Honor and Respect For the Fallen – The NFFF Memorial Weekend

I have had the fortune of being involved in the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Memorial Weekend for the past 3-4 years. It is my fortune, because I get to experience the events in person. The crisp snaps of the Honor Guard, the rumble of the drums, the sweet sound of the pipes, the tears shed, the children playing on the Memorial Walk, friends meeting once again, Survivors visiting the Memorial of their Hero.

Memorial Weekend could be an NFA class on NIMS. There are no questions…simply delegation from the top down met with disciplined,  able, and willing men and women waiting to perform any and all tasks that are asked of them. It is a symphony of the classiest, dedicated, and selfless firefighters who come each year to assist in Honor and Respect for the Fallen and Supporting the Survivors.

The individuals who help during NFFF weekend don’t need any thanks. The thanks is in the production of the weekend. None of them would be here if they were in it for any other reason than to Honor and Respect for the Fallen and Supporting the Survivors.

There are two reasons why we are here…

Honor and Respect for the Fallen and Supporting the Survivors

This is Lukas Roming and his Mother Melissa. They were at the Memorial Weekend with the Connecticut Honor Guard. They “get it”!

It isn’t easy being away from our families at home, but it is made easier by realizing that we are taking care of our “other” family.

Right now, you should be checking your calendars and clearing your schedule to attend a future NFFF Memorial Weekend. You will not be sorry. It is an event that every Firefighter should experience at least once in their lifetime.

Captain Wines did a pretty decent job of explaining his view of the Memorial Weekend here.

This year there was little time for fellowship with other firefighters. We did get to meet numerous Brothers, some for the first time and others we see at events like this throughout the year. There were so many who were there that we know…we just didn’t get to find everyone.

We didn’t even make it to the Ott House on Saturday night. We intended to get there, but couldn’t make it. We did leave our mark on Friday night. We had a blast.

If you would like to see more of what went on at the NFFF Memorial Weekend, be sure to follow and check out the posts at the NFFF Facebook page.

Here is an excellent video from NFFFTV on the Memorial Weekend below