In the light of day, the firefighter sculpture installed at a small Naperville plaza along Jefferson Avenue appears to be in action, leaning forward and resting all its weight on the ball of one foot.
But when night falls, beams of light shining toward the sky create the illusion of a ladder, completing the powerful and symbolic imagery that so acutely memorializes the four members of the Naperville Fire Department who have lost their lives, said Phil Giannattasio, division chief of support services.
Installed and dedicated during a more private event last December, the "Ladder of Light" sculpture served as a new focal point of the fire department's annual fallen firefighter memorial ceremony Thursday night.
The event honors all firefighters who have died in the line of duty, with special recognition given to those who served in Naperville, as well as their families, Giannattasio said. Lt. Richard Rechenmacher, engineer Jerry Herring and firefighter Bernard Petrowski were killed in a fire truck crash in 1970. Lt. G.S. Winckler died during a training exercise more than 20 years later.
Their names were memorialized for years on a boulder at the center of the plaza, 1072 W. Jefferson Ave. Updating the site with a more pertinent memorial was a longtime goal of Chief Mark Puknaitis, who addressed the crowd during Thursday's event.
Other guest speakers included Mayor Steve Chirico and Naperville artist Paul Kuhn, who designed and created the "Ladder of Light" sculpture. The installation also is the 51st piece sponsored by the Century Walk Corp.
"At large, this new sculpture brings a lot of notoriety and pride to honoring those four members and all fallen firefighters," Giannattasio said. "The