LAFRA-
Good fireman, Good captain, Good man. Gonna miss you Darrayle [Prosser].
Sincerely.
Al Barrios
Moorpark, CA
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LAFRA-
I had the pleasure of working with Darrayle [Prosser] as firefighter at Fire Station 98 nineteen years ago. A lot of fires, a lot of brush and a lot of floors to buff. The “Good ole Days.” You will be missed.
RIP Brother,
Scott Benton
Westlake Village, CA
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Dear LAFRA,
Please accept this donation to the Widows, Orphans and Disabled Firemen’s Fund in memory of Thomas E. Laski. It was a privilege to know and work with Tom in the Legal Liaison Unit of the FPB. He was always there for me when I needed his opinion and sage advice. To me Tom was “Mr. Legal Liaison.” He will be missed by all those who knew him and worked with him.
Sincerely,
Willis “Marty” Martin
Spring Hill, FL
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LAFRA-
I was Sandra’s [Smith] Drill Tower instructor and I can tell you she did everything that was required and more. No one gave her anything. I have always respected her for this. Sandra was a CLASS act who will be missed.
Prayers to the family,
Kevin J. Kearns
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LAFRA-
What a wonderful and pleasant spirit you were [Sandy Smith], always greeting others with a smile and a friendly hello. I will miss you my friend and sister and there are no regrets to living life the way you wanted to.
Until we meet again,
Neal Reitzell
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Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association,
Thank you very much for the American flag in the beautiful presentation box. It was on display at Jack Robinson’s memorial. It is now in a place of honor on my mantel. Thank you also for arranging for Fire Station 85 to send an apparatus to the service. Jack’s young grandchildren particularly enjoyed it.
Thank you also for the hospital bed and other supplies you sent during Jack’s lengthy illness. Thank you for the help you gave me at the time of his passing. Jack always told me that you would be available to help.
Sincerely,
Margaret Robinson
Torrance, CA
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Dear Mr. Steinbacher,
Enclosed is a donation for the Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firemen’s Fund in appreciation of the Association and in loving memory of John on his birthday – February 1st.
Sincerely yours,
Fumiko Humberd
Los Angeles, CA
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LAFRA-
As a Captain II in the 1970’s I had the pleasure of working with Arliss Berenger at F.S.66-A. He was a kind of laid back “sage” to the younger members. A dry wit, a great mentor, and an excellent engineer. At his retirement dinner, he said people asked him why he was retiring. He said (he lived at the beach), “I noticed that while I was running on the beach that as I ran through the seagulls on the sand that they didn’t get up and fly away, so it must be time to retire.” A true class act!
Glenn Dinger
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LAFRA-
I first met Richard Houle in 1968 when he was hired by the City of Los Angeles Receiving Hospital Ambulance System. He was sent to be my driver in 77th Division. We were then known affectionately as the “brown bombers” and worked out of Police Stations. It became apparent in a heartbeat that Richard was a complicated guy who liked to do things his way. He had the ability to look at you and sometimes put fear into a person but that was his “gig.” We soon had worked together for about two years and then on July 1, 1970 were transferred to the fire department. Richard later became my room-mate and I really got to know him. Despite his hard outer core, there was a soft part of this man that really did exist. His “coat of armor” would soften considerably when not on duty. While I did see his tough outer shell frequently, he never turned on me when I occasionally told him to slow down when on “the whistle.” In fact, I recall as if it were yesterday (nearly 50 years ago) when he reached down into a filthy toilet to pick up a newborn that had been left at a Sears’ restroom to die and hand the baby to me as softly as he could have. There was goodness in Richard that most people did not see. We lost touch after several transfers and occasionally would meet up for lunch to talk history. From my perspective and even after lots of paperwork about Richard came across my desk which resulted in additional paperwork, I can say this: Even death was caught off guard when his time came.
Alan R. Cowen
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Andy-
Great talking to you, wish it could be more. Enclosed is a copy of Jan’s report from a trip we had to the South Pacific and Hawaii, overall a great trip. Also included is a copy of an Armed Forces Appreciation Day parade flyer where I was honored to be selected as Grand Marshal.
Take care,
George Fischer
Editor’s note: In addition to his 31 years with the LAFD, George Fischer spent a total of 42 years in the US Navy and Naval Reserve, serving on the USS Enterprise and the USS Ranger. In his spare time he flew 285 missions for the Civil Air Patrol. He also worked as a flight engineer for Pan American Airlines and a mechanic for Hawaiian Airlines.