2004 / 4th Anniversary FDNY - 343 memorial

[asaffell]

GARLAND FIRE DEPT Fire Station #7
2545 Naaman School Rd., Garland 75040 Mapsco 19a-L
(near G. Bush Turnpike/190 & Hwy 78/Lavon Dr.)
FD Admin: 972-205-2250 Sta. #7: 972-205-2282
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We will be displaying our FDNY 9-11 Memorial, “A Cross for a Brother”, from Sept 6th (12 noon) to Sept 15 (5pm).

This is a 1 acre memorial that will have 1 cross displayed for every firefighter killed on Sept 11, 2001. Each cross has a nameplate with the name of a firefighter killed that day & their assignment. Please come & walk among the names & pay tribute to the FDNY – 343.

To view more pictures, go to: http://teamsaffell.com/GFD/FDNY343.html

[asaffell]

We just finished putting out all the crosses. This year all the crosses were repainted (Lowes donated $150 worth of paint). It has taken about 1 1/2 months to remove all the nameplates, clean the crosses, repaint them & put the nameplates back on.
It is sad to note that on the first anniversary that we had around 50 folks out at the station including newspapers & TV crews. It has dwindled down each year. The first year it took a setup (setting out the grid / string) about 2 hrs & about 30 min to hammer all the crosses in. The first year we had a person on each on the 9 rows, 2 guys on the horizontal string & a relief person for each row. This year we had the 5 guys assigned out here doing it all. The guy doing the grid took about 2 hrs to set up the grid & it took 5 hrs for us to hammer them all in. 2 guys on the string & 3 guys hammering (1 carried the crosses out 1-2 rows at a time so if we got a call not all the crosses would be left out). I got here at 0430 this morning & started getting the crosses ready & in alphabetical order, the grid guy (Wayne) got here at 0630 & started, the other guys helped out by trimming the trees & helping out with everything else (Jerry, Casey, Larry).
I understand that each year it seems less & less significant to most but my intention has always been to show the FDNY Brothers & the family members of the Brothers killed that there are some folks around the country that will not allow the loss of their loved ones be forgotten.
I never knew any of them personally. I had heard or read about some of the guys through articles or the books written by them or about them. Either way, they are Brothers. I pray that God has watched over the FDNY & the family members. I pray that all the children of the Brothers lost that day realize that they have always been in many folks prayers & that they should be proud of their dads for the many lives they saved that day.
I know lots of folks say it is time to move on, fine.....but NEVER FORGET.
God Bless the FDNY-343.