Earle M. Ames
Agency patch
Officer

Earle M. Ames

California Highway Patrol — Sacramento, CA
Accident
End of Watch December 11, 1936
Age 30
Tour of Duty 6 yrs
Badge 626
The Vigil Panel 72 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Earle Ames was killed when his police motorcycle struck a city bus at the East Bay approach to the Oakland Bay Bridge during heavy fog. He was on a special duty assignment in Oakland at the time of the accident. Officer Ames had served with the California Highway Patrol for 2 years and had previously served as the chief of the Newman Police Department for 4 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, 9-year-old daughter, and sister.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Ames gave the California Highway Patrol 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Ames.

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

Agency

Type Highway Patrol
Location Sacramento, CA
Platform Identity chp.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 11, 1936
Tour of Duty 6 yrs
Age 30
Badge Number 626
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Earle is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1936, 88 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 16th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Earle was 30. 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. Earle had served 6 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

December holds 8.9% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Fridays: 15.1%.

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

California Highway Patrol has at least 120 officers remembered here, Earle among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Officer Earle M. Ames

California Highway Patrol · End of Watch December 11, 1936

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 39-W

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