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 Before they left, Miller decided he wanted to
do something that would perhaps make a difference for someone else
in the future.
He ordered a plain black firefighter helmet and a special front
shield to take with him on his trip.
The shield carried the lettering "F.D.N.Y." above the number 343, and
below, the words "NEVER FORGET."
In the week that Miller was in New York, he spent time with a couple
of different companies of the city's fire department network. He
visited ground zero and saw firsthand the massive destruction
around the lower Manhattan area.
He spent time with various firefighters and noted that most of them
were reluctant to talk about what had happened on 9/11. He
carried the helmet with him, asking various firefighters to place their
signatures on the black surface.
"I didn't want anyone to think I was trying to make a fast buck off
of this, so I always explained that I intended to hold on to the
helmet and someday offer it as an auction item for a very worthy
cause."
Miller said most everyone was willing to affix their signature,
so by the end of the week the helmet was covered with names written
in white, many accompanied with their company or division name.
The firefighters in Lincoln occupy
the majority of the space on the second floor of City Hall, with offices, a kitchen and eating area, a
dormitory, and a lounge area.
The hallway is decorated with various mementos of the department,
many of them dating back to the earliest of days in Lincoln.
Just off the elevator there is a plaque that says:
One day you will
be old, you will be frail, and you will be slow and someone will ask
you: "What did you do in your day? What did you do in your prime
when you were young and strong and fast?" You will tell them that
you were a firefighter, and when the day is done, and the page is
turned, that will be enough.
In New York, 343 firefighters never got the opportunity to grow old
and frail, although no one will ever deny that what they gave to try
to save the lives of thousands was more than "enough."
But it is good to remember that they are not the only firefighters
to ever lose their lives. Many have died in the line of duty, and
many have left life for other reasons, but all of them were still
firefighters and held in high regard by their fellow firefighters,
their families and their communities.
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Not long after Miller returned to Lincoln from New York, one of his
own, Austin Bahn, was diagnosed with cancer.
Bahn's battle with cancer was long and hard, and it took its toll on
the family's finances.
When a day came that Miller heard there was going to be a fundraiser
for Bahn, he knew this was the special cause the
helmet had been meant for.
Miller remembers the auction at the fundraiser. He recalls that
there were many, many items donated and that bidders were generous.
He also recalls what happened when the helmet came to the auction
block. "A lot of our guys were there, and they just kept bidding and
bidding."
In the end, the city firefighters pooled their resources
and purchased the helmet and brought it back to City Hall.
Every firefighter has a flame-resistant coat with their last name on
the back in reflective letters.
When Austin Bahn lost his battle with cancer in 2004, the Lincoln
department put together a wall in his memory.
Just off the elevator on the second floor sits the special helmet on
a wood shelf, inside a glass case. Above it hangs a beautiful print
reflecting the patriotism and dedication of all firefighters. The
case is flanked by the U.S. flag and the state flag, and below the
case hangs Austin's coat.
[By NILA SMITH]
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