HeroToHero

Have you forgotten?

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 07:46:11 GMT

As the 7th anniversary of that fateful September morning looms large once more, I wonder how many of us still remember the pledge we made to "Never Forget".

What inspired this message? I was going back through the Journal, reading the words of the troops, and came across one that has stayed with me ... From US Army Sgt John Smith

I arrived at this place in my life by influence of one single event. It was a typical sunny September morning and I was brewing a fresh pot of coffee as I sat down to thumb thru the Kinston Free Press. I remember being excited about the day because I was in the process of developing a housing subdivision and I had meetings with potential homebuyers later that afternoon.

All of a sudden a coworker stormed into my office and turned on my television and we both watched in horror as the events unfolded before our eyes. I remember feeling many emotions in the following weeks. Having previously been a soldier after high school, I wanted to run out and reenlist but at the time I was married with children and there was no way I could afford our lifestyle on the salary of a soldier not to mention the disruption that would cause in their everyday lives.

My wife and I later separated and I remember watching a video of those who died in the World Trade Center and all those emotions came
back again.

I reenlisted in March 2003 and have been deployed under Operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, and now Iraqi Freedom every month since. When I return home in November or December I will have spent nearly 4 years away from my daughters and other loved ones, with the exception of a few weekend visits here and there. It has been tough but I hope they understand one day why daddy was gone for so long.

Do you remember in the days following 9/11 when Democrats and Republicans put aside their differences on national television and joined together with American pride? Do you remember when people drove into town with American flag decals and ribbons in the back window of their cars?

Do you remember the choked up feeling you had every time you heard that patriotic song on the radio as you drove to work or carpooled the kids to and from school? I remember this time well because everywhere you went you could feel American pride in peoples voices and actions. Upon every home hung an American flag with great pride and defiance against those who threatened our land.

What happened to all of that? I began to notice things slowly change back to the way it was prior to 9/11. I drove by peoples homes and saw a tattered and worn flag where a strong and bold looking one used to hang with pride. I noticed sun faded decals either poorly removed with a scraper or just covered with some humorous bumper sticker.

I noticed the radio stations changing back to their original formats. Our lawmakers began to bicker once again as if small children searching for anything to complain about just so they could hear themselves complain. I began to feel that most Americans had forgotten or given up on their display of daily patriotism. It saddened me to see this happen.

All that changed last week. I began to receive letters from people all over that found my name and address on a website that supports troops serving in combat areas. They wanted nothing more than to let us soldiers know they supported us.

I received a letter from a 12 year old girl that said she would try to save up some money to send us things like movies, baby wipes, etc. I sat there reading it with that same choked up feeling I had several years ago when I would hear that patriotic song on the radio. I started getting more letters as the days passed and now everyday we gather around the mail truck at noon to see where the letters are coming from.

Getting mail from our loved ones is one of the best feelings a soldier can have over here but to get mail from a total stranger really shows how powerful compassion and pride can be and it helps motivate us all. Without people like that 12 year old little girl supporting us we could not do what we do everyday. I only wish our Vietnam Veterans had received this kind of support. Then and now we are all Americans and as Americans we must answer a call to duty to protect our way of life.

I hope by writing this I have in some way inspired at least one person to stop and take a closer look at the flag the next time you walk by and remember the blood that was shed to protect it and what it stands for. Maybe you will even shake the hand of that elderly man in the grocery store that’s wearing a WWII Veteran hat. Trust me, it would really make their day. Maybe you would just take a moment out of your day to pray for the families of those that have fallen. If you do one of these things, that means you have done your part as a patriot and I thank you.

SGT John Smith

Thank you Sgt Smith for reminding me why this is important.

Have you forgotten? Do you remember the shock of the reality of what was happening on our home soil? Do you remember feeling the solidarity of pride in America? Did you fly your flag proudly? Do you still? Do you remember how precious your loved ones became to you?

So ... Do you remember? And how do you mark the day?

If you are in the Tacoma area, you can show that you haven't forgotten by standing with our first responders as Tacoma Fire Department Honor Guard pays their respect in a remembrance ceremony on the Tacoma Waterway.

