Local firefighters stand in tall in support of fellow firefighter/sailor with flag display

HAMEL - When tragedy strikes a firefighter, there is no one more unified and respectful than a fellow firefighter.

The Hamel Volunteer Fire Department recently joined several other Illinois Fire Department firefighters in honoring a fallen sailor/firefighter Logan Palmer of Harrison, along Interstate 55 on his route home.

Hamel’s Volunteer Fire Department hung its flag in solidarity from the overpass at Illinois Route 140 and I-55 to pay their respect to Palmer and his family. Palmer was one of the 10 sailors killed when the USS John McCain collided with an oil tanker in the waters off Singapore.

Palmer's remains were escorted up Interstate 55 by Navy personnel, the Patriot Guard and members of his community as they made their way from St. Louis Lambert International Airport to Decatur.

Gary Bloemker of the Hamel Fire Department said it was very moving and an honor to stand and show the flag in respect of Palmer and the sacrifice he made for his country.

“We did this in Troy and Maryville, then Marine, Worden, Staunton and Mount Olive all joined in in our area,” Bloemker said. “Firefighters do all stick together. It is a definite brotherhood and sisterhood. We received a lot of honks from people who didn’t even know what as going on. The honks meant a lot to all our firemen.”

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