President Bush is accompanied in the Pledge of Allegiance by U.S. Congressman Steny Hoyer, (D-Md.), and the wife and children of firefighter Russell Schwantes of Fayetteville, Ga., during a ceremony at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial service in Emmitsburg, on Sunday.

On Sunday, Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD), a national leader on fire service issues, joined President George W. Bush in honoring America’s fallen firefighters at the 26th annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service held in Emmitsburg. Below are a copy of his remarks.

“Mr. President, Mrs. Bush, Congressman Bartlett, Chief Paulison, Chief Cade, Mayor Hoover, Chief Siarnicki, Hal Bruno, Survivors, and guests:

“I first want to thank you for inviting me to join you this morning.  I am deeply honored.

“It is perhaps more comfortable to talk about our fallen brothers and sisters collectively – if only to cushion the pain of their loss.

“However, a memorial service such as this demands more.  It requires us to recognize that the men and women we honor today were husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters – individuals who are deeply missed by their families and friends.

“They were people, heroes, whose last acts tell us so much about how they lived – and why we miss them so much.

“Allan Roberts was a 19-year member of the Baltimore City Fire Department who was once honored for saving the life of an infant.  Last October, Allan was killed while fighting a rowhouse fire in Baltimore’s Greektown neighborhood.

“His colleagues on Ladder Truck 26 remember Allan as ‘the kind of guy that you didn’t mind going into any fire with. You knew he’d be right there with you, and that he had your back.’

“Another recalled:  ‘If you were trapped inside a building, he was definitely one of the guys who would come and get you out.’

“Ed Wilburn served as a member of the Deep Creek Volunteer Fire Company in Garrett County for 24 years, including terms as both Fire Chief and President of the Company.

“Last December, Ed was en route to a fire when he suffered a medical emergency and died.

“Ed’s Assistant Chief regarded him as ‘a pillar of the community’ – someone that everyone in the company could count on for ‘guidance and insight.’

“Both Allan and Ed were from my state – Maryland.  Both are among the 91 fallen from small towns and big cities throughout this nation to whom we pay special tribute today.

“All were taken too suddenly.  All are heroes.

“Each of these 91 men and women was a unique individual.  Each has a different story to tell.  But I think that every one of them would have told you that on their last call they were just doing their job – trying their best to help their neighbors in need.

“Their dedication to service is not uncommon within the fire service.  The same holds true, I am sure, for each first responder here today and those now waiting for the fire alarm to ring in firehouses all across our nation.

“But their contributions to ensuring the safety of their communities