September 11th
9 am
3301 Ruston Way, Tacoma, WA

No matter where you are, please honor the pledge you made in days following the attacks ... "Never Forget"

Whether it is a formal ceremony, or a quiet moment alone. Please take a moment for our Fallen. Take the time to say thank you to our heroes ... firefighters, law enforcement, ems, our troops.

And all of our first responders, remember that this is start of the annual Hero Shirt Drive for the Troops. Check out the new program guidelines on the home page of our main site ... www.HeroToHero.US

I get this question on occasion ... "Do you know the actual numbers of the Fallen?" I have access to the same information we all do. The following is from wiki.answers.com ...

How many people died in the September 11, 2001 attacks?

At least 2,985 people died in the September 11th attacks, including:

19 terrorists
2,966 victims
All but 13 people died on that day. Thirteen died of their wounds. One person has died since the attacks, of lung cancer. It is suspected to have been caused by all the debris from the Twin Towers.

There were 266 people on the four planes:

American Airlines Flight 11 (crashed into the WTC): 92 (including five terrorists)
United Airlines Flight 175 (crashed into the WTC): 65 (including five terrorists)
American Airlines Flight 77 (crashed into the Pentagon: 64 (including five terrorists)
United Flight 93 (downed in Shanksville, PA): 45 (including four terrorists)
There were 2,595 people in the World Trade Center and near it, including:

343 NYFD firefighters and paramedics
23 NYPD police officers
37 Port Authority police officers
1,402 people in Tower 1
614 people in Tower 2
658 people at one company, Cantor Fitzgerald
1,762 New York residents
674 New Jersey residents
1 NYFD firefighter killed by a man jumping off the top floors of the twin towers
There were 125 civilians and military personnel at the Pentagon.

1,609 people lost a spouse or partner on 9/11. More than 3,051 children lost parents.

While there were mostly Americans killed in this horrific attack one must mention (how ever small the group) that non survivors were from other countries:

327 foreign nationals also perished.

Argentina: 4 [1] Australia: 11 Bangladesh: 6 Belarus: 1 [2] Belgium: 1 Bermuda: 1 Brazil: 3 Canada: 27 [3][4] Chile: 2 China: 4 C�te d'Ivoire: 1 Colombia: 17 Democratic Republic of the Congo: 2 Dominican Republic: 1 El Salvador: 1 Ecuador: 3 France: 1 Germany: 11 Ghana: 2 Guyana: 3 Haiti: 2 Honduras:1 India: 1 Indonesia: 1 Ireland: 6 [5] Israel: 5 Italy: 4 Jamaica: 16 Japan: 26 Jordan: 2 [6][7][8] Lebanon: 3 Lithuania: 1 Malaysia: 7 Mexico: 16 Moldova: 1 Netherlands: 1 New Zealand: 2 Nigeria: 1 Panama: 2 [9] Peru: 5 Philippines: 16 Portugal: 3 [10] Poland: 1 Russia: 1 South Africa: 2 South Korea: 28 Spain: 1 Sweden: 1 Taiwan: 1 Ukraine: 1 Uzbekistan: 1 [11] United Kingdom: 67 [12] Venezuela: 1

Thousands of people died in this tragic attack

Excluding the 19 hijackers, 2,974 people died as an immediate result of the attacks with another 24 missing and presumed dead.

Quote for the day:
"Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana

lj

Tags: 9-11 Remembrance Ceremony2008, Tacoma Fire Department Honor Guard, George Santayana

Oh noooo ~ Dry hoses!?!?!?! Just kidding

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 04:01:59 GMT

8-30-08 -- So, sometimes when things go wrong, they go right. I went up to North Bend for the Recruit Training Academy to go through Burn to Learn, but got there a bit early.

Turns out there was another group up there for some dry hose training. Well, I had my camera, and they looked like up & coming firefighters, so ...

Can't tell you much about this one. I only documented what my camera caught while there.

