I remember thinking about who this guy was, and after talking to people I found out who he was.
So, that began many days of on air banter between the units, remember the drawl??? (said in that raspy voice of his) "arrrrrrhhhhhhhh car 52 are you telling me that you have a working fire in Woburn????" or "Arrrrrhhhh 52 we cant read you, try moving to a different area and try it again...." Man, those were the days. Back when we had fires! LOL.
As MRS changed and evolved in those years, Julie introduced me to many of the other old MRS names - Gad, Ansin, Mullowney, Brigham, and Jay Bourgious (Newton Jake founder of MRS - what a character he was! lol) just to name a few. And dare I say we all hit off pretty well. We should have, we were all seeking that goal - to catch the big one, and in some cases, either put it out, or at least put it on film.
Every now and again, Julie would call (wow we didn't have email back then!) and ask for a photo or if I would do a story for the newsletter - MetroRadioWaves - remember that? I actually looked forward to getting my copy of that in the mail. I still have many of those here in a box in my garage. I may break them out one of these days.
I also attended some of the MRS Board Meetings held in the "bunker" in Brookline. What an intense place that was! Those were interesting meetings, and much was done to further MRS in those days.
Fast forward a few years, and Julie and I lost touch... not really, it's just that I had retired from MRS and was extremely busy trying to get my photography off the ground. I would always see him at all the required buff events - Lynnfield, the MRS Flea Market, the Holiday Dinner to name but a few. I would see him at fires and I remember one night at 174. Not a wheel turned, but the coffee and the stories flowed like water, and he had several of us enraptured with his fire buffing story's.
The last time I saw Julie, was about 18 months ago - Al Fay from Burlington called and told me that Julie was going to put on his film show for the Middlesex County Fire Wardens, and would I come by to take some photos for the newspaper.
I am so glad I went to the station that night, for what I saw was just amazing - Julie's films were sharp, and full of action, and when it came to Our Lady of Angels, I do not think there was a dry eye in the house. Honestly, you all know what a noisy place a firehouse can be - any firehouse in the world, but not that night - you could have heard a pin drop as Julie told about filming that, and the tragedy that it was.
Well, the rumours swirled that night about his health, and someone even went so far as to say that he might not be able to give another show - ever again. And I left there that night glad to have seen him, glad to have known him, an happy to be able to say I was at least his acquaintance, if not a friend.
Goodbye my friend and may God Bless you, and your family, keep them safe, and keep you at his right hand.
These photos are from the night in Burlington - Julie doing his presentation, and accepting a model rescue from retired Burlington firefighter Al Fay.
