Source: International Association of Fire Fighters

Address by Harold A. Schaitberger, General President International Association of Fire Fighters National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be people of courage; be strong; and do everything in love." Although the apostle Paul said those words 2,000 years ago, they aptly describe our nation's continuing battle against evil -- and the heroic and selfless acts our fire fighters perform every day in countless communities across this nation.

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Those words describe the 344 fire fighters, my union brothers, our fallen heroes, who gave their lives to rescue thousands of civilians in the hellish carnage that was once the World Trade Center. They reflect the relentless work of thousands more of our New York fire fighters who work beyond exhaustion, continuing to dig for the battered bodies of their brothers. Day after day, night after night, they search in the millions of tons of jagged steel, rubble and pulverized concrete that the media calls "Ground Zero," but my members refer to as the dig, the pile, or simply, the hill.

Those words describe the heroic efforts of our fire fighters from across the Washington area who braved the chaos and walls of jet-fueled fire at the Pentagon to save the lives of innocent victims of terrorism, and those in western Pennsylvania who picked through the lifeless debris of a downed airliner in a rural field. And they speak volumes about each of your loved ones who like all fire fighters were engaged in an act that is the measure of human greatness when they made the ultimate sacrifice that one can make in our noble profession.

The apostle Paul was giving humanity a lesson on how to combat evil and as we have learned evil comes in many forms. It is the genocidal wars of the past that still smolder in some regions of the world, and the actions of ruthless terrorists that have cast September 11 as a day of darkness we will all remember. But it is also the action of a crazed gunman who kills at will, the drunk driver who strikes a young child on a bike, or the arsonist whose wanton act takes the life of a fire fighter. The struggle against evil requires commitment dedication and a sense of duty. It requires frequent acts of heroism and it requires heroes. A long since forgotten author once said a hero is a man who does everything he can with what he has and God knows every fire fighter in America gives everything he or she has every time that alarm sounds. For 2 centuries fire fighters have served as our nation's first responders and the events of September 11 have shown that we are also the nation's domestic defenders.

When a fire erupts or a flood sweeps through the community, a hurricane hits or an earthquake trembles, a car accident occurs or toxic chemicals spill, a medical emergency strikes or a window washer dangles 30 stories up, a gunman kills or a terrorist attacks, fire fighters are called. Their arrival elicits a universal response of relief. They go to work while everyone else retreats from the danger, and they are expected to be heroes.

We are here today to honor your heroes, our heroes, America's heroes. They are your husbands and wives, fiancés and loved ones, sons and daughters, mothers and fathers. Your loved ones didn't put themselves at risk because they had some desire to be heroes. That's not why they died. It wasn't because they placed any less value on their own lives than any others among us, or didn't understand the loss and pain of the loved ones they may leave behind. It was because they were doing the job they were trained to do. They understood that fire fighters have a higher calling. And they understood that to fire fighters words like duty and service, bravery and dedication, selflessness and honor, aren't empty slogans. To fire fighters and to our families, it is a way of life. It's what defines our union of fire fighters; it's what defines our profession; it's what makes fire fighters who we are, and who we will be, for generations to come.

I stand before you today with a heavy heart and a mournful soul. My 245,000 members and I grieve for my fallen brothers and their families in New York, knowing that it will be months before they can begin to find peace. And we grieve for you and all of your fallen heroes. We know, as you know all too well, that there are stories and a lifetime of experiences behind each name that will be read aloud today.

I think of fire fighter Javier Lerma of Memphis who died at the hands of a mad gunman as he responded to a fire. I will never forget watching his casket being taken away to his final resting place in a rig that bore the name of his father, killed in the line of duty 23 years before. I think of Houston fire fighter Kimberly Ann Smith, a young woman of 30 who was about to be married, when she was trapped in a fire set by arsonists covering up a burglary. The pain and sorrow I saw on the faces of her parents and fiancé will stay with me for as long as I live. I think about Chicago fire lieutenant Scott Gillen who was struck by a drunk driver with a suspended license while he was working at the scene of a car accident. I think about fire fighter Robert Crump of Denver who was swept away by floodwaters as he struggled to reach a woman in danger. I think about fire fighter Marvin Bartholemew who died of burns when he was caught in a flashover. And I think about all of the men and women we are honoring this year, and in years past, and the good deeds that earned them a place among our profession's bravest of the brave.

I assure you that none of your loved ones died in vain. In their honor the International Association of Fire Fighters will continue to fight to make our chosen profession safer for all fire fighters. We hope that you can find some comfort in knowing that by their actions your loved ones lived fuller lives than any of us can ever hope to live. We hope that the knowledge that your fallen heroes epitomized the best our society has to offer can help to dull your pain. Take pride in knowing that so many, including the President of the United States, were here today to recognize the bravery and service of your loved ones and the personal sacrifices each of you have made. Take solace in knowing that your fallen heroes have seats with the angels in heaven, at the right hand of God, in a special place reserved for fire fighters. Take comfort in knowing that they are in a better place watching over you, as they will for all eternity.