Fallen firefighters memorialized

Jessi Shoup held her son Blake as they looked at the newly etched letters in the large, marble wall at the Mississippi State Fire Academy in Pearl — letters that spelled out her husband's name and memorialized forever his sacrifice to the community he loved. 

Firefighter John Shoup, of the Ashland Volunteer Fire Department, died in the hospital a week after having a heart attack at the scene of a structure fire in March. He was 38 years old.

Jessi said John died doing what he loved with a department he'd been a part of for 21 years — more than half his life. He left behind three sons and a daughter.

"We're so honored he is memorialized here," she said, choking up. "I just wish he was here instead."

Two months after Shoup's death, 44-year-old Capt. Dwight Greer of the Philadelphia Fire Department died of a cardiac issue during training.

Greer's fellow firefighters fought to save his life, but he couldn't be revived. He left a hole in his department where his big personality was for 21 years.

"While other firefighters came and went, Dwight Greer was always there," said Tommy MacDermott, president of the Mississippi Volunteer Firefighters Association. "Capt. Greer was a gentle giant who loved his fire department and loved what he did."

State Rep. Mike Evans, a Philadelphia firefighter, knew Greer.

"We lost a good friend, we lost a good firefighter and the fire service lost a brother," he said.

Shoup and Greer are the 92nd and 93rd names on the wall, men and women from all over the state, from volunteer and career departments and the Mississippi Forestry Service. "The brotherhood" of firefighters is made up of people from cities, counties and departments all over the state with one common goal: to protect and save lives and property, even at great cost.

"This is not a wall of disparate branches. This is indeed a fire service wall," said Terry Tucker, president of the Mississippi Fire Chief's Association.

Former Madison Fire Chief Tom Lariviere told the story of Ray Bryant, the last living founding member of the state's firefighters association. He told how Bryant loved to talk about "brotherly love" in the fire service. And Philadelphia, the hometown and home department of Dwight Greer, means "brotherly love."

"Philadelphia means the love shared by children of the same father. Ray loved that, he felt there was a special bond that firefighters have one with another that was similar to this love of children with the same father," he said.

That brotherhood extends to the families left to carry on after such a loss, Tucker said.

"To these two families, when we put your loved one’s name on this wall, you became a part of the Mississippi fire service forever," he said. "We’re indebted to your sacrifice."

Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney, who also serves as the state fire marshal, said, "It takes a lot of courage to be a firefighter. It's one of the most respected, if not the most respected profession in the United States. We're here to honor John and Dwight. Remember them in your prayers and remember this country in your prayers, and the work these firemen do."

Contact Therese Apel at tapel@gannett.com or (601) 961-7236. Follow @TRex21 on Twitter.