« November Can Be Cruel... | Main | Proud of Pinel »
December 01, 2005
December Losses
December is typically a time of good cheer. Firefighters expect fire in December, as christmas trees and other flammable items tend to be ignored - until there is a serious problem. For Los Angeles City Firefighters, December is just like any other month, and each firefighter pulling on his or her turnouts for an emergency call knows the risks that any fire can bring.
It is unfortunate that on occasion, a life is lost during this time of year, yet it has been impossible to avoid during the past 120 year history of the department. Regardless of the time of year, we wish to remember those members who served their community and gave their lives so that others might live.
The following represents firefighters who lost their lives during the month of December:
Fireman Adolph Hermanson
Engine Company 10
Died December 30, 1910
Fireman Ross G. Sechrist
Engine Company 31
Died December 24, 1926
Auto Fireman John C. Hough
Engine Company 3
Died December 11, 1939
Fireman James E. Hassan
Engine Company 27
Died December 11, 1958
Firefighter Benjamin Pinel
Engine Company 54
Died December 4, 1984
In addition to those members listed above, a number of firefighters died in December months past due to non-incident related causes and we remember them here: Elmo M. McKallip, Michael J. Fay, Ivan R. Case, John Lind, Harold B. Lawrence, Samuel L. Moore, Richard F. Farmer, Willard W. Gibson, Fred A DeWeese, Clement R. Herring, Glen E. Taylor, Keith D. Kroll, Eric Wolfenstein, Royce B. Turner, Donald D. Sutton, James L. Ott.
Fireman Donald W. Starbird was on military leave, serving with the 23rd Bomb Squadron, 5th Bomb Group when he was killed in action on December 5, 1944 when the B-25 Mitchell he was in crashed on takeoff in New Guinea.
To learn more about these individuals, their lives and the last alarm they responded to, you may purchase a copy of The Los Angeles Fire Department Memorial Book. It is available at the bookstore at the museum and a portion of the proceeds will be used to complete construction of the LAFD Memorial.
Posted by dbarrett at December 1, 2005 01:06 AM