As mentioned in my previous post, the last month or so has seen me wear my ‘Class A’ uniform on several occasions. It’s not especially uncomfortable and it certainly looks nice, but with the exception of parade season, there is typically some sort of tragedy associated with wearing it.
After many of us received our uniforms a couple of years ago I began working on the creation of an Honor Guard, with its primary purpose being the number of military returns we have participated in over the last few years. Our first ‘event’ was presenting the colors for both days of the 2011 air show, but we have since had a formal presence at the return of nearly every local service member who has been KIA (since approximately 2006-07 we have parked our apparatus for the ramp side service).
The latest of these ceremonies was for a Brockport native, Army Staff Sergeant Nicholas Reid. SSgt. Reid was just 26 years old when he was wounded and ultimately succumbed to his injuries four days later on December 13, 2012. His final voyage home was scheduled for December 26th and we began our planning to ensure our members were there.
Early Christmas Eve morning, West Webster firefighters were ambushed while responding to a fire resulting in two members being killed and two others seriously injured. 43-year-old Mike ‘Chip’ Chiapperini was a Lieutenant with the Webster PD, and 19-year-old Tomasz Kaczowka was a Fire Dispatcher at the Monroe County 911 Center. Both were killed at the scene. I attended the calling hours for both men on December 29th and the funeral service for Chip on the 30th with members of my department. Tomasz’s funeral was held on December 31st and I attended with his fellow 911 employees, one of whom is my wife.
Hoping that was it for a while, we made it three weeks into 2013 before the first reported firefighter line of duty death occurred just two and a half hours away. Owego, NY Fire Captain Matthew Porcari and Lt. Daniel Gavin were operating at a mutual aid house fire in Newark Valley when the floor below them gave way, sending Capt. Porcari into the basement. Several crews worked feverishly to get him out, including the already injured Lt. Gavin, and he was eventually transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. As I wrote a few days ago, three of us travelled the roughly 160 miles to attend his funeral service on January 27th.
So as you can see, the uniform has gotten some use unfortunately. With photo number 87, I attach my sincere hope that it stay right where it is for the foreseeable future!
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