INDIANAPOLIS — Family and friends of more than a dozen firefighters from around Indiana came to Indianapolis Thursday to remember them.
Those firefighters died from injuries and illnesses linked to their jobs serving our communities.
The sound of bagpipes bounced off the memorials dedicated to firefighters who died in the line of duty. Thirteen new names joined the dozens of fallen heroes etched into stone who have been honored in years past.
But for some of them, it wasn't the blaze that killed them, but instead a battle with their health, like Indianapolis firefighter Thomas Branson, who died from cancer in 2021.
"He loved his job. He wouldn't have changed anything. And he loved his family," said Thomas' wife, Karen.
As names were read aloud, survivors of those who died were given red roses to represent the sacrifice of the fallen.
One of those roses was in honor of Bruce Nethercutt, a Goshen firefighter who died of cancer in 2023.
"He always knew something about everything. I mean, he had so much knowledge. He was a history buff. He could answer questions about anything. And he was just super skilled. Just everything around the house. Maintenance and just everything. He just knew how to do everything, " said Deb Nethercutt, who had her and Bruce's daughter, Jenna, with her.
As "Taps" played, families gathered around the memorials, which were wrapped in red and black ribbon. One of those families was that of Jack Ronco, a LaCrosse volunteer firefighter who died from COVID in 2022.
"He used to play guitar. He was in a band and he would play guitar, and he would walk around the house with a guitar in his hand playing." The song? "Anything and everything. Hard rock, but he did everything," said Glenda Ronco, who was with her and Jack's son, Matt.
You can find the Indiana Law Enforcement and Firefighters Memorial at the Indiana Government Center off Senate Avenue, near Ohio Street and Capitol Avenue in downtown Indianapolis.
