NEBRASKA CITY – The nephew of slain Nebraska City Police Officer Gary White was presented an honor flag from an officer who survived the attack 43 years ago to the day on July 9.

Jim Meier of the Honor and Remember Nebraska Chapter said Skyler White of St. Joseph is too young to have ever met his uncle, but the experience at Nebraska City may have taught him a little more about him.

White: “I’ve heard a lot of great stories about my uncle and met a lot of great people who were there that night, when he was shot and killed. Just hearing the stories makes me know that he was good person, that he loved what he did.”

One of the stories came from White’s senior partner that night. Ofc. Peter Rishel was first to be wounded in a shotgun attack outside of the police station.


He underwent six hours of surgery and has dim memories of visitors in the days that followed.

 

Rishel: “I wake up and walking into the room – and I’m telling you as sure as I’m standing here – Gary White walked into my room. And he said, it’s okay, everything is alright. They had told me he was alive, that he got hurt bad, but he was alive.

“I thought well, he’s just like some of the others that came to see me and I didn’t really think anything about it.


I didn’t find out until Sunday, what four days later, that he had died the morning of the shooting and I thought he couldn’t have, he was here. He came in my room.


Rishel: “I know, I’m telling you. God sent him back so I would know that is was okay.”

Rishel’s public story includes the end of his law enforcement career and his struggle with survivor's guilt for many decades, but he has been dutiful in placing wreaths for White at various police memorials. Thursday was the first time he came back to Nebraska City on the actual July 9 anniversary.

 Rishel: “The response from this has been absolutely wonderful. We’ve got a lot of people here. We’ve got a lot of support for the police department, for the officers of Otoe County. I think it’s absolutely wonderful the public has done that.

“I want to thank everyone that was here today, everyone that sees this, for your support, your dedication and for coming out and doing this for us.”

 

Skyler White, who is now a firefighter, grew up hearing his grandmother’s stories about Gary White and his faith in God.

Nephew White represented the last of Ofc. White’s immediate family at the ceremony Thursday.

White: “Basically I’ll go back and tell my cousins, you know they really take care of their own up there. They honored our uncle very well.”

 

John Adams of the Honor and Remember Nebraska Chapter said he is down here honoring White while he is in heaven, walking a beat and watching over us.

The Honor and Sacrifice flag has a blue field to honor police and purple for firefighters and a white field to recognize the purity of heart within each individual who serves and protects and is willing to face each day’s challenge regardless of the risk.

Among those attending was Ellen Opelt, who was a teenager working at Lil' Duffer's when she met Ofc.  Rishel.

Opelt: "With thankfulness to God we're here today that he made it through. I think everybody should really stop and look and see what the officers go through to protect us and the risk that they take every day."