Patrick Hill found his calling as a firefighter, and honors the memory of those who lost their lives in service.
I often think back to a certain day in 2001; I was a wild kid in his early 20’s, I had no plan, and I certainly had no clue as to what I wanted out of life. I knew god had a plan for me, and I knew I had the drive to do anything. I just had no clue what that was. I did an internship through Disney World and upon returning from my 4 months of fun in the sun, I walked into my parents house and said “Mom, I want be a firefighter.”
I’m not sure what sparked it.I don’t even remember her reaction, I just knew that this was my new goal, and nothing was going to stop me.
I ended up working as an EMT for a couple years, driving an ambulance and working for minimum wage. Next came the Air Force and training in Fire Protection, and I knew at that point that I found my calling. I’ve now been a firefighter for 8 years on Cape Cod in the town of Centerville, and I absolutely cherish every aspect of it. I don’t consider myself hero, though some may. I consider myself lucky; lucky that this profession found me. It takes a certain individual to do this job. It takes pride, integrity and a self-sacrificing kind of person. Firefighters never punch out, we are firefighters 24/7/365….so, maybe that is a hero?
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Wednesday March 26th. A 9-alarm fire ripped through Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood. A four-story Brownstone took the lives of Lt. Edward Walsh and Firefighter Michael Kennedy. As the news came in, it was devastating to listen to. Through news media, social media and even audio from the incident, we were able to put ourselves there as we listened. Over the next couple days, thousand of firefighters from across the world, myself included, attended the services of these 2 men. We laughed, we cried and we celebrated the lives of these two men that made the ultimate sacrifice.
It was the definition of brotherhood.
I’ll never forget the events that took place over that week and some of the images that I saw. I can honestly say that I myself consider these two men my heroes. They didn’t save me; in fact, I’d never even met them. But I know what kind of men they were; they were firefighters, they were a different breed of man. They took so much honor in their profession that they lost their lives doing it. The same can be said for the police, military, and veterans before us that helped protect this beautiful country.
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Monday April 21st 2014. It was the 118th Boston Marathon. I will mark this on my calendar every year, for my friends and I to enjoy a great day in the city. After the horrific tragedies of the year before, this year’s marathon was like no other. I had plans with friends to attend the Red Sox game, then make our way down to the finish line. I decided that in honor of Lt. Walsh and FF Kennedy from Engine 33/Ladder 15, I would make a custom jersey for the game, and wear it with pride. I made the jersey and across the back it said Engine 33, and I had a friend get me the actual patch from that firehouse, which I sewed that on the sleeve. The combination of honoring these heroes, and my favorite baseball team, made this jersey priceless to me. I was stopped by many, I was photographed with strangers, and I was even thanked for doing the job that I do. The image of this jersey would later be shared all over social media, and liked by thousands. I wore this jersey with pride, and the fact that it was seen by hundreds of thousands is an honor to our profession. These two men, and many just like them, will be remembered forever for their sacrifices. These two men are my heroes.
Ask me and I would say yes, there are heroes among us.
Pictures courtesy of the author.
Great post! My grandfather was a firefighter in Philadelphia…they truly are heroes.