As we go into this Memorial Day holiday weekend lets us NEVER forget the sacrifices of our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, friends and all family who have given their life protecting ours.

In a small way of saying thanks please use or distribute the coloring sheet below.

Also please know that on June 4^th Virginia will honor its fallen firefighters from the previous year. Below is info taken from a brochure that will be given to all firefighters’ attending the wildland fire academy next week.  I hope you enjoy the poem that I wrote using a poem a Canadian Firefighter wrote to honor the victims’ of 9/11 several years ago as a guide.

The annual Virginia Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, June 4, 2011 at the Richmond Inter­national Raceway Complex’s Old Dominion Building.

If you cannot be there physically you can honor those who gave their life in the line of duty with a moment of silence.

Seven firefighters who died in the line of duty or have been rec­ognized by the Virginia Line of Duty Act in the last year will be honored for their bravery and dedicated public service.

The fallen firefighters to be honored are Assistant Chief Carl Persing of Dale City Volunteer Fire Department and City of Manassas, Firefighter Timothy Pigg of Amherst Vol­unteer Fire Department, Chief Posey Dillon of Rocky Mount Volunteer Fire Department, Firefighter William “Danny” Altice of Rocky Mount Volunteer Fire Department, Fire­fighter William Harold “Hal” Clark of Atlantic Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company, William Obenchain Jr. of Roanoke Fire-EMS, and Zygimantas Zalys of City of Manassas. In addition to honoring recently fallen firefighters, the memo­rial service will honor the memory of all Virginia firefighters who have given their lives in the service of the Common­wealth of Virginia.

"The Fallen!"
In the battle against the beastly fire...
Standing together, ready to fight!
To help the victims of every incident,
committed to service, by day and by night.

These are the courageous Firefighters,
In their cities and towns of Virginia land.
They stand together as really true friends,
Routinely they're all working hand in hand.

Everyone of them looks after the other,
They know no borders...!
Ready to help in their unselfish way,
Without fear, they follow their orders!
Seven of them gave their lives in Virginia,
 two thousand and ten...!
Firefighters everywhere will remember them,
And their feelings of loss will never be gone.


By the way, live streaming the service this year will be on the web.  There is a link at the bottom of our home page, www.vafire.com that will be active the day of the service.