25 Years Ago (3/25/1990) Happy Land Fire

I can't believe its been 25 years since Happy Land. Geez, it's even 13.5 from 9/11. Time seems to be accelerating.
 
HAPPY LAND arsonist serving a 25-To LIFE sentence recently went before NYS parole board and was sent BACK TO JAIL.
 
It is also another very sad anniversary. It was one year ago when TWO Boston Firefighters, Lt Eddie Walsh and Firefighter Mike Kennedy of Engine 33 and Ladder 15, lost their lives in a very fast spreading, wind driven fire, in the Back Bay section of Boston.

I remember the day very well myself as I read about a very serious fire in Boston, on this site and another web site. Shortly it said that there was a Mayday transmitted and reports were saying that firefighters were trapped. I had called "mack" because I knew he had a son on the Boston Fire Department. "Mack" told me that he hadn't heard from his son but that he would call me back when he does.

  It was the same group of firefighters that had responded to that very tragic Boston Bombing. It was the same group of firefighters that lost one of their members from cancer, all just a few months before.

  In the meantime the web sites are reporting that things are not looking good. If I remember, mack contacted me much later to say his son is okay, but he was working that fire. And that he also worked the firehouse where they were assigned.

  That hit me in a special kind of way. Not only as a firefighter, but what it must be like to have a family member as a firefighter, or a police officer, or in military combat. I don't think I could deal with that. At that moment it really hit me.  That too, takes a very special kind of person.

  I really never thought much about it until the day this happened. When a good friend was waiting to hear from his son to say he's okay.

  Here is a brief story about that fire and those two firefighters, Lt Eddie Walsh and Firefighter Mike Kennedy.

  www.youtube.com/watch?v=098SLacBAGU
 
In the lead up to their Centennial s few years ago I had the chance to interview a few of the firefighters (now  all retired) from L38.  Although 2d due they were the first ones to get up the stairs to the Happyland's ballroom and discovered all the 10-45s. After all the years, none of them were able to describe the event without becoming very very emotional. A tragic incident.
 
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