The Echo of Taps
A couple of weeks ago, I spoke at a memorial service for active and retired firefighters who had died in the past year. During the memorial service, held at the Elgin (Ill.) Fire Department‘s museum, 12 fire departments in the state’s Mutual Aid Box Alarm System joined to remember their deceased firefighters.
As the service ended and the sound of the last alarm bell tolled across the stillness of the gathering, a solo trumpeter gently began to play “Taps.”
This weekend, Memorial Day ceremonies will honor veterans who have served in the U.S. military. Among those honored are many who also served as firefighters in their communities. Firefighters and soldiers have similar missions to serve and protect. Both professions are patriotic, with ceremonies that include the American flag, the Pledge of Allegiance and even color guards. Both require a high level of personal commitment and, if necessary, the ultimate sacrifice; it‘s no wonder that each profession is drawn to the other.
Among the fallen double-duty firefighter/soldiers, remember William “Bill” Bailey III, a firefighter with the Bellevue (Neb.) Fire Department and specialist in the National Guard. In May 2007 Bailey“>Bailey was providing security for military convoys near Taji, Iraq, when an explosive device detonated near his vehicle. According to reports, Bailey died saving the lives of two other soldiers. He was awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star posthumously.
Also remember Pfc. Larry Parks, who was killed last June in Parks“>small-arms fire in Arab Jabor after being in Iraq for only 38 days. Parks had been a Newburg, Pa., volunteer firefighter for eight years. He first volunteered when he was 16 years old, after hanging around the nearby fire station all the time.
Remember not only those we have lost, but also those who still serve. Recently, Maryland National Guard Staff Sgt. Matthew Miller received the Bronze Star Medal of Valor for saving the life of a 6-year-old girl and an Iraqi soldier. Miller, a firefighter with Anne Arundel County (Md.) Fire Rescue, was at an Iraqi checkpoint when he saw the girl and the Iraqi soldier who had been wounded while trying to protect her. The girl had been shot in the neck; but even with limited equipment, Miller and his team were able to save both.
How many lives have you saved or helped in your work? You probably will never know, but those people whose needs you responded to will remember you — even if they don’t know your name. They will remember you because of your personal commitment and passion for the job.
Firefighters touch lives, as do soldiers. This weekend, remember with gratitude those who are gone and those who are far away.
