Firefighter/Marine Funeral

Brothers,

You may have heard that the Ashland City (TN) Fire Department just lost a 25 year-old career firefighter, Daniel Greer, who was serving with the Marine Reserves in Afghanistan. His funeral will be next Thursday or Friday in Pegram, TN, just west of Nashville. We won’t know which day for certain until Daniel’s body arrives in the States from Germany, by way of Dover AFB in Delaware. Once he lands in Nashville, the Ashland City Police and Fire Departments will escort the casket to the church in Pegram and then the service will be the following day at a nearby national cemetery. It’s going to primarily be a military-style funeral, with some fire department elements mixed in. The family and Department have asked for bagpipes at the service.

From what I’ve been told, they’ve already heard from over 500 marines who intend to be there, along with a reported 500 firefighters from around the region. With a crowd that big, we’ll definitely need a good-sized band. I’m rounding up members of the Nashville Pipes & Drums, but we’d welcome any of your pipers or drummers who’d like to come up. I know the Department is trying to raise some money for the band, but I’m sure we could at least help you with a meal and some gas money. Overnight accommodations could also be arranged, if necessary.

If you know any pipers or drummers from the other bands (or anyone else, for that matter…), please extend an invitation for them to join us. We’ll be playing Amazing Grace during the service and it’s possible that we may be asked to play a couple of other tunes afterward. We’ll probably just do massed band tunes, if we get a lot of out-of-towners. Please let me know if you’ve got anyone who’s interested. I can send out more specific information as it becomes available. Thanks for your help.

KTF,

Joe Polenzani
Captain, Franklin (TN) Fire Department
VP, Middle-Tennessee FOOLS
Nashville Pipes & Drums


http://www.wsmv.com/news/24564743/detail.html

http://www.firefighterclosecalls.com/iraq.php