Fare Thee Well
I often find myself stumbling onto photo opportunities by accident. As I drove through downtown Bradenton this afternoon, I noticed that there were cops blocking some of the side streets. When I came back around, I realized they'd blocked off the whole bridge, so I knew something was up. I parked the car, grabbed the camera, and started heading in the direction of the action. I asked a Channel 8 photographer what was going on, and it turned out to be the funeral procession of the Bradenton Fire Chief who recently passed away from a heart attack. I believe that half the police in the city, and more than half of the fire trucks were part of the procession, convoying across the Manatee River bridge from Bradenton to Palmetto, heading for the Manatee Civic Center.
The remains of Mark Souders were transported in this 1926 fire truck. You can see a better view of the truck below.
The route was lined with a few well-wishers, many of which had brought their own flags.
And here's a nicer view of that old fire truck after it delivered it's precious cargo. Always keep your camera with you, and if you see something that looks interesting, stop and take some pictures! That's your lesson for the day.
I noticed the flags were flying at half staff at the SRQ fire departments on Saturday and heard why. I really like your second photo with the flag draped over the casket in the old fire truck with the police escort. Nice to see such a tribute for the Fire Chief. I'm impressed you stopped to shoot this -- very cool.
ReplyDeleteAs a Fire Department Chaplain I really appreciated seeing those pictures!
ReplyDeleteAnd I stumbled upon your blog and photos today, while searching for something unrelated. Thank you for giving me a view of the procession that I did not see, as I was in it. Mark Souders hired me in 1998 and, in our time working together, he became a friend and part of my extended family. I remember him everyday and I'm always open to a 'sign' that he is watching over us. I'll take this happenstance discovery of your photos as a message that...it is well. :)
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