Michigan Association of Fire Fighters Director Michael J. (Mike) O'Lear's participation in the 2003 Michigan Firemen's Memorial Festival was multifaceted. As the union's newly-appointed director, he represented MAFF in the annual ceremony honoring those who have passed away. As a veteran of 28 years as a fire fighter, he shared a special professional fellowship with hundreds of colleagues and their families. Because of his extraordinary family heritage of public service and his continuation of that legacy, he felt a deep and meaningful personal impact.

I had a sense of all three roles and I could identify each one of them," he said. "However, it was impossible for me to completely separate them from one another because they were totally interwoven."

"The event was a compelling experience for me at every level. I had then, and I still have nearly a year later, very strong feelings about it. The many impressions that the event made on me will never fade away."

In this article, O'Lear shares his thoughts and observations with Flashpoint readers. This is his salute - offered personally, professionally and on behalf of MAFF - to the Michigan Fireman's Memorial Festival.

Our spirit, captured in stone

The festival mixes practical ideas and physical things with symbols and emotions. For example, Roscommon was chosen as the location for the memorial because it is in the center of the state, in terms of distance from the farthest points in both of Michigan's peninsulas. At the same time, the setting of the grounds is almost a natural cathedral, with huge pine trees and beautiful greenery.

It's a hands-on and active celebration. The preview of the 2004 edition shows that fact. There are plenty of features for kids, dances, a parade, contests, demonstrations, displays and informational sources. Yet, the heart of the programming is the memorial commemoration, itself, and that actually is felt inside each and every participant - not merely performed.

To me, the Firemen's Memorial statue is the best example of combining the physical with the symbolic. It is a centerpiece for the entire setting, but it's also much more than that.

This idea begins to come through when you approach the site. At first, the statue almost seems to be dwarfed by the surrounding trees that tower over everything else. But, as you get closer, the statue becomes more and more of a dominating part of the view. When you reach the beautiful platform base it stands on, its meaning really strikes you. That makes the impact it has become gigantic.

I remember the almost overwhelming impression I got while I was looking at this huge image of a fire fighter who is carrying a child to safety; holding a lantern to light their way from the deadly danger of the rescue area. My thoughts were: This really says why we do what we do; why the fire service is our chosen profession and what makes it so special.

With all of the technology and all of the training and everything else, the heart of the matter is that we all feel inside of ourselves exactly what is symbolized in that statue - that we are the people who will fight to save lives and property! This is our tradition...it's what we're all about.

If you don't have that feeling, that fundamental, totally idealistic sense of purpose, you very likely are in the wrong line of work.

Family and brotherhood

I hope it doesn't sound corny and that using the term "brotherhood" doesn't sound male-exclusive (the profession is, of course, not), but what I want to convey is that when you're at the festival, you have a real understanding that we're all family.

A big part of this is that we do the same work, so we share the same interest, risks, concerns and traditions. Most of that can be said for just about any profession. But we're not just "any profession," and the fact that all of us know this is true further serves to make us family.

We and our personal families and friends recognize that what we do for a living is special in several important ways. That's why the festival is a celebration. Simply put, we enjoy being together and getting involved in all of activities and the food and the "refreshments."

Being part of the same proud tradition also helps to make the "family" and "brotherhood" descriptions true. Everyone feels this at the memorial ceremony.

In my mind, every fallen man and woman we honored that day could have been me, a friend on the job, or a colleague from a nearby department. In other words, any one of them could have been any one of us. All of them are part of us because we are continuing the same tradition.

Who in this world would be more appropriate to salute them for their sacrifices? The answer is, no one!

Laying the wreath: representing others

The knowledge that we as fire fighters are the people most qualified to take part in the memorial ceremony made me feel as though I was performing an obligation that was not merely important, but actually sacred to our tradition. In fact, I have no doubt that this is true.

With this in mind, I can truly say that I was privileged to be able to serve as a representative of MAFF and all of its members.

This meant that I was saying, by placing our wreath, that we remember you and honor you; not just that I do so as an individual. It is an amazing feeling to handle this responsibility in company with fellow professionals from throughout the state and other regions, as well.

Memorial Engravings that connect generations

The names of the fallen are engraved in metal and stone so they will physically last through the decades as a kind of permanent honor roll, to be reviewed by all who visit year after year. Sometimes browsers find familiar names and some even know of names they can locate there.

For the most part, though, the great majority of the list of the fallen is made up of names that aren't familiar to the average visitor or memorial ceremony participant. Many are from years and years previous and from departments that are distant from one's own.

None of this diminishes the importance of these memorial lists - not for any individual who reads them and not for the fire fighter family in its entirety.

The fact is that we don't have to personally know any of the engraved names in order to appreciate their connection to us and to pay tribute to the contributions and sacrifices of the people they stand for.

Speaking of connections, it also struck me that this was an essential and powerful purpose of the memorial listings. They really do connect every previous generation of fire fighters with each other, with today's, and with all that are still to come.

Monuments stand and sentiments last

Obviously, my feelings about the memorial festival and the memorial site, itself, are very strong. My family background of fire service, which my son already is carrying on, certainly plays a role in this.

Still, I believe that everyone I met in Roscommon last year had the very same kinds of thoughts and feelings while they were there and when they left.

I believe all of us were gratified that these monuments have been established to last far into the future, giving permanent honor and recognition where these sentiments are so much deserved.

I believe that all of us appreciated the opportunity to participate in the annual commemoration, because all of us greatly value what it means.

I believe all of us were pleased and gladdened to socialize and celebrate with one another; and yes, we did this as family.

And I believe that we all took away with us the profound emotions and beliefs I have tried to express here.

The monuments probably will stand for hundreds of years. The sentiments we hold about our tradition will last years. The sentiments we hold about our tradition will last a s long as there is such a service as "Professional fire fighting."

Michael J. O'Lear