LON SLEPICKA
Firehouse.Com News
Tears flowed freely Sunday morning in Emmitsburg, Maryland as 8000
people gathered to memorialize 99 firefighters who died in the Line of
Duty in 2000 and two who died in years previous.
The bright, crisp October morning ceremony at the National Fallen
Firefighters Foundation located at the National Fire Academy, was
attended by President George W. Bush and his wife.
In the back of everyone’s mind lingered the loss of 343 firefighters and
paramedics in New York City a little over three weeks ago. Comments from
speakers referred often to this tragedy.
But Board of Director Chairman Hal Bruno, before ceremonies honoring the 101
individuals, said, "today, all of our attention, all of our concern and all
of our
effort is concentrated on you, the relatives, friends and comrades of
101 fallen firefighters we are honoring in this ceremony."
The President helicoptered in from the presidential retreat at nearby
Camp David and said in a speech, "Sometimes a person cannot know for
sure what mark he or she has left on the world. That will never be said
of the people we remember today, or of their kind."
During the ceremony, the name of each firefighter was called. Family
members, mothers, fathers, wives, sons and daughters, or members of
their departments came forward with a Foundation escort and received a
rose from the ceremonial Maltese Cross, and a flag that had flown over
the U.S. Capitol.
Despite the cool weather, the attention of the thousands gathered, which
included over 120 honor guards from departments across the nation,
remained solemn. The families went as a group and were saluted by the
uniformed presenters.
In many cases, it was a culminating moment in the grieving process.
Maurice Jackson brought his honored son’s wife, three children, mother,
sister, brother-in-law and niece and another member of the department
and his wife from the Harmony VFD in Oklahoma. Robert "Jeff" Jackson was
killed in February 2000 in a head-on crash as he responded with the
department truck to a brush fire less then a mile from his father’s
home.
"You tend to dwell on your own loss," Jackson said. "You don’t put it
into the total picture and realize there were 100 others. It gives us
some closure."
Although the funeral for his son had been so well attended that they had
to move it to the school gym, and firefighters had travel from states
around to honor the fallen firefighter, Jackson was amazed at the support
they received this weekend. "We really think it was a beautiful time,"
Jackson said.
Gail Van Auken was responding with her husband Richard on a call from
the Overisel Township, Michigan FD one November night. The truck displaying lights and
siren was struck by a pickup at an intersection and Gail was killed. As
Richard stared at the brass plate memorial with his wife’s name on it, he
kept repeating "its such an honor, such an honor."
With his college student daughter Michelle by his side, he said the whole
weekend had inspired him to return next year to this setting and "offer
whatever I can for others. It is so important to have that foundation, that
brotherhood,"
he said.
In his dress uniform and clutching the flag, he spoke about staying involved
with the fire service. "That was always our love. It don’t think she would
want me to
give that up," Van Auken said.
Twenty members of the family drove out from Michigan. Michelle had found
a release in talking with others. "I’m a lot stronger now. Talking with
other daughters has been very helpful," she said.
"I would love to give other daughters help with this. There is a rainbow
out there. I want to come back to help them," Michelle said.
Van Auken went from tears to smiles in the same conversation. The
moment affected him as a husband who has lost his wife. "I walk into
the fire barn and she is there. She volunteered to be an angel."
It affected him as a member of the firefighting fraternity. "I was
honored by the presence of the President. I thought it was a heart-felt
speech. There is a lot of strength here and I think it will strengthen
us even more," he said.
Over 800 relatives and friends of these firefighters answered the
Foundation’s invitation to gather this weekend at Emmitsburg and
participate in programs assisting survivors, and to gather intimately
with those suffering their same grief.
President Bush also said in his speech, " This firefighters monument belongs
to the nation, and represents a national loss. The firefighters belong to
you. And I know that loss can never be recovered."
Next year’s memorial weekend will honor over 420 who have died in the line
of duty so far this year. As the chairs and stages were being taken down
following Sunday’s ceremony, the magnitude of that undertaking was on the
minds of many. FEMA/USFA spokesman Marko Bourne said the scale of the
ceremony is hard to grasp at this point. "The meetings will begin soon, and
there will be a lot of them," he said.
