NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) – Nine caskets lined the front of a coliseum Friday as thousands of firefighters from across the nation, their hats in their hands, honored nine colleagues killed in a furniture store blaze.Uniformed escorts walked the men’s wives, siblings and children to their seats in a long procession of red carnations, tears and hugs.
The fire Monday night created the single largest loss of firefighters’ lives since the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Beside the caskets, the faces of its victims looked out proudly from large photos: Capt. William “Billy” Hutchinson, 48; Capt. Mike Benke, 49; Capt. Louis Mulkey, 34; Mark Kelsey, 40; Bradford “Brad” Baity, 37; Michael French, 27; James “Earl” Drayton, 56; Brandon Thompson, 27; and Melvin Champaign, 46.
Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. said the men were heroes.
“It was their calling, it was their training, it was their duty and, unflinchingly, without hesitation, with extreme courage, they did it,” he said. “They are public servants of the highest order. They want to serve. They want to help. They want to save. And They want to protect.”
Full Story Here:
Thousands Remember 9 S.C. Firefighters
Rest in Peace…
There is no finer calling in life than that which compels a man or woman to sacrifice themselves to save others…
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Our Firefighters are truly a very special group of people and we are all so very fortunate to have such people around us at all times.
God bless them all…
AubreyJ………
Our firefighters have saved our homes in Malibu and San Bernardino County many times over the years.
God bless these fine people and their families.