LAUREL — They gave their lives to protect their communities, and now their names will never be forgotten.
Watch video of the firefighter procession below:
On Saturday morning in Laurel, three fallen firefighters were honored at the Montana State Firefighters Memorial: David Lambers, Montana Air National Guard firefighter from Great Falls, John Raisler, a Miles City firefighter, and Julianna Turchetti, a wildland firefighter who died in a helicopter crash near Hauser Lake in 2024.
About 80 people attended the event under sunny skies, including representatives from multiple fire agencies across the state.
Retired Lockwood Fire Chief John Staley was the keynote speaker.
The hour-long ceremony featured a procession backed by Billings Caledonian Pipes & Drums, which also played “Amazing Grace.”
The names of the three were then unveiled, bringing the total number of fallen firefighters on the memorial to 84. The event ended with the last radio call for the three.
The Montana State Firefighters Memorial was built in 2018 with the goal of honoring firefighters across the state. The memorial event capped off a weekend that included a fun run, street dancer and fundraiser, where supporters raised thousands of dollars to support ongoing maintenance.
