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lj
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
How they do it in Dupont, Washington -- Pt 1
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
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
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
The final farewell to the Chief -- End post
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
God speed, Chief Packer. And blessings to your family.
lj
The final farewell to the Chief -- Post 2
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
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
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
The final farewell to the Chief -- Post 1
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
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
Bringing the Chief home ...
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
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!!!
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
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
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