Colorado Springs, CO – More than 3,000 family members, firefighters, and friends from across the U.S. and Canada gathered Saturday under sunny skies in Colorado Springs to honor 77 firefighters whose names were added to 1,500 others gracing the Wall of Honor at the 17th annual IAFF Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial observance.
As flags held by hundreds of fire fighters ringing the memorial waved in the warm breeze, a single bell tolled as the name of each fallen hero was called and a flag bearing the Maltese cross of the International Association of Fire Fighters was presented by a white gloved honor guard to each family. As the last name was read, the sound of bugles playing taps floated across the memorial grounds.
IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger said the union firefighters killed in the line of duty “have provided a path to follow that brings honor to all of us.”
Schaitberger highlighted to duty and self-sacrifice of the fallen fire fighters and encouraged their loved ones to “forever keep their memory from slipping away by giving new life to their good work. We must always recall the glory of their good acts to guide us in the days ahead so the very essence of their character can be instilled in all of us today and every day.”
The 90-minute ceremony celebrated the heroism of the men and women who gave their own lives so others might live through music and song provided by a local choir. Some 400 members of the IAFF Honor Guard from 75 different union locals spanning 26 states and Canadian provinces played pipes and drums and carried flags and axes to honor their fallen brothers and sisters in the long-standing tradition of the fire service.
Colorado Springs Mayor Lionel Rivera and Fire Chief Manuel Navarro welcomed those gathered to their city and expressed pride in the memorial and all it stands for. And 9th District IAFF Vice President Michael McNeill reminded those in attendance that the memorial belongs to all of the 260,000 members of the IAFF.
But the central moment and primary focus of the ceremony were the families of the fallen firefighters, the personal sacrifices they have made, and their struggles to bring closure to the tragedies that have changed their lives forever.
Before and after the observance, family members and firefighters gently touched the names of their fallen heroes engraved in the polished granite walls under the statue of a firefighter carrying a baby down a ladder to safety. Some used pencils to trace the names on paper. Flowers, photos, and other bits and pieces of memorabilia that gave personal meaning and tribute to the lives lost were taped to the walls or placed carefully on the ground along their base in the shadow of Pikes Peak.
