City Fire Department Hosts Memorial Day Service
A moment of silence was held Monday, at Ladder Company One during a Memorial Day observation service for fallen and lost firefighters. Submitted photo
From left, Jamestown Fire Department Honor Guard members Firefighter Marcus Fosberg, Lieutenant Andrew Caruso, Firefighter Jesus Garcia, bugler Damon Tanner, Lt. Jeffery Hatch, Lt. Kyle Sholl and Firefighter Alexander Hallberg, are at the Jamestown Fire Department’s Central Command Hub, Ladder Company One’s building, for a private Memorial Day ceremony held for the Morton Club. Submitted photo
A moment of silence was held Monday, at Ladder Company One during a Memorial Day observation service for fallen and lost firefighters. Submitted photo
From left, Jamestown Fire Department Honor Guard members Firefighter Marcus Fosberg, Lieutenant Andrew Caruso, Firefighter Jesus Garcia, bugler Damon Tanner, Lt. Jeffery Hatch, Lt. Kyle Sholl and Firefighter Alexander Hallberg, are at the Jamestown Fire Department’s Central Command Hub, Ladder Company One’s building, for a private Memorial Day ceremony held for the Morton Club. Submitted photo
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Jamestown firefighters took time out on Memorial Day to honor several members who have given their lives either in military service or service to their city.
Wearing formal dress uniforms, members of the JFD Honor Guard stood in a single-file rank with their heads slightly bowed as Damon Tanner played "Taps" on his bugle. Taps is a bugle call sounded to signal "lights out" at the end of a military day, or in many cases at funerals of fallen soldiers, sailors, marines, air men/women and coast guardsmen. It is also used to honor fallen police officers, sheriff deputies, state and federal law enforcement officials as well as firefighters who've given their lives in service to their communities.
As Tanner played his bugle the music melody echoed across JFD's Central Command Hub, Ladder Company One's building at 200 Spring St.
The guest speaker for the event was Thomas J. Goodwill who categorically listed a timeline of Jamestown firefighters who've lost their lives in service to the nation.
"At least two members of the Jamestown Fire Department died while they were on active duty: Elmer Berry (1945) and Gordon Hess (1998). Two members died in the line of duty before the creation of the Jamestown Fire Department as a career organization, in the Great Fire of 1910: Captain Jonathan Hanson and First Asst. Foreman Alfred Shoesmith," he said. "The first career firefighter to die in the line of duty was George Morton, in 1927. It is for him that the Morton Club is named, as a permanent memorial."
Goodwill, then continued down the timeline pyramid.
"In 1930, Harry Barker died as the result of a small fire with noxious fumes. By far, the worst day in JFD history occurred in 1934, at the Richfield Fire. Four of Jamestown's Finest died that day: Firefighter Raymond Allison, Firefighter Harold Anderson, Firefighter Oscar Bloom and Firefighter Walter Kastenhuber. It should not be forgotten that many other firefighters suffered life-long injuries from the fire," he said.
Goodwill also mentioned retired firefighting brethren who've passed away since last year's Memorial Day observation.
– Firefighter Thomas Edward Forsberg, Sept. 9, 2023
– Capt. Edward G. Evanczik. Nov. 30, 2023
– Firefighter Michael Moran, Feb. 19, 2024
– Firefighter Howard A. "Bud" Nickerson, March 31, 2024