The City of Baytown will honor the sacrifices of its fallen firefighters with the unveiling of “A Breath of Valor,” Saturday, May 16, at 3 p.m. at the City’s Bicentennial Park, 1001 Market Street. The public is invited to join City officials and past and present members of the Baytown Fire Department as they dedicate this beautiful and touching tribute to our local heroes.
The life-sized bronze statue, which stands 77” tall, and depicts a firefighter carrying a young child to safety, will be ensconced on a granite base inscribed with the names of three Baytown Firefighters killed in the line of duty: Charles Williamson (July 25, 1955), Henry Rowe (December 30, 1975), and Nito Guajardo (December 20, 2004). The memorial is dedicated “in tribute to those who gave all.” The path leading to the memorial contains commemorative pavers donated by supporters of both the memorial itself, and of the Baytown Fire Department. The Memorial design and funding was a joint effort of the City of Baytown, the Baytown Professional Firefighters Association Local 1173 and the Baytown Life Safety Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 organization dedicated to life safety initiatives in Baytown.
“The Fallen Firefighter Memorial will be a monument to the spirit, commitment, and sacrifice of those firefighters who gave their lives in the line of duty,” said Fire Chief Shon Blake. “We hope it will give the citizens of Baytown a place to honor these firefighters and inspire young men and women to follow in their brave footsteps.”
The sculpture is the work of artist Edd Hayes, whose work includes “The Champ,” a 27 ft. tall bronze statue of Rodeo Superstar Casey Tibbs, located at the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Museum in Colorado Springs; “Wild and Free,” located next to Reliant
Stadium; “The Struggle - Man and Energy”, at Energy Plaza in Houston; and “Aggie Spirit, The Tradition Lives,” in College Station. In 1999 Hayes was recognized and honored by his home state when the Texas State Senate and 76th Legislature named Edd Hayes as Official Texas State Sculptor.