at my best and my worst. And every time I saw him looking at me, looking to me for an example, I tried my hardest to be the best parent I could be."

Beck called Cullins a "champion of heroes."

Cullins, who was on his second tour of duty, became the second officer-reservist to die in an roadside bombing in Helmand province in a year. SWAT officer and Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Robert J. Cottle was killed March 24.

A visitation for Cullins was held Tuesday in the auditorium at LAPD headquarters, where colleagues paid their respects to his family.

Detective Jack Blanchard, an LAPD bomb squad officer, said he was felt great sadness.

"That's about it," he said. "A good guy."

Cullins, who expected to be home for Christmas, planned to join the LAPD bomb squad when he returned. Blanchard said that his military experience with "a little higher level, more powerful, a wider variety" of explosives would have been an asset.

Former bomb squad Officer Pat Guessferd said "there really is nothing else to say — sadness."

Lt. George Bastillas, who helps arrange LAPD funerals, said Cullins' was the second one in a year.

"Unfortunately there are mixed feelings," he said. "Mixed feelings in that you feel a lot of pride and honor to be associated with Officer Cullins, but also your heart is heavy — heavy because of the loss, the loss especially of a young man who devoted his life to public service, not just to the citizens but to our country, doing a very dangerous job abroad."

Bastillas said an average 450 LAPD officers in the reserves and at any given time, and 50-75 of them are on active duty abroad. "It's a stark reality that this could happen again but you can hope and pray for the best."

LAPD Chaplain Gary Patton, a sergeant who wore a cross on his uniform, said he was there for the grieving officers. He said he didn't like it anytime "one of my officers is lost."

Cullins' body was returned to Los Angeles Thursday via a volunteer Angels Flight aircraft that was met by Marine Corps and LAPD honor guards.

Chief Charlie Beck attended a brief, private ceremony on the tarmac.

Cullins disarmed roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan. In July, he survived a roadside explosion in Afghanistan that left him with a concussion.

He had two days left in the field as an explosive ordinance disposal technician when he was killed while investigating a roadside bomb near Marja. A secondary explosion was set off as he investigated an earlier blast. He was scheduled to be home by Christmas.

Cullins had three years with the LAPD, working as a patrol officer downtown.

Cullins enlisted in the Marines after graduating from high school in 2000 and joined the reserves in 2007. His last tour of duty was with the 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment.

The Los Angeles Police Federal Credit Union opened an account to assist Cullins' family.  Checks payable to "Blue Ribbon Trust for Joshua Cullins" should be sent to:

Los Angeles Police Federal Credit Union
Attn: Blue Ribbon Trust for Joshua Cullins
P.O. Box 10188, Van Nuys, 91410

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