The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation invites your Honor Guard Unit or Pipe Band to participate during the Annual Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend on May 6 – 7, 2023, in Emmitsburg, Maryland. On this special weekend, a grateful nation will honor the brave men and women who died in the line of duty during 2022 and those who died in previous years.
Arlington Wreath Laying
Be a part of the continuing tradition of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Memorial Weekend. All fire service personnel are invited to attend the placement of a Memorial Wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery on Friday, May 5, 2023. Fire Service personnel are asked to form up between 8:00 – 8:30 am at the Arlington National Cemetery Visitor Center to step off for the march to the tomb. For further information, please contact Maria Scherer at [email protected].
Honor Guard/Pipes and Drums All-Hands Briefing and Rehearsal
There will be a mandatory Honor Guard/Pipes and Drums briefing and rehearsal for the Memorial Service will begin at 7:00 am.
Scheduled Events
From Friday, May 5 to Sunday May 7, honor guard members can stand watch over the Fire Hero Family flag at the Family Hotel.
On Saturday, honor guard members can be part of the Chapel Vigil and Memorial Guard as families visit the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Park. Honor guard members can also be part of the Candlelight Service on the evening of Saturday, May 6, 2023.
On Sunday morning, May 7, honor guard members will join fire service personnel in a Sea of Blue through which the families will enter the campus. A procession of honor guard and bagpipe units will begin the national tribute.
Arrival, Credentialing, and Check-in
Honor Guard, Pipes and Drums personnel will pick up their credentials for the Memorial Weekend access on Friday afternoon and evening at Liberty Mountain Resort (78 Country Club Trail, Fairfield, PA) from 1:00 - 9:00 pm. After picking up your credentials, you will proceed to to Honor Guard/Pipes and Drums check-in to confirm your information and to receive updated information about your participation.
Pipes & Drums
For Pipes and Drums members, please visit the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Memorial Pipes and Drums website at www.nfffpd.com to obtain the list of tunes for the Memorial Weekend or to contact the Pipe Major or Drum Major.
Lodging & Meals
Honor Guards, Pipes & Drums personnel are responsible for all round-trip travel arrangements, meals, and expenses (airfare/rental car/parking/tolls, etc.) to participate in the Memorial Weekend activities. On-campus housing for the 2023 Memorial Weekend is filled. All personnel are responsible for making their off campus lodging arrangements and paying all associated expenses.
For a list of local lodging, please make your reservations at a local area hotel as soon as possible.
Honor Guard/Pipes and Drum personnel will be responsible for purchasing a meal ticket to eat their Weekend meals on campus.