Hope you enjoy.

lj

Note: To answer the most asked question today ... The recruit photos I've shot this summer will post at graduation ... But they look really good! ( ;

Tags: North Bend Fire Training Academy

More photos from the Dupont Pancake Breakfast - Final post

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:54:43 GMT

Remember to click to enlarge before you cut & paste.

lj

How they do it in Dupont, Washington -- Pt 1

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:43:45 GMT

8-23-08 -- Dupont Washington is a growing community just outside the gates of Fort Lewis. It is home to many retired military personnel, many active duty ... and a lot of "single" parents, due to all of the deployments.

Saturday morning no one was left out when the community welcomed and honored all of our military with a good ol' fashioned pancake breakfast.

They really turned it out, with games for the kids, great food, wonderful spirit, and more prizes than we ever did at a PackOut (And we did a lot!) I don't think anyone left empty handed after the generosity of the local communities was wrapped and tied with ribbons and flags.

I hope to have a write up from the folks who put this all together as my only participation was to capture the event for them and bring it to you.

We salute all of their hard work and hope this form of patriotism and support spreads to communities all over the country. This is what we should be seeing on the news ... it wasn't about politics, just great respect & support.

We salute Dupont!

lj

Tags: Dupont Washington, Trrop support

The final farewell to the Chief -- End post

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 09:46:24 GMT

8-7-08 -- I have no more words. I'll let the photos do the talking for me.

God speed, Chief Packer. And blessings to your family.

lj

The final farewell to the Chief -- Post 2

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 09:22:48 GMT

8-7-08 -- And so it went ... Rig after rig - Uniform after uniform.

There were (happily) moments of laughter, the expected and unavoidable tears, and deep faraway looks in the eyes of the first responders. Their arms raised in a seemingly unending salute, they stared ahead as wave after wave of uniforms filed in front of them into the sanctuary.

Inside, the attention to detail was as spot on as it had been leading up the the actual ceremony. (Be sure to check out the shots inside and see how they set this up. I heard lots of questions about "Where did they get that?!" Kathy & Kelly will likely remember something very similar at E-One in Ocala, FL., it sure looked like the reception desk there. In any event, it was the perfect touch.)

Can't honestly tell you what happened inside during the service as I still have a hard time dealing with that part of the farewell for our heroes, so I stay outside. I did hear snippets of the service, and heard a few laughs. That was something that struck me. I was in awe of the way the families dealt with this. Everything was appropriate. But what struck was that there was such an effort in this tribute not to let it get maudlin. You felt the lump in your throat, and it tore at your heart - even if you didn't know him very well - your heart went out to his wife holding a folded American flag and his daughters each holding a different helmet that had a place in his career. But at no point did it get so heavy as to make you want to crawl away til it was over. The efforts of so many since first hearing of this tragic loss, came to perfect fruition. And kudos to all, I got to see firsthand the hours and hours of work that went into this planning.

Every one of those in attendance know the reality of this life's calling. At any moment for any of us, it is a "There but for the grace of God go I" kind of thing. For the men & women who put themselves in harms way to protect and save the rest of us, our heroes, this is a much more real reality. Watching them go through this ritual brought to mind that many of them were having their own moment with mortality. I hope they hugged their loved ones closer, and that they do so for a long time.

And I can't imagine anyone who had the privilege of witnessing this from such a great vantage point, that wouldn't have been touched deeply. When Tacoma Fire Department Honor Guard Commander Karen Leming's voice rang out "Present Arms", and the white gloved hands rose slowly in unison you could hear a pin drop. Seeing all the different patches, and ribbons and medals, and insignia and badges all acting in kind, was more than impressive. And it didn't matter if the salute was done with military precision ... it was done done with heart.

When the Seattle Fire Pipes & Drums led the procession in, you knew this was going to be one of those moments that you never forget. And that's all we can ask ... "Never forget"

I hope these photos show you our heroes looking their best -- with their hearts and pride showing. It was quite a sight to see. And as always, an honor.

lj

Tags: Chief Dan Packer, East Pierce Fire & Rescue, Tacoma FD Honor Guard Commander Karen Leming, Seattle Fire Pipes & Drums

The final farewell to the Chief -- Post 1

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 06:56:46 GMT

8-7-08 -- Today was the formal memorial for Chief Packer, and what a tribute they paid.

