Fortunately, it's not very often that a name is added to the Fort Worth Police and Firefighter Memorial.
But after a ceremony on Tuesday morning, 40 firefighters' names are now engraved in stone.
To the sounds of bagpipes and the ringing of a bell, signifying the end of watch, dozens gathered at the memorial to honor the latest firefighter to have his name placed on the wall.
William Thompson's name was engraved prior to the ceremony, just like his 39 other brethren honored there. However, Thompson's story is different, as he is the first retired firefighter to get such an honor as his death wasn't as sudden as those the city has lost before.
"This was a 25-year-long hard process for him and his family," said friend Paul Measles, a fellow firefighter and family spokesman.
"He suffered a long time," said Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price.
"But William was a trooper, he continued working until his retirement," Measles said. "Now he wasn't on a fire apparatus any longer the last years on the job due to his injury, but he was a dispatcher. So he still served the citizens of Fort Worth."
Thompson served for 22 years, but it was the illegal chemical dump site fire in his first year on the job in 1988 that caused respiratory problems and illnesses that he fought until his death.
"His symptoms got worse over time and ultimately cost him his life," Measles said.
He died April 28, 2014, but his family never stopped fighting to honor their husband, father and grandfather.
"This is good closure for us and the family," said fire spokesman Lt. Kyle Falkner. "We supported the family's effort to get the designation of 'line of duty death.'"
That designation earned Thompson the right to be memorialized with his name in stone, so no one forgets and so that his family can have closure.
"He made the ultimate sacrifice," Price said during the ceremony.
"This has been a hard battle, it's been hard on the family," Measles said. "But, once again, the ultimate end was his name on that wall to recognize his service and sacrifice for the citizens of Fort Worth."
The last Fort Worth Fire Department line-of-duty death occurred in 2009.
Price said even one name on the wall is one too many.
