The North Park Fire Department Firefighter Memorial Garden, Location: adjacent to 600 Wood Avenue, Machesney Park, Illinois, 42.327 N, 89.055 W

The North Park Fire Department Firefighter Memorial Garden, photo courtesy of the North Park Fire Department

On a mild September Saturday morning in Machesney Park, Illinois, the peaceful memorial garden of the North Park Fire Protection District plays host to a few dozen plastic molded chairs and a small podium. A handful of community members in this town of just over 20,000 residents begin to arrive one by one. They greet a group of young men and women wearing fire department uniforms, sweating in the blend of polyester and cotton fabric as the sun shines brightly. Some of them arrive wearing a familiar red shirt with a dated yet recognizable logo: a Maltese cross and the letters “NPFD.” The badge stands out as calling card, acknowledging they know the place well and spent time wearing the helmet of a North Park firefighter.

For one day each year, a small group gathers here to recognize the commitment and sacrifices made by firefighters across the nation as well as within this community. The ceremony includes reading the names of each former North Park firefighter that served and has since passed away, and ringing a bell to honor them. For the current firefighters, many of whom are no older than their mid-twenties or early thirties, very few of the names are recognizable and even fewer of those names will they have personally known. Yet each name read aloud represents an ordinary person who made extraordinary sacrifices to serve their community as a volunteer firefighter. They stepped forward to use the tools and learn the skills necessary to help their neighbors in times of need.

Photo courtesy of the North Park Fire Department

These men and women may not have died performing their duties for North Park, but each spent a period of their lives ready to do so if needed. One of them, Richard Klaman, did make the ultimate sacrifice in the line of this duty — responding to a working fire and losing his life as a result of a collision only a few dozen yards from the firehouse. Many had long-since left the department prior to their death. Others died of unrelated circumstances while active firefighters, their gear still on the rack as they proudly upheld the commitment to this department until their very last day of life. Some served for decades while others only a few years, yet their willingness to answer the call to help neighbors in need shall not be forgotten.

The memorial garden was built to honor these men and women. It is a place of solace and quiet reflection, yet once a year comes to life with the reading of names and the shared remembrance of service to the community. The equipment, vehicles and skills associated with this work have changed over time, but the dedication to service when called upon remains unchanged. A visit to the memorial garden honors not only the firefighters of the past, but also recognizes the firefighters serving today who share this same commitment.

Photo courtesy of the North Park Fire Department

Ted Berger is a contributor for Monumental USA and has spent 11 years with the North Park Fire Department, the last three as a Deputy Chief.