OCTOBER 13th: Fire Chief's Funeral

Fire Chief Funeral 044, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

It all started when I was driving Liam to school and we got behind a fire truck from about 1930. Odd to see this truck, shined up and driving on the road at 9AM. Odder still to see a fireman, dressed in full regalia with white gloves and a hat on driving it. I felt I had stepped back in time!

I dropped Liam off at school and went for my walk. I saw firemen in their finest hanging about the firestation. I was curious, I asked one of them. He told me that Richard McGlynn, the town's first paid fire chief had died and that they were all coming out to honor him. I continued my walk and got some random shots of clusters of firemen standing by polished rigs:






I walked by St. Mary's Catholic Church as everyone was gathering there with bagpipers and police cars:




I felt I was spying, gawking, at something very sacred, so I walked on and went home.

When I came back with Elena to pick Liam up from school, the funeral was just getting out. Throngs of the firemen were hurrying back to the fire station. I brough the children over and we sat across the way, quietly, and watched stock still. The firemen put out a table with a chief's hat and uniform and all lined up behind it. They stood at ease for some time.




As the funeral procession left the church and approached the fire station, the chief called out to the ranks to stand at attention...


The hearse approached and they all saluted in unison:


The hearse then pulled in front of the station, led by all the old and glorious machines and paused:


The station blew a three whistle salute and the old chief moved on to his final resting place. It was one of the most moving experiences of my life.