A photo taken from the scene of the deadly October 12, 2015 fire that took the lives of KCFD firefighters John Mesh and Larry Leggio. Photo courtesy of unknown KCFD firefighter.

Northeast News

October 7, 2016

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – The one year anniversary of the tragic October fire that took the lives of local firefighters and heroes John Mesh and Larry Leggio is approaching, and an effort is underway to make sure those brave men won’t be forgotten. Coinciding with the opening of a new Kansas City Museum exhibit entitled In the Line of Duty: A history of the Kansas City Missouri Fire Department, a permanent memorial to Mesh and Leggio will be revealed and officially dedicated on Friday, October 14th, at the Museum. The Museum’s fire department history exhibit officially opens the next day.

“These men made the ultimate sacrifice protecting our business and this community,” said Jennelle James, General Manager of the Snyder’s Supermarket that was a scant few feet from the blaze and faced the alley where the wall exploded and claimed the two firefighter’s lives. “They shouldn’t be forgotten. This is something really important to our family here at Snyder’s, which is why we wanted this memorial to happen.”

Enter Northeast News publisher Michael Bushnell, who was covering the fire from inside the perimeter and witnessed both men being dragged from under the rubble and loaded into ambulances.

“Something needed to be done so the community could remember these heroes,” said Bushnell. “Something permanent that would stand as a reminder of all the good these Northeast born and bred heroes did in their lives.”

The memorial itself is an almost four-foot square of black granite imported from India that will be permanently etched with images of the two men, their badges with badge numbers, and a short dedication in the middle of the stone.

“When I got the call I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of,” said Brad Pence of Pence Enterprises, who’s donating over half the cost of the stone as well as the laser etching and carving of the memorial. “They gave their lives for this community. This was the least we could have done.”

“Larry and John were great firefighters,” said William Glavin, President of IAFF Local 42. “They died bravely doing what they did best – helping others. We are honored to call them brothers. We miss them. May we never forget.”

The memorial will remain on display at the Museum for approximately two weeks, then will be installed in the west wall of Snyder’s Supermarket in early November.