Station 51- KMG-365
by Sharon
I woke this morning with a feeling of disbelief and it’s lingered. Through my morning coffee, paper, shower, breakfast, walking my dog, lunch, heck even the ceremony of putting on my old dress uniform. Luckily, it still fits. I still can’t believe it. This is a day I often thought I might not live to see.
It was hard enough when Stoker did it, the first. I can’t explain it, but I never felt more proud of him than on that day. It had enabled me the gift of true reflection. Now I wasn’t around for his entire career, just a small portion of it in retrospect, but truthfully, it’s no different than the pride we have in our children.
They arrive into this world, we nurture them, provide the best we can for them and before we know it they’re gone. We hope we’ve done well by them, but you don’t really know until they get out there in the world by themselves. Thankfully, Cheryl and I did well by our girls. Hopefully, they’re doing the same for my grandchildren.
Okay, back to Stoker and my pride and reflection. On his day I sat there truly amazed that the day had come. We met when I was a captain and he an engineer. Not just any engineer either, but the best I ever had the pleasure of working with. Unfortunately I wouldn’t realize that until our service together was over, but that’s usually the way of things, isn’t it?
He went on to become a captain himself. We ended up at many scenes together, equals. It was fun and always gave me a rush of satisfaction to see him commanding his own team. He was good, a natural at directing others. A role he was born to play I believe.
Then came Marco. His rise through the department was the most surprising to me. After living the life of a lineman for seventeen years, Marco took the engineer’s test and passed with flying colors. He served in that capacity for only three years though. I guess the position wasn’t for him, so a change was imminent. That’s when Marco studied and became an arson inspector. He was good. He took great pride in this ability and served the department well for another ten years in that role.
After Marco came Roy. On his day, I thought back to the day he and Johnny left 51’s. Not surprisingly they did it together. Took the captain’s exam and passed. It didn’t take long for the department to find them stations of their own. For a few years there, Stoker, DeSoto, and Gage all held the position of Captain. That was during my years as chief. Roy was a quiet captain, along the same lines as Stoker. Boy how the years have rolled by, eleven years after becoming a captain, Roy took over the paramedic program. Guiding, tutoring, and advising those young men and women with his knowledge and experience. His students took great satisfaction in knowing they were being honed by one of the very first graduates of the program they were in.
Chet. What can I say about Chester B? He would finally pass the engineer’s test. It took many hours of studying and a lot of hard work, but that wasn’t anything new to him. Although he never admitted to it, I strongly suspect Stoker helped Chet study that last time. Chet remained at the wheel and gauges until his final day. I don’t know why he never aspired to a higher rank? But that doesn’t matter, he was happy and that’s all that matters.
For a few years we all managed to keep in touch. We’d get together once a week and watch a ball game, drink, and reminisce. But once a week soon became once a month, which eventually became once in a while. Before we knew it once a year seemed to be the norm. I have no idea why or how it happened. I can’t tell you the last time I saw Marco. It must be going on two years, maybe even close to three. That’s a shame. I may not see Mike as often as I like, but we do speak on the phone often, I’d say once every two or three months. His boys are grown now. He even has one grandchild.
Roy has grandchildren now, too. As a matter of fact, the last time I saw Roy, we were attending the same grade eight-graduation ceremony for our respective granddaughters. That was five months ago now.
Two years ago, Roy, Joanne, Cheryl and I went on an Alaskan cruise together. That was just after Roy did it. That’s when I heard the news about Brackett. Seems he’s now living in Montana on some ranch. Lives with a woman about fifteen years younger than him and they raise some sort of horses. I say, “good for him.”
Dr. Morton has taken over the E.R and surprisingly fits the bill rather nicely, much to the disbelief of John Gage.
The sad news is that Dr. Early and Dixie are no longer with us. Joe suffered a massive heart attack about six years ago. Johnny and Roy took it pretty hard. We all got together then, at the funeral and after. Johnny drank more that night than I’ve ever seen him. As a matter of fact, when we all left the bar that night, Johnny, unlike the rest of us, didn’t go straight home. From what I hear he ended up at Dixie’s. It was a sad day indeed. I’m not exactly sure why he ended up there, but I’m sure she took good care of him. She always did. Treated him like a younger brother most of the time.
Who knew that less than a year later we’d all be gathering again, this times to say goodbye to the good nurse herself. She had a beautiful service. Johnny actually spoke at her funeral. Paramedics from all over the county attended, but only Johnny spoke. He was eloquent and as is true to his nature, funny. He spoke highly of his friend and needless to say, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
Now, today, I’ll speak for him. Because today, John Gage, becomes the last member of my crew to hang up his coat. He’s retiring. Johnny served as captain for eight years and then amazingly enough, became a battalion chief. How he relished the role. He threw himself into like no other. It still brings a smile to my face thinking about how many times I’d see him at meetings and how highly he spoke of the men and women in his battalion; Chet being one of them. Boy, talk about tables being turned. From what I understand, Chet would become a bundle of nerves when he’d get wind of an impending Chief’s inspection. If Johnny ever heard the same gossip, he never let on. At least not to me he didn’t.
Now, Johnny’s day is here. We’re all gathering once again. Like I said, I often thought I’d never live to see this day. The youngest member of Station 51’s A-shift from 1972 to 1978 is retiring. Three hours from now, none of us will be members of The Los Angeles County Fire Department. Seems odd and sad in a way. Thirty-four years ago I took command of these men. We worked, lived, ate, and played together for six and a half years. Then, as I’ve mentioned, we all slowly went our separate ways. But we’ll always have 51’s. I think if you asked everyone, we’d all say we did some of our finest work out of that small station in Carson. It wasn’t very big, but it was our home of sorts.
Now, we all have only one home. The one we’ve built with our wives, as we are all married now. Everyone, even Gage is married. As with our retirements, he was the last to get married. Settled down with a pretty young woman I’d say eleven, twelve, years ago now. She’s proven to be very good for him. They have a beautiful girl, Natalie. She’s ten years old and the apple of her daddy’s eye. Has him wrapped around her finger she does.
Well, I must be going. As I said, I’m saying a few words at Chief Gage’s retirement ceremony today and don’t want to be late. Boy he’d never let me live that down. Hopefully now that we’re all old retired men, we’ll see much more of one another. I can’t promise it, but I’m gonna do my best to see that we keep in touch from here on out.
The End
A couple words of thanks, first Peggy, for looking over the story and pointing out a few things for me. Of course any errors that remain are truly my own. Ross, for providing the picture which inspired the story. Lastly to Audrey as usual for housing my stories. ~ Sharon
February 2006 Photo Story Stories by Sharon
