Roll of Honor
Incident
Captain Greg Blankenship died as a result of contracting COVID-19 while serving at the Department of Criminal Investigation Division Six at 3775 W. Main Street in Salem.
Captain Blankenship was a United States Navy veteran who served 32 years in law enforcement and had served 28 years with the Virginia State Police.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Captain John Gregory Blankenship died on August 7, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 61.
He is one of 884 officers honored here.
Beginning in early 2020, law enforcement officers across the country contracted COVID-19 in the course of their duties. While much of the nation sheltered at home, they kept answering calls, making arrests, transporting prisoners, and working face to face with the public. There was no distance to be had from the job.
Corrections officers were hit hardest. Confined facilities and large populations meant constant, close, unavoidable exposure.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife, two daughters, son, and five grandchildren.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-VA-E20AA139- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Captain Blankenship gave the Virginia State Police 32 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Virginia. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Captain Blankenship.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
John Gregory Blankenship served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Captain John Gregory Blankenship is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In VA, 23 of 654 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 3.5% of this state's fallen. That is 5.6 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Virginia State Police, 1 of 52 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 1.9% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John Gregory Blankenship's cause is highlighted.
How John Gregory Blankenship Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. John Gregory Blankenship is highlighted in Aug.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
51 officers from Virginia State Police are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
