Hope for the Holidays
Concord (Mass.) Fire Chief Ken Willette sent me a reminder this week to again request and post online the names of firefighters serving in the military overseas. Willette must have ESP, because I had planned to do just that this week.
If you know of a firefighter/soldier serving overseas who might enjoy a holiday greeting card or note of appreciation, send his or her mailing address and it will be posted on FireChief.com. If you know of a firefighter/soldier in the hospital, send his or her contact info along, also.
Last year, Willette sent the addresses of his son and nephew to be included on the holiday card list. “Both of them received cards from chiefs they never knew or met and it made their holiday season a bit brighter,” Willette wrote. “My nephew … e-mailed me that he had received hundreds of cards from folks he didn’t know, and it was crazy, but he loved it!”
Chief Willette‘s son, Capt. James Willette, is with the U.S. Army‘s 10th Mountain Division and served in Afghanistan for 16 months. He returned home in June, but is due for redeployment.
Chief Willette‘s nephew, Staff Sgt. Daniel Newsome was with 1st Cavalry, 8th Regiment, 2nd Platoon. He was home for two weeks in May and mentioned the Christmas cards again to his uncle. “That‘s the fire service for you,” Willette told his nephew.
After he celebrated his son‘s first birthday, Newsome returned to Iraq and moved to a forward outpost as a platoon staff sergeant. He died on June 27 when his humvee was struck by an improvised explosive device.
“In his memory, and to show support for all our deployed troops, can I ask for your support again this year to do the cards for troops campaign?” Willette wrote. “With the help of FIRE CHIEF and the [International Association of Fire Chiefs], we could reach out to those recovering in military hospitals as well as those on the battlefield.”
Willette told me that since Sept. 11, 2001, 230 Massachusetts firefighters have served in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Massachusetts Fire Chiefs Association actively supports troops overseas and last week, Gov. Deval Patrick presented the association’s Firefighter of the Year Award. Patrick recognized all firefighters serving in operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom with a scroll of honor and a service bar to be worn on their uniforms. Four medals also were presented to firefighters who performed heroic acts on the battlefield. Sadly, one firefighter’s wife had to accept his medal because he had be deployed for the fourth time.
Before you start making plans for the holidays, please take a moment and send the name and address of your firefighter/soldier serving overseas. The names will be posted as they are received. Over the course of your holiday preparations, send a card or note to those on this “double-duty” holiday list.
We‘ll remember, because how could we forget?
