Posted: 12/30/2012 6:04:19 PM EDT
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It started with first responders lined up in rows, probably six hundred of them.
The temperature was in the 20s, with a 10+ knot NW wind. That was at 10am. Funeral started at noon, and they all stood for two hours. I don't know how they did it. 95% were in dress uniforms, so were not prepared for the weather. The Troopers will probably need medical treatment- I could see their ears were uncovered. For two hours. It doesn't matter what type of balm they had on their ears and faces; and many firemen/women had dress gloves- these people had to be frozen to the core. At noon Mike's casket arrived atop a pumper. His colleagues from WFD were there to help hoist it down. That in itself must have been a feat. Follow Mike, the bagpipes came through, and it was quite touching. I had no idea we had that many pipers in the area. Then the first responders filed by the casket. They went quickly, despite the fact that they'd been outside for over two hours- and went back outside. Yes, right back outside to lineup. The two minutes indoors must have felt like a godsend to them. I saw no complaints. This took an hour. Several colleagues/ friends and family spoke. Webster PD chief Pickering held tough for a while. Then he started to crack. I've never met him myself, but I have the utmost sypathy and respect for him now. One of the most moving dedications was given by WFD/WPD Dennis Kohlmeier. He'd served in Asia, so he's seen some bad stuff. He had a tough time starting, he was all choked up- which gave the audience a chance to shed tears. Then he cracked the first joke, which gave us all a chance to breathe. Dennis's WFD colleagues came up one by one to lend support and stood by his side while he finished. He brought the essense of the event to us all. When he finished, he was met with rounding applause. He made this not a first responder occasion, but a community occasion. Thanks, Dennis for being real, for showing us the inside, for letting us share in your grief. Finally, Mike's wife took the stand. Here is a woman that's gone through hell. First up, she cleared the air- she feels lonely, and misses Mike- her rock, her companion. I have no idea how she did this- I would have fallen to pieces. In her next-to-last topic, she said Mike recently had to fill out some questionaire about what he'd like should something happen. Mike said he wanted a Viking burial, a flaming platform shoved into the lake- and, should it come back ashore and start fires, it would give his friends and colleagues something to do. That's Mike, she said, never could be serious (though, he probably was!) Finally, she shared how recently they'd been watching a similar event for another fallen colleague on TV, and Mike said that if something happened to him, do NOT have the bagpipers play "Amazing Grace" because it is so cliche. In a final act of one-upmanship in the practical jokes, she made sure the pipers played Amazing Grace, noting that bagpipes don't work well in cold weather, so this should be a particularly poor performance. She thinks she got the last laugh on Mr. practical jokes- I'm not so sure yet. All the while, Mike's son Nick stood beside her- he's a spitting image of his father, and a fireman to boot. When it closed, the first responders were still there- four and a half hours outside in the blowing snow and wind. Mike was sent off with reverence. I met some great people. This world is so full of great people, and so many were there. The school bus driver from Walworth who volunteered to drive the school bus ferrying people back and forth. A FD guy from some tiny town somewhere near Toronto. The Rush FD guy who stood outside directing pedestrian traffic for five hours, and saw none of the ceremony. The US Navy guy who'd stood outside for five hour wearing a wool peacoat and the navy white cap atop his shaved head- without gloves; when I gave him a package of chemical hardwarmers (which I had to tear open with my teeth because my hands didn't work) all he could say was "I guess I should have been better prepared" and gave me a grand smile. For me, I'll always remember the 12 YO kid who faced up to a bunch of kids 4 YO older than him and stuck his hand out to me saying "Hi, I'm Mike Chiapperini." He had a beaming smile, which he wore forever. I know that back then he had hair, but he was the kind of kid you could look at and know he'd be bald by 30. One could not help but like this guy. Tonight, I got my little daughter bathed, and read her a fairy tale, like we always do. And I thank Mike- and all of those like him- for giving me that opportunity. God bless you all. |
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Thanks for being there Abom.
And helping out too. I've been down with the 24-48 Hr GI CF. I work with Nick, and it's been tough thinking of him. A lot of WWFD guys work with me. It's a tragedy that truly did touch every single agency in the county. You either got dispatched by Nick, worked with Lt. Chip, Talked to Tomasz at 911 after a run. Might not have been a close friend, but shit. Good work friend. |