Roll of Honor

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Police Officer

Curtis Owen Starry

Viroqua Police Department — Viroqua, WI

Accident

End of Watch March 13, 1953

Age 30

Tour of Duty 3 yrs

The Vigil Panel 89 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Officer Starry was killed in an automobile accident while on patrol. Officer Starry and a Law Enforcement Explorer ride-along were responding to an emergency call when the squad car was struck from behind by a semi-truck. Both Vehicles burst into flames. It took emergency workers two hours to put the fire out. Officer Starry, the explorer, and the truck driver were all killed in the accident.

Officer Starry had served with the Viroqua Police Department for three years.

Death is the last chapter in time, but the first chapter in eternity. Gone but not forgotten. Thank you for your service. Rest In Eternal Peace.!

Enid Rodríguez March 13th, 2022

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-WI-03C2D7DD
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

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Starry gave the Viroqua Police Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Viroqua community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Starry.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Viroqua Police Department

Location Viroqua, WI

Platform Identity vpd.vernon.wi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 13, 1953

Tour of Duty 3 yrs

Age 30

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Police Officer Curtis Owen Starry is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In WI, 124 of 317 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 39.1% of this state's fallen. That is 8.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

Viroqua Police Department

of 1 officers

100% Accident

WI — Statewide

124

of 317 officers

39.1% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Curtis Owen Starry's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

17,623 (54.2%)

Accident

10,088 (31%)

Illness

2,974 (9.1%)

Cardiac

1,306 (4%)

Undetermined

260 (0.8%)

Suicide

256 (0.8%)

vehicular

1 (0%)

How Curtis Owen Starry Compares

Age at End of Watch

This officer

Avg for Accident: 38.1 years

Years of Service