Heroes remembered here

Fallen Firefighters Memorial dedicated on July 10

By ANNA MITCHELL
anna@readthereporter.com

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” – John 15:13

The Fallen Firefighters Memorial was dedicated July 10. The statue honors the fallen heroes Byron J. Galbreath, Cyrus Clark, Raymond E. Moulder, Mark Robinson, and Gary Southerland. Next to the memorial is a beam and some rubble from the September 11, 2001 tragedy.

During the ceremony, the names of the fallen were read out one by one, and a bell was rung for each man. The families and survivors walked to the memorial to pay their respects.

Professional Fire Fighters Union of Indiana President Anthony L. Murray spoke at the ceremony, thanking the people who supported the project and made it possible.

“You think of memorials and you don’t often think of happiness, but this is a happy occasion that we’re able to memorialize these five firefighters who dedicated their life to their profession and their career,” Murray said. “And they made the ultimate sacrifice for their neighbors and their community. To have this lasting tribute to them for all of our community and visitors is really important. And to me it symbolizes love and happiness that we’re able to do this here.”

Lori Schwartz said the project had a lot of moving parts. The dedication ceremony was only a glimpse into the devotion and hard work that so many people put into the memorial since 2008.

The project started with the Hamilton County Fallen Firefighters Memorial Committee. They and Murray worked together to actualize their desire to honor the fallen.

The committee commissioned artist Nicholas Wilson to create the bronze statue and depict the risks the firefighters take and the sacrifices they make for the people they love.

The memorial would not have existed without generous contributions from the donors. Glen Schwartz was the first to financially support this worthy cause. His heart was in the project, and he came all the way from Georgia to attend the dedication ceremony.

In addition to donating toward the memorial, Glen built a trailer to hold and transport the beam from the first World Trade Center.

Lori and her husband Steve Schwartz flew to Arizona to pick up the statue, and they hired a U-haul truck to transport it across the country, visiting fire stations along the way. The firefighters at the stations paid their respects to these five men who sacrificed their lives.

“We stopped along the way to a lot of the little small towns, big towns, big cities to all the little departments so the firemen could see it,” Lori said. “And some of them that jumped up into the back of the truck – I mean, a lot of men cried. A lot of men cried. It would just give you chicken skin, and they took their pictures with it.”

Now, the statue stands as a reminder of that sacrifice made for their families and their community. Located at 1 Hamilton County Square, Noblesville, people can visit the memorial whenever they wish.

“Know that your loved ones will never be forgotten,” Murray said in his dedication speech. “Although we assemble formally now, this memorial is available for you to visit anytime. We hope to see visitors seated around this memorial plaza peacefully thinking, enjoying a break from your workday, or simply reflecting on the significance of each life represented here. Let us depart from this day of remembrance with the feeling of fulfillment and comfort. And knowing that we all have a common purpose to support one another. And never forget our men and women in uniform.”

Reporter photo by Anna Mitchell