There were no tears on the faces of eight children who led hundreds of people in reciting the pledge of allegiance on the Decatur Square Thursday.

The older children, with the necessary memorization skills, cleary spoke the words, hands over hearts. The youngest, in the arms of a police officer, put both hands on his chest.

DAVID SIMPSON/AJC (ENLARGE)

A granite monument at Decatur Square engraved with slain police officers' names already bears the names of officers Eric Barker and Ricky Bryant.

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All eight lost their fathers on Jan. 16, when DeKalb County Police Department officers Eric Barker, 33, and Ricky Bryant, 26, were shot to death in an apartment complex parking lot.

Their names became the 38th and 39th engraved on the granite marker which was the centerpiece of Thursday's annual ceremony honoring slain DeKalb officers,

The children spent most of the hour seated in the front row. The younger ones fidgeted at times, but the three eldest girls listened solemnly to the speeches.

Afterward, holding spent shells from a 21-gun salute that startled them, the three talked about their part in the ceremony.

"I felt happy, because we got to stand for all the officers," said Justice Bryant, 8.

"And honor our fathers," added Alexia Johnson, Barker's 11-year-old daughter.

Kashell Bryant, 10, said the pledge of allegiance was particularly appropriate to honor the children's fathers "because they stood for justice."

"For all," added Alexia, who had another reason to honor officers:

"I probably want to be one when I grow up."