It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon for the dedication ceremony of a memorial to honor the five Plymouth Firefighters that were killed while responding to a house fire at Lake Latonka in 1982. An estimated 300 people attended the ceremony Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. near the site where Alphonse Kriscunas, Dane Hoffhien, Randall Hansen, Gary Van Vactor and Brian Samuels were killed.
Plymouth Fire Chief Rod Miller welcomed those gathered at the corner of State Road 17 and Sycamore Road and said “I won’t go in depth on what happened at this place in 1982 but just south of us at about the third utility pole is where engine 5 came to rest. It took five of our six that were on the engine that day.”
West Township Trustee Terry Borggren was the person behind the idea and plan for the memorial. He’s been asked by several why he decided to do something now and said, “My simple answer to that is that I felt it had to be done, it should have been done a long time ago and it just needs to be done.” He said it was on his bucket list to complete as the West Township Trustee. An inscription on the back of monument says “This memorial has been provided by the residents of West Township and placed on the location of the West Township School. Thank you to all firefighters for your dedication and service to our community.”
Borggren also read a statement from U.S. Senator Coats.
Mayor Mark Senter said, “Not too many communities have gone through what ours did in July 1982. Five lives lost in one day in any city or town is dreadful. But when it is five members of a fire department it is unusually horrific. Horrific for a city of 8,000 at the time. Horrific for a department of 24 volunteers and 6 full timers, and horrific for five families.” Senter also read a letter from Governor Michael Pence.
Congressman Jackie Walorski had a prior engagement and was unable to attend. A statement was read on her behalf. Senator Joe Donnelly was detained in Washington D.C. and unable to attend, a staff member commented on his behalf.
Wayne Smith, Plymouth Fire Chief at the time of the tragedy said, “I’m kind of choked up. Back in 9182 it was a tragic day, the darkest day in the City of Plymouth, West Township and Center Township for our firefighters.” He expressed his gratitude to Terry Borggren and the people of West Township for erecting the monument. Smith said, “We will never forget and this monument gives us the opportunity so no one will ever forget what happened back then.”