If there was ever a doubt how much this man was admired, how much this firefighter was respected, how much this father was loved, or how much this husband will be missed ... It was put to rest this day. But folks, there was never a doubt.

It was impressive to see so many uniformed heroes coming forward to stand for Chief Packer. I hope you get the feel for not only the pomp and circumstance, but all of the effort behind the scenes that it took to pull this all off.

Note the many different Honor Guards ... Not just fire, but law enforcement as well. Structure fire and wildland fire stood shoulder to shoulder with representatives of more departments than I could count. Look for yourself at all of the different patches and uniforms. Check out all of the rigs, nearly 160 of them in all.

The graveside service was private, and unless I am directed otherwise, those photos will remain with only the family and department.

I was honored to be asked to do these photos and only hope that they meet the honor I mean to pay back.

There will be several posts, as there were over 1500 photos taken this day. You may see what appear to be duplicates, but look close and you'll see it is a completely different group. You'll see what I mean as you go through these.

If you have a quiet song that touches your heart, set the photos to slideshow and watch the event.

Our hearts are with the Packer family and the members of the East Pierce Fire & Rescue.

lj

Tags: Chief Dan Packer, East Pierce Fire & Rescue

Bringing the Chief home ...

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 06:23:58 GMT

7-30-08 Today Chief Packer came home.

He made his entrance in the style due him. Firefighters from East Pierce Fire & Rescue stood in a relaxed cordon after his plane landed.

This was a private event for his family and his firefighting family.

I am only posting a few photos of the actual homecoming to pay heed to the intention of the event. These are their memories and I don't want to take a moment of it from them. They have every photo and video I shot. **If I get word from the department or family telling me to post the rest I will, otherwise, you will get the feeling from these.

What I want to share are the more public moments seen by many along the way home as firefighters lined the overpasses and stood on the side of the road to honor Chief Dan Packer.

A moment of silence please.

lj
Tags: Chief Dan Packer, East Pierce Fire & Rescue, Bonney Lake, WA, Firefighter

We're still here!!!

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 07:46:12 GMT

Hey y'all~ I know that I have not been posting recently. So, want my list of excuses? Won't say the dog ate my homework, but ...

I am writing this on my NEW MacBook Pro. Thank you to the geniuses and staff at the Southcenter Apple store for going through all of this with me. After buying this machine in April, I apparently got some corrupted software that loved eating photos. Before it was through, over 92,000 (Yup, there are three zeroes there!) of our photos documenting the entire history of HeroToHero.US were gone. Well, actually I could still see them, but couldn't do anything with them. Sigh.

Apple kept doing all they could, taking my laptop in for servicing over 4 times in this short duration. When all was said and done, they traded out my laptop and have me on my way ... sans the photos -- most of which are on an external drive (that may be corrupted as well).

The tears have dried and so now we are on to Plan B. A big sigh and let's get back to it. So if you haven't heard from me there have been reasons.

The other reason is that I spent time with our Bonney Lake heroes as they made plans and ultimately honored their Chief in great style. The coming posts will give you a feel of what it takes to honor a man like Chief Dan Packer.

Now, the next trick is to find the magic route I had on the old machine to load photos en mass, rather than 1 or 2 at a time. Cuz, boy is it gonna take a lonnnng time if I do it that way!

So bear with me, and hopefully you'll get to see our heroes with their hearts on display as they honor their own.

*I just figured out how to load the Journal ... Now to figure out the pix, and we are back in business! WOOHOO!

lj

A moment of silence please for Chief Dan Packer

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 04:41:08 GMT

How sad that our posts have gone from jubilation and the celebration of a long lived life of a hero, to the all too soon death of a local hero.

Learning of the loss of Chief Dan Packer in the Panther Fire caught so many of us off guard. Details are still coming in ... Here is one of the accounts of the incident that claimed one of ours ...

