Excerpts from chronicleillinois.com:
Lawrence Matthews, a firefighter from Dolton who lost his life in the line of duty in June 2017, will be honored at the 37th National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service on October 7. He is among 80 firefighters who died in the service in 2017 and will be remembered at the memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
Matthews passed away after collapsing while helping to contain a fire at a mobile home park in Harvey. He had been with the Dolton Fire Department since 2009 and is survived by his wife and four children. Despite being on light duty due to health concerns, he had been cleared to return to active duty just before his tragic death. His passing came just days after he celebrated the 10th anniversary of his heart transplant.
A plaque inside the Dolton fire station honors his memory, and a local street has been named in his honor. At the national memorial, the names of fallen firefighters like Matthews will be read aloud as their families receive an American flag that was flown above the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial and the U.S. Capitol. Each family will also be given a red rose and a personalized badge. A bronze plaque with the names of the fallen will be added to the memorial during the ceremony.
The event will take place at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg starting at 9 a.m. (Central Daylight Time) on October 7. A candlelight service will be held the day before, at 5:30 p.m. (CDT), also at the same location.
"Memorials are created so there will always be a special place to remember and honor our loved ones," said Dennis Compton, chairman of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Board of Directors. "In 1981, the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial was established to pay tribute to these brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. Every visitor pauses to not only honor the fallen but also recognize the strength and courage of their families."
On October 4, members of the Congressional Fire Service Caucus will present 103 American flags that were flown over the U.S. Capitol to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation during a ceremony at 9:30 a.m. (CDT) in the Kennedy Caucus Room of the Russell Senate Office Building. These flags will be displayed in the memorial chapel until they are presented to the families on October 7.
Over 5,000 people, including family members, friends, firefighters, lawmakers, and government officials, are expected to attend the main service on October 7. Honor guards and pipe & drum units from across the country will participate in the solemn remembrance.
The NFFF will offer live streaming of the ceremonies, along with video recordings for download, through VISTA Worldlink. For more information about the memorial weekend events, visit http://live.firehero.org.
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