By Bill Carey
EMS1
ARLINGTON, Va. — The 2024 National EMS Weekend of Honor, featuring the National EMS Memorial Service and Bike Ride, honored 36 EMS and air medical personnel from 18 states.
Events honoring the fallen took place from July 19 through 21.
One of the events, the Tree of Life installments respectfully dubbed the Moving Honors procession, began in early July with stops in Alaska and Hawaii. It then embarked on a 14-day journey from Washington State and ended in Arlington, Va. for the National EMS Weekend of Honor.
“The goal of the Moving Honors procession is three-fold. First, is to bring awareness and additional recognition to the honorees. Second, is to provide broader access to the Tree of Life to allow anyone to pay respects plus send messages of hope forward to the honoree families and EMS colleagues at the other end of its journey. And finally in a much smaller capacity, it is an opportunity for fundraising to support the National EMS Memorial Service, allowing it to continue its mission to recognize fallen EMS and air medical individuals and Always Remember,” The National EMS Memorial Service states.
During the weekend’s events, four members of the National EMS Memorial Service Honor Guard laid a service wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
A ceremony unveiling the 2024 Tree of Life was also held, featuring the names of the 36 honorees and a presentation of name tags to the families of the fallen.
