Beautiful day, beautiful memorials
Emmitsburg, MD
I’ve been pulled to revisit the memorial on the National Emergency Training Center campus since my previous trip last year, and finally got around to it today.
The National Fallen Firefighters annual Memorial Weekend is coming up the first weekend in October. The new 2008 plaque will be ceremonially added to the monument wall at that point, so I wanted to squeeze in my visit before that. It may seem strange I want to go before the new plaque is added, but to me it seems that event represents the ‘next year’ and I would have already broken my newly established annual tradition. I know silly, but that’s how my mind works.
9/11 Memorial: To Lift a Nation
To Lift a Nation
FF George Johnson, of Ladder 157
FF Dan McWilliams, of Ladder 157
FF Billy Eisengrein, of Rescue 2
The statue is a three-times larger than life recreation of Thomas Franklin’s Pulitzer Prize-winning photo, Raising the Flag on Ground Zero, from Sept. 11, 2001. It’s quite stunning.
National Fallen Firefighters Memorial
Fallen Firefighters Memorial, with flags at half-staff
Memorial dedication plaque
Wall of Honor
The memorial flags are currently at half staff in honor to two fire personnel recently lost in service. FF/Operator Ricky Christiana, of Louisiana’s David Crockett Volunteer Fire Company 2, was killed during a structural fire operation on 9/11/2009. Firefighter Terry Sharon, of Kentucky’s Monterey Fire Department, died on 9/13/2009 as a result of an vehicular accident returning from a call.
The memorial plaques are now placed on the Wall of Honor, which holds the list of fallen personnel since 2004. The plaques from 1981 to 2003 encircle the stone monument.
Walk of Honor
9/11 Memorial Section of the Walk
The Walk of Honor includes brick sold by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation in order to collect funds to expand and maintain the Memorial Park. They include individual purchases in memory of loved ones, section of various fire company’s honoring their fallen brothers and the Foundation recognizing their major donors.
National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Chapel
Memorial Chapel
Today’s Flickr set: memorial photos
Paying tribute to our community heroes
Emmitsburg, MD
I decided to stop at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial on the National Emergency Training Center campus. I’ve wanted to visit for a number of years, but it was always ‘too far’ or I was ‘too busy’ going elsewhere to stop. However, honestly, the problem is that it’s one of the places I always chicken out in going. I’ve been worried I’d be overwhelmed by feelings, which is something I try to avoid.
I spent my college and the first half of my grad school years volunteering at a local fire station. My work was mainly as an EMT, however, to compile with the station’s regulations, I was trained as a firefighter. I usually left the fire stuff for any and everyone else at the station, which no one complained about and stuck to my ambulance calls. However, as one might expect, I couldn’t avoid the engine completely and worked my fair share of fires and such incidents.
I’ve witnessed a few in-service deaths in my time and have been to those firefighters’ funerals. They are experiences drenched in emotions and seeing those names on the memorial could be a little too personal for a Sunday morning walk, however, I still wanted to do it. Despite being afraid of the feelings that might come up, I’ve also wanted to visit for that exact reason. It is something personal. It’s something I should have done a long time ago, but perhaps, it’s better late than never. I spend most Sundays in the general direction of the campus to watch my volleyball team play, so why not take advantage.
National Fallen Firefighters Memorial
National Fallen Firefighters Memorial
2000-03 plaques
The stone monument is encircled by plaques listing all fire service personnel who have died on duty since 1981. The names are organized by state on plaques, which are in order of the year. September 11, 2001 has its own plaque between 2001 and 2002 to list the large number of firefighters lost that day in New York.
National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Chapel
Memorial Chapel, with the Walk of Honor
The chapel is used during the annual Memorial Weekend for a private service for families, is open for reflection, and for part of the ceremonies honoring those who were lost the previous year.
Walk of Honor
New York Fire Department
PG County, MD Fire/EMS Dept
The bricks for the walk, a relatively new addition, are sold by the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation to collect funds to create, expand and maintain the Memorial Park. Each brick is inscribed with a personal message or is placed to recognize the foundation’s big donors.
9/11 Memorial: To Life a Nation
The statue is a 40-foot-tall sculpture of Thomas E. Franklin’s Pulitzer Prizing winning photograph, Raising the Flag on Ground Zero.
I’m glad that I went. Definitely worth it. The memorials are stunning. The location is very fitting. I had to stop at the security office to check in, but it wasn’t a big ordeal. I had to show my ID, register my car and was given a parking pass, then allowed to wander the Memorial Park freely.
Today’s Flickr set: memorial photos
leave a comment