(Secret List) ... Chief of East Pierce (WA) Fire and Rescue, Chief Packer was supervising firefighting efforts in the area in California as a member of an interagency emergency management team battling the
blaze. His position was overrun by a wildfire following an unexpected
shift in the wind. More updates to follow.

Check this:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/372400_firedeath28.html

This LODD came just hours after Olympic National Park FF AndrewPalmer was killed by a falling tree while fighting the separate Eagle fire in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.

And ...

East Pierce Fire and Rescue Chief Dan Packer killed in California wildfire

Published: July 28, 2008 2:00 PM
Updated: July 28, 2008 3:07 PM

By Dennis Box

The Courier-Herald

Fire Chief Dan Packer of East Pierce Fire and Rescue died Saturday in a wildfire in northern California.

The 49-year-old Packer was preparing to take over the division supervisor duties for the Panther Fire south of Happy Camp in Siskiyou County in northern California.

Assistant Chief Russ McCallion said Packer was “scouting the fire when the incident happened. The fire blew up and blew over him. It was incredibly rapid and Chief Packer was overrun.”

Packer was with another firefighter during the incident. Both deployed a shelter when the wind shifted and the fire overtook them. The other firefighter survived, but was injured.

The Panther Fire is part of the Siskiyou complex fire near Yreka, Calif. The wildfire has burned more than 50,000 acres.

East Pierce was informed of the chief’s possible death at 10 p.m. Saturday.

McCallion said a Department of Natural Resources liaison contacted Deputy Chief John McDonald about the chief. Because of the intensity of the fire, the death could not be confirmed until crews could get to the site.

A service crew of four was able to get to the scene Sunday and recover the body, confirming the chief’s death.

McCallion said East Pierce has dispatched two officers to “escort Chief Packer back to the jurisdiction.”

McDonald called an emergency meeting with all the East Pierce personnel at 8 a.m. Sunday.

McCallion said while the members met, the surrounding jurisdictions helped with any service calls.

“East Pierce is devastated and stunned,” McCallion said. “But we continue to perform our duties.”

Packer and McDonald are members of a Washington state-based incident management team. The team can respond to disasters all over the nation including wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes and searches.

The chief was considered one of the nation’s experts on wildfires.

McCallion pointed out the experience of managing disasters is crucial and helps East Pierce become better prepared for major incidents.

Assistant Chief Dave Wakefield described Packer as “a firefighter’s fire chief. Not only could he mix with the command staff, but with the people on the line and the newest recruit. His door was always open.”

McCallion said Packer was a “visionary and he could communicate his vision.

“He could get out front and lead and everyone would follow,” he said. “And you just can’t overestimate how instrumental he was in creating East Pierce.”

Packer, a Lake Tapps resident, grew up in Montana. Before becoming a fireman he was a bull rider on the rodeo circuit.

He began his career as a firefighter in 1981 in Burien. Packer took on the duties of fire chief in Bonney Lake in 1995. Under his leadership and vision, the chief transformed the department of six firefighters into the East Pierce fire district with 100 firefighters and support staff and more than 40 volunteers. The district serves nearly 75,000 people and covers the areas of Bonney Lake, Sumner, Lake Tapps, the Ridge Communities, South Prairie and Wilkeson, about 142 square miles.

Packer is survived by his wife, four daughters, two grandchildren and his mother.

East Pierce will be posting information concerning the memorial on its Web site at www.eastpiercefire.org or check the Courier-Herald Web site for information.

Dennis Box can be reached at dbox@courierherald.com.

Although we knew him only through events, we knew him to be a very supportive guy. He and I spoke at length at an event last summer. He joked and messed with the young firefighters there with him, and spoke from his heart about the importance of keeping up troop morale.

Ironically, we spoke about how dangerous it was for the troops, and that the firefighters were so much more protected. Don't think for a moment that he downplayed the risks of firefighting - he did not. But he showed his heart in all he said.

His memorial is yet to come, and I can't say I look forward to seeing our heroes in the tears that are sure to fall.

God speed Dan. You are already missed.

Tags: Chief Dan Packer, East Pierce Fire, Wildland Fire, Siskiyou, Panther Fire, Courier Herald, Seattle PI