Dedication of State Memorial Site to Fallen Firefighters

Remarks by Marilyn Satterfield

October 28, 2005

Greater love hath no man than to lay down his life for a brother

I am proud to say that my husband Paul, demonstrated that kind of love everyday of his 27 years of service to the Nashville Fire Department; and ultimately, laid down his life on September 30, 1998.

Someone's house was on fire that day, a 911 call was made, a bell rang, and Paul responded. I don't know whose house it was. I doubt that Paul ever knew whose house it was. I don't know how the fire started. I don't know why it was destined that it would be Paul's last fire.

But I do know that every man and woman that responded to the bell that day was willing to say goodbye to their wives, children, parents, brothers, sisters and their fellow firefighters-because they were committed to sacrifice their lives to protect the lives and property of their community. They knew they would simply roll up their hoses and return to the firehall to wait for the next bell.

This memorial site is an easy for our communities to say "Thank You". It is not only a tribute to those that have given their lives in-the-line of duty, but a tribute to all first responders that kiss their husbands, wives and children goodbye - never knowing whether they will return home. It is a tribute to the families that rearrange their Christmas dinners in order to accommodate their loved ones' shifts. It is a birthday, their prom, or their graduation because they are on duty. It is a tribute to the parents who spent years trying to protect their children from harm, only to have that child grow up and choose to run into burning buildings and perhaps never come back.

This memorial site on the grounds of our state's training academy will be a constant reminder tot he recruits who will train here, that they have made a serious commitment to their communities, and that they and their families will be making a noble sacrifice, whether in small or monumental proportions. It will remind them that some show have gone before them have given of their lives to fulfill that commitment. Some have made that monumental, noble sacrifice. The memorial sets a standard of service unlike that of most any other profession.

I often ask myself why my husband, and now my son, would take an oath to risk their lives for strangers. What gives them the courage to take such risks? I believe that there is an attraction that overrides the danger. That attraction is what firefighters call the brotherhood. Firefighters have a bond that transcends fear. It renders them counter-intuitive. Together they can face fears with inhuman courage and strength. They eat together, laugh together, sleep together and face death together. And when one falls, the others mourn with a depth of sorrow that is inexplicable.

Recently, my children and I attended the National Fallen Firefighter Memorial in Emmetsburg, Maryland. As we approached the ceremonial grounds, we heard bagpipes playing and saw flags waiving in the breeze. We walked what is called "The Sea of Blue". Hundreds of firefighters from all over the country stood in dress uniform at attention on both sides of the walkway as we entered. Their arms were raised in salute. If you looked closely at the faces of these big, strong, fearless soldiers of the fire service, you saw tears slipping down their cheeks. They wept for strangers. They wept for our fallen heroes. They wept for their brothers. And I suspect that they could not help but ponder the possibility that some day their wives and children might be walking through "The Sea of Blue"; and yet, knowing that possibility, they press on toward the goal of their calling.

The men and women of the fire service, both career and volunteer, deserve our gratitude. I hope that our state will hold a memorial service here every year to give tribute to fallen firefighters. The bricks and concrete of the memorial hold no magic, no mystic healing balm; but the site provides a place for broken hearts to gather. It gives us a place to come to reach out to others who grieve, and thus, tighten the bond of brotherhood that gave our heroes the courage to serve. It is that bond of brotherhood, that "greater love”, which will give those of us who were left behind, the strength to continue our walk alone.

Paul called me from the firehall the night before he died. His last words were "I love you and I'll see you in the morning". I now wait for that morning when I will see him again. All of us who are waiting for that morning appreciate this memorial site because it symbolizes your appreciation for their sacrifice, and we know that their service to the community will never be forgotten. For that honor to their memory, we thank you so very much.