EMMITSBURG, Md. — Thirteen Kentuckians will be added to the National Firefighters Memorial during this year’s memorial weekend, including several from Eastern Kentucky.
Local additions to the memorial include:
- Asst. Chief Joseph Back, age 59, of the Whitesburg Fire Department, responded to an emergency medical call at a residence on Oct. 27, where he suffered a heart attack. He was immediately treated and transported to the hospital where he remained in a coma until his death on Oct. 30.
- Capt. Edwin “Carter” Conley, age 71, of the Magoffin County Rescue Squad, died on Sept. 12, 2021, due to complications of COVID-19.
- Firefighter Regina Huffman, age 39, of the Coon Creek Fire & Rescue, responded to an ATV accident with two people seriously injured, and helicopters were summoned for transport. As the apparatus she was riding was responding to the landing site, it slipped from the roadway, She died at the hospital on Oct. 28, due to the injuries sustained in the accident. Her oldest son, Firefighter Benjamin Barton was also in the vehicle. He had minor injuries and was treated and released from the hospital.
Other firefighters who will be honored from around the state include:
- Fire Chief Homer “H.M.” Bottom, age 82, of the City of Russell Springs Fire Department, died on Oct. 16, 2021, due to complications of COVID-19.
- Battalion Chief Michael “Sean” Kelly, age 48, of the Murray Fire Department, died on Feb. 28, 2022, due to complications of COVID-19.
- Firefighter Clarence Lytle, age 52, of the Georgetown Fire and Recue, died on June 26, 2023, from complications of pancreatic cancer, deemed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky to be a line-of-duty death.
- Deputy Chief Brian Morgan, age 46, of the Pleasure Ridge Park Fire Protection District, participated in mandated physical training beginning at 2:10 p.m. on Oct. 23, 2020. He was found deceased at home by family members at 10 a.m. the following day.
- Captain Bobby Mosby, age 51, of the Nelson Creek Volunteer Fire Department, responded to the Nelson Creek Volunteer Fire Department to pick up the tanker to respond to a field fire on May 25. As he was leaving the station in the tanker, a firefighter on scene reported that the fire was under control and extinguished. Captain Mosby left the station and returned home. Later that night, he began experiencing chest pains. During the next afternoon, he collapsed into cardiac arrest, and was transported to the hospital where he passed away.
- Sgt. David Pawley, age 52, of the Louisville Fire Department, died on Sept. 2, 2021, due to complications of liver cancer, deemed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky to be a line-of-duty death.
- Sergeant Thomas Petschke, age 53, of the Ballardsville Fire & Rescue, was at the scene of a residential fire that had expanded into the woods on Nov. 11. He collapsed while battling the brush fire. He was immediately treated and transported to the local hospital where he died due to a heart attack.
- Capt. Ernest Rudder, age 74, of the Bush Volunteer Fire Department, died on Sept. 25, 2021, due to complications of COVID-19.
- Engineer David Studer, age 54, of the Covington Fire Department, died on Jan. 1, 2022, due to complications of COVID-19.
- Asst. Chief William “Sonny” Thompson, age 74, of the Mercer Fire Protection District, died on Aug. 20, 2021, due to complications of COVID-19.
The 13 Kentuckians being honored are part of 226 being honored nationwide. Of those being honored, 89 died in 2023, while the remainder died in earlier years.
More information about the memorial and the firefighters on the memorial’s roll of honor can be found at firehero.org. The National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend will take place May 4 and 5 in Emmitsburg, Md.
Congress created the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to lead a nationwide effort to honor America’s fallen firefighters. The mission is to honor America’s fallen fire heroes; support their families, colleagues, and organizations; and work to reduce preventable firefighter death and injury.
The National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Park includes the National Fallen Firefighters Monument, the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Chapel, a brick Walk of Honor, a September 11th memorial sculpture, and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Bell of Remembrance.
