The National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend

I had the opportunity to attend the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend on October 14-16 in Emmitsburg, Maryland.  What an honor and tribute to be a part of such an amazing event!

The Fallen Firefighters Memorial

After we got checked into the hotel on Friday and signed the Remembrance banner and made a rubbing of John's name on the bronze plaque, the weekend started off with a Welcome Dinner to get a run-down of the upcoming events.  After that, a few of the Shawnee Fire Department boys came and kidnapped me for a few drinks.  We were all a little overwhelmed!

Saturday was Family Day and there was a lot going on at the National Fire Academy Campus in Emmitsburg.  My parents kept the kids for me in Kansas but I had plenty of "family" that traveled to Maryland with me.  Nearly everyone on the Glaser side (John's parents, grandparents, brother, aunts and uncles, and cousins) attended as did a big group of Firefighters from Shawnee.  It was such an honor to have everyone there with me.  

The group at the 911 Memorial

We walked around the campus, we found John's bricks on the Walk of Honor, we created a luminary bag for the Candlelight Service, we ate, ate, and ate more, and saw part of the Red Helmets Ride (a parade of bikers that rode in tribute to the fallen firefighters).  

I did good throughout the entire day until it was time to go to the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Chapel.  Here, you placed a rose (white for new families being honored that weekend and yellow for returning families) and lit a candle in memory of your fallen firefighter.  This was tough...really tough.  

That night, we had the Candlelight Service which ended with "Amazing Grace," one of John's favorite songs that was also sung at his funeral.  The boys kidnapped me again and we went to the Ott House which was a total firefighter's bar.  Talk about a neat experience!  The place was packed with firemen and every so often, everything would stop and bagpipers would play.  This was one of my favorite memories of the entire weekend.  Everyone's emotions were running high and it was the neatest experience to be with firefighters from across the nation who were there for one purpose...to honor those that made the ultimate sacrifice. 

3 of our amazing escorts

At the Ott House which I later renamed, the "Hot Mess"

Sunday was the National Memorial Service.  We arrived on Campus via police escort which brought back memories of his funeral procession last May, but it truly was a moving tribute.  We walked through the Sea of Blue where members of various fire departments stood at attention in your honor.  The ceremony was an amazing tribute to all of the firefighters, past and present, that made the ultimate sacrifice.  During the service, I received an American flag and a gold plated badge with John's name and the year he died.  The service ended by unveiling the plaque which listed all of the names of the fallen fire heroes that died the previous year.

Names of the 72 firefighters killed in the line of duty in 2010

Here is the Bio that I wrote for the National Memorial Service:
John Bradford Glaser was born October 7, 1976, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Arvon and Patty Glaser. He was a 1995 graduate of Blue Valley Northwest High School in Overland Park, Kansas.  John earned his BA degree in 2000 from the University of Kansas, where he was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. He was a veteran of the United States Marine Corps.

On June 21, 2004, John began his career as a firefighter with the City of Shawnee Fire Department. He was a member of the water rescue team, where he achieved his certification as a Swift Water Rescue I swimmer and ice rescue technician. John was also a member of the hazardous materials team, where he achieved his certification as a hazardous materials technician and in chemistry of hazardous materials. John achieved the level of Firefighter III.

John met his future wife, Amber, in high school, and they were later married on August 27, 2005, in Lawrence, Kansas. John and Amber had two children. Brecken Joseph was born October 18, 2007, and Emma Grace was born December 10, 2009.

John was an all-American guy. He loved his family and friends, watching sports, and competing in triathlons. He was an avid Kansas Jayhawks fan. He was a man of character; he was funny, smart, and full of life. John could walk into a room full of complete strangers and leave with lifelong friends. Above all, John was an amazing husband and father to Brecken and Emma.  In the 33 years he was here, John touched so many lives and inspired each of us to be a better person.

John died on Saturday, May 22, 2010, in the line of duty, while attempting a rescue in a structure fire. Although John is not with us today, he’s forever in our hearts.

After the service was over, our group went to the Dobbin House in Gettysburg, PA.  We had great food, even better company and all of us were introduced to the infamous "Rum Belly."  What a great way to end an unforgettable weekend!

Captain Mike and I -- Cheers to JBG