Campy's Editorial Page
Heroes....
Oscar Armstrong with
his 5-year-old sons, Isaiah (left) and Oscar IV.
(Family photo)
March 23, 2003
By: Matt McGowan
With our country at war and all the problems within our city, we sometimes forget about the heroes we see everyday, right here in our hometown.
Oscar Armstrong was one of those heroes. Armstrong, a Cincinnati Firefighter, was on a hose line fighting a three-alarm residential fire Friday morning when a flashover, described as a superheated eruption of flames, took his life. He was 25 years old.
Police Officers and Firefighters put their lives on the line everyday to protect their communities. Some of us, especially here in Cincinnati, all too often take that for granted. Sometimes it seems we only remember this when one of them makes the ultimate sacrifice while protecting their community, just as Oscar Armstrong did.
Armstrong was the father of two 5-year-old boys, and his fiancée is expecting his third child in August. If you'd like to help his family, a memorial fund, The Oscar Armstrong III Cincinnati Firefighter Engine No. 9 Memorial Fund, has been established at Fifth Third Bank to support Armstrong's children. The account number is 20311455.
And the next time you see a police officer, firefighter, EMT, or any one of the other many local heroes we all see everyday, don't forget to say "Thank you." For some, it might be their last chance to hear how truly grateful we all are for the job they do.
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