Fireman Sam in Fallen Deputy's Funeral Procession

Today Sam was asked to be part of the delegation from the Peyton Fire Department that attended the funeral ceremonies for fallen Deputy Micah Flick, killed on duty earlier this week at a shootout in town. Sam was also to be in one of the firetrucks that was part of the procession toward the burial site.

We thought we would drive in and park somewhere along the way to see the procession and watch for Sam along the way.

Little did we know how many others would be parked along the way to honor and respect a fallen friend.

For quite a stretch of road along Woodmen Rd. there was vehicle after vehicle with flags flying, posters saying "We love you!" and just common, ordinary people lining the road to say goodbye to a good man and to let others in the police force know that we are standing behind them in their duty.

What we liked the best was this enormous flag flying from the ladders of two hook-n-ladder trucks over the road on which was to pass the hearse and the procession of police vehicles and first responders.

Other vehicles such as this electric truck with its long boom were parked nearby, flying a flag at half staff.

(It seems to us that flags are flying half staff almost all the time now, with one police after another being killed. We are a nation in constant mourning, thanks to our forgetting God and His laws.)

We ended up waiting about two extra hours before the procession came by, due to the service lasting twice as long as expected. Sam attended the 3-hour service, which we were only able to finally find on the radio and online on Jonathan's phone right near the end. We were able to listen to "Taps," watch the folding and presenting of the flag to Mr. Flick's wife, and hear the final prayer,

The service was at New Life Church, which seats 8000, and many people were standing, Sam said.

The coffin was transferred to a horse drawn carriage at one point, and a horse with empty saddle was there, representing the man fallen in service. Sam said the parking lot was packed with cars 20 deep. He had never seen so many police cars in his life in one place!

Sam said some were from New York, Boston, Portland, and California. About 100 police, representing every agency in the county, went up front to place a blue rose in a vase, and Sam said they then packed the way from the front to the back. 

Governor Hickenlooper spoke.

Meanwhile, we, along with hundreds and probably thousands of others, waited quietly in the 4-degree weather, snow sifting down.

Three snow plows came through ahead of the procession.

We kept taking turns warming up inside Jonathan's truck, then standing outside again. Crystal had to work today and was so sorry to miss this.

We loved watching the quiet, determined support of ordinary folk who want to let our police force know that we are behind them and respect them in their duty of law enforcement. 

 

The hearse came by, followed by two limousines of family and/or friends. From inside the limousines, gloved hands waved to us. Then came maybe a dozen white vans with people going to the burial. Then came hundreds of police vehicles, followed by first responders.

The procession lasted probably a good 45 minutes.

It was freezing, but I loved this family just up ahead of us, the ladies with their hands overt heir hearts, the man with his hat over his heart. They stood there the whole time, in that freezing weather, the man with uncovered, bald head, just taking the cold to respect our authorities and the life of the one fallen.

I held a bouquet of lilies. Jonathan and the other children took turns holding the flag and going back inside the truck to warm up, because we hadn't expected to be out in the cold so long, and didn't know it would be that cold either!

All of us were shivering and shaking at times, but we stuck it out, too, the best we could. 

Here finally comes Sam's firetruck! It was just the humble brush truck, but it may as well have been a hook and ladder for how excited we all were when we finally saw Sam in the procession!

It was a blessing to read that Deputy Flick "loved Jesus." He had attended New Life Church for 20 years, and was well known as a good Christian man.

We felt very blessed to have this unique experience of being out in the cold and snow with thousands of others to honor a fallen brother and to remember his family--a wife and twin children just 7 years old. We pray for their future, that God will give grace, comfort and provision.

We had our own little first-responding deed!

Across from us was a little white vehicle which wouldn't start, and the lady asked if we would give her a jump! Another young man pulled up and offered to help. He stood quietly to make sure all was well, turning on the bright lights on the top of his vehicle to light the situation.

We were so thankful to come home and warm up by our woodstove.

After supper and cleaning up and straining milk and getting the veggies and meat ready for the crockpot, I kind of crashed here to write about this day.