Have you ever wondered why we find comfort in visiting such places? It would be simple to say that we visit these sites to seek a connection to the acts of courage they represent, but that's not the total reason. Teddy Roosevelt once said, "Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, then to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much, nor suffer much, because they exist in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat."
Roosevelt's words explain why we honor the courage and heroics in our ranks. We all know that courage does not reside within the markers we dedicate to our loved ones. No, courage lives in the hearts of every firefighter and emergency medical provider we know. The courage remains undiscovered until that moment of need.
There is one underlying difference between the special people with whom we pay tribute, those that we honor with markers of bronze and stone and us. While none of us can ever predict our next moment of trial, these individuals faced that moment - and in that moment, they gave all they could give, and fate exacted the ultimate price to fulfill the task at hand.
These are our fathers and mothers, our brothers and sisters, our friends. For many of us, this kinship is not so much related in blood, as related in the experience of life. Much like veterans of war, it is difficult for us to find fitting words to explain the sense of fraternity and family that develops between people who battle the ravages of fire, or risk their health and well-being to rescue the sick and injured of our communities.
Whenever I ask firefighters and emergency medical personnel to explain what it is that fosters this sense of camaraderie, like veterans who have served in the trenches, the usual response is, "I can't explain it, but you've been there, you understand." I say to you as members of the fire service, as survivors, as families and friends of these heroes, no explanation is necessary, you live with this, you understand.
I believe these "senses" spring from an instinctive understanding that members of the fire service family have for the words, pride, and commitment, to include courage, duty, honor and loyalty. It comes natural to all of us. It is the basis of our being.
General William Tecumseh Sherman once defined courage as "a perfect sensibility of the measure of danger, and a mental willingness to endure it." I believe this definition withstands the true test for our service. Each of our loved ones whose names have been added to the monuments knew the dangers they faced. Along with each of their families, they accepted the risk. They recognized the hazards and they trained to overcome them. Still, no matter how well we train, we live with the knowledge that as we strive to manage risk, we will never control it.
Yet each day, firefighters and emergency medical provider's face that challenge and risk just the same. Succumbing to the risks that all members of our calling face was not an act of courage for the heroes whose names are forever etched into these markers; their true act of courage was rising -- without question -- to meet that challenge every single day of their life.
I have spoken about heroism, courage, duty, loyalty, and honor. These are all challenges we face every day. These challenges were a significant part of the lives of our fallen brothers and sisters who we honor at memorials all across this great country. Part of ones individual ability to display inner courage extends to the choices we make as we face daily challenges in our life. Tests of courage, as well as tests of duty, tests of loyalty, and tests of our commitment to ideals held dear to us are a part of our very being.
Occasionally they stumble and fall which is a part of that daily experience as well. It is acceptable from time to time. As members of the fire service, survivors, family and friends of firefighters and emergency medical responders, we can always count on the strength of the brothers and sisters, who make up our fire service family. They will reach out a hand, help us back to our feet, and point us in the direction of safety.
The important lesson is that our reputation is built upon how we choose to respond and develop after these real life tests occur. These challenges can help to make us better people for the experience. Remember this, while loyalty is important, we must never allow our sense of loyalty to hinder the path to growth and improvement. We must accept the notion that change is for the better. Failure to accept this will spell disaster for all.
I close with the answer to the query I opened with. Why do we find comfort in places like this? My thought is that we come to places like this to renew our connections, not only our connections to our memories of the people who are represented by the names marked onto the stones, but our connections to the ideals of our fire, rescue and emergency medical service, and the connections to the one huge family we all have become. These are the things that are important. These are the goals we strive to achieve. But I don't need to tell you that
