This June 30th marked a solemn day for Arizona and wild firefighters. Nineteen Granite Mountain Hotshots lost their lives fighting the Yarnell Hill fire ten years before him to this day.

Last Friday afternoon at the Yavapai County Courthouse in Prescott, the Granite Mountain Hotshot Memorial Team hosted a public memorial service to honor the 19 firefighters.

Speakers included Prescott Fire Chief Holger Dule and Mayor Phil Goode, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, State Forester Thomas Torres, and crashed Granite Mountain favorite Andrew Ashcraft. Included was his son, Ryder Ashcraft. Brendan McDonough, a surviving member of the 20-member Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew, read the Hotshot Prayer. The hour-and-a-half-long commemorative ceremony included a honor guard presentation, pipe and drum performances, and a high-flying flight of missing persons from Luke Air Force Base. The event ended with 19 bells ringing as Mr. Doure read out the man’s name, the fire department observed a 19-second silence, and the courthouse bells were rung 19 times.

“My fervent desire is that we never really forget,” Goode said, adding that he remembered John 15:13.

to reflect 10 daysanniversary In the aftermath of the Hotshot loss, both the City of Prescott and Governor Hobbes drafted a proclamation declaring June 30 as Granite Mountain Hotshot Day. Mr. Hobbes read her declaration from the speaker’s podium.

“I adopted my father’s motto and chose to ‘be better,'” said Ryder Ashcraft, who was 6 when the June 30, 2013 tragedy struck. “My intentional determination to live my life as a better person every day is how I remember him and honor him. So do our 18 fellow crew members, but now they have to save lives through us.” ‘ and added that the choice was reached. “I stand here to prove that gratitude is the answer to grief.”

In another ceremony prior to the memorial, a mural was unveiled on June 28th honoring the 19 hotshots. Painted by Phoenix artist Katie Von Krall, this mural flanks the Prescott Chamber of Commerce building. The Chamber of Commerce hosted the opening with Secretary Douret.

The Wildlands Firefighters Foundation paid tribute to the 19 men on June 30, posting the following on Facebook: . . As we remember them, let’s also remember to support each other and honor their memory by ensuring the family they left behind is never forgotten. ”

Hotshot’s memory and heritage site, including the crash site, is also preserved at Granite Mountain Hotshot Memorial State Park outside the town of Yarnell. Visit AZStateParks.com/hotshots for articles and park information about each downed firefighter.