Francis R. O'Brien
Agency patch
Trooper

Francis R. O'Brien

New Jersey State Police — West Trenton, NJ
Accident
End of Watch November 27, 1944
Age 36
Tour of Duty 10 yrs 1 mo
Gender Male

Incident

Trooper Francis O'Brien succumbed to internal injuries sustained while rescuing a small child from a burning house on West Main Street in Millville on August 6, 1935.

During the rescue attempt, both he and the child were exposed to severe smoke. The baby died while en route to the hospital.

Trooper O'Brien suffered severe damage to his lungs and was forced to medically retire in 1941. He died as a result of a severe lung attack on November 27, 1944.

He received the Medal of Valor for his heroic actions.

Trooper O'Brien had served with the New Jersey State Police for ten years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and child.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Trooper O'Brien gave the New Jersey State Police 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of New Jersey. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Trooper O'Brien.

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

Agency

Type State Police
Location West Trenton, NJ
Platform Identity njsp.nj.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 27, 1944
Tour of Duty 10 yrs 1 mo
Age 36
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Francis is one of 8,276 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1944, 48 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 99th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Francis was 36. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. Francis had served 10.1 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

November holds 8.3% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.4%. Mondays: 13.4%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

New Jersey State Police has 84 officers remembered here, Francis among them.

Across the years

Trooper Francis R. O'Brien

New Jersey State Police · End of Watch November 27, 1944

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 1-W

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