05/01/2008

Associated Press

Two Medford firefighters killed in the crash of an all-terrain vehicle were remembered Wednesday for their dedication to their jobs and their senses of humor.

Gale Gurr, 37, and John Wells, 51, were off duty last week when their vehicle on a steep slope near Jacksonville tumbled end over end and hit a tree.

About 2,000 people, some in a tent outside, attended a memorial service at Mountain Christian Fellowship that lasted two hours.

It was followed by a procession of 65 emergency vehicles and fire engines, black sashes across grills, that included vehicles from Coos Bay, Springfield, Sunriver, Wolf Creek, Klamath County, Hillsboro and Bend.

The procession was circled by eight search and rescue helicopters and a helicopter carrying a large American flag. Hundreds of people lined the streets in downtown Medford.

"As a firefighter you don't have co-workers, you have family members," said Lance Gray, president of the local firefighters union board. "That's why we use the word 'brotherhood.' "

Bob Wells, brother of John Wells and a retired captain with the fire department in San Jose, Calif., told the crowd that Wednesday would be the last time he would wear a firefighter's uniform.

"They will always be young and beautiful," Wells said of the two men, both of whom left behind wives and children.

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Information from: Mail Tribune, http://www.mailtribune.com/