Ab,

Would you please post the attached letter to the editor of the Idaho Statesman? We tried to figure out to thank the hundreds of different people who showed up for the procession, but realize in trying to recognize individuals someone will certainly be left out. So we thought this would be the best way to encompass everyone, and having you post it will help catch everyone. Thanks

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


When Air Tanker 11 pilots Todd Tompkins and Ron Chambless lost their lives recently on the White Rock wildland fire in Utah, Boise was suddenly thrown into the national limelight. The pilots called Boise home and Tanker 11 flew out of Boise as needed.

Emergency services personnel and hundreds of residents of Boise and other locations turned out to give the pilots a lasting tribute on Thursday June 14 in a procession from the Wildland Firefighter Foundation’s office on Airport Way to the Linen Building on Grove Street.

There were simply too many emergency services people to thank, too many wildland firefighters to thank, and too many everyday citizens to thank on an individual basis. The best I can do is to post this letter in the Idaho Statesman and hope that everyone knows how much your participation was appreciated, not only by the families of these two brave men, but also by all of the other emergency services personnel, wildland firefighters and everyday citizens who know and appreciate the services of such fine men who die in the line of duty.

Thank you all.

Vicki Minor, Executive Director, Wildland Firefighter Foundation.


Our THANKS to Vicki and the Wildland Firefighter Foundation crew. What would we do without your efforts on behalf of our community???
Our THANKS to everyone who helped with the ceremony. Ab.