Bob Sytsema
Sharon and Fam==I've been thinking about time I spent with Dick since I heard of his death, and have come up with far more happy and funny ones than sad times. I was assigned to Station One where Dick was "day man" when I became a fulltime firefighter. My first week we put a new fire engine in service, which required some metal work, wood working, and a lot more planning than I could handle. Things didn't always quite match up correctly and I was always told, "We're not building a watch". He and I responded to a woods fire at Whitey's Woods in a brush truck which was actually a recycled Army Jeep pickup with a j pump, water tank and roll bars. Dick insisted this thing could go through anything. When we got to the Woods and knew where we had to go, he said, "Huh. I thought there was a trail here? Oh well..." and we proceeded to make our own road through the woods. We knocked down bushes. We rode over logs, we bounced off the trees we didn't knock over. I hung on for dear life while Dick had the time of his life. We almost made it to the fire when it was called under control and we were told to return to station. There are no parking lots to turn around in Whitey's Woods. We had to back out. When we got back to Station One, Dick was driving something that looked more like a float in a Santa Claus parade than a fire truck. We had managed to wedge an evergreen in the front bumper guard rails, another small tree stuck in the back bumper hitch, and Dick had to pull a big branch off the right side of the truck before I could open my door and get out. I had to agree with him. That truck could go anywhere--as long as Dick drove it. I know his family was very important to him. I hope you are able to share stories that are happy and loving, and that they quickly overtake the pain you all feel now.