What does the #19 mean to you?

What does the number 19 mean to you? Well for most people the number is probably very meaningless or if it does have meaning it is probably a birthday, wedding date or something silly like you’re lucky locker number at the gym.

But for Rhonda Snyder, the Granite Mountain Hotshots their friends and families and now myself; thanks to Rhonda and her efforts to honors the Granite Mountain Hotshots their friends and families; the number 19 has a totally different meaning!

The number 19 to them and I means that 19 men lost their lives way to early. It means that kids go to bed at night without a father. It means wives do not have someone to share their lives with.

Last year I had the honor and pleasure of attending the IAFF National Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial service out in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I was there visiting the memorial because my father’s name is on the wall. While there I woke up really early one morning and began to walk the hallway where memory boards are shared. It was quiet, no one really around as I walked the hallway I found myself coming back to this really nice display, displaying 19 photos in these black wood, nicely matted wondering what this display was about. Obviously it was honoring fallen fire fighters! But these photos weren’t the typical memory board!

Well, too fast forward a little bit, later that day I ran into this very nice lady; didn’t know her then; but it was Rhonda Snyder. She was there telling this amazing story about her journey with these photos and how they came to be. Well sadly enough they came to be the way I opened this article with the tragic loss of 19 great guys doing what they know and loved being wildland fire fighters or Hotshots as they are called.

About the table pager, Rhonda, Teri went out to eat and God sent us a message that the 19 were with us by giving us a pager with the number 19 on it.

So, next time you think of the number 19 do not just think it is a number. Think of it as 19 great men who have unfortunately left us to serve at the station in the sky.

God bless Rhonda Snyder, the Granite Mountain Hotshots their friends and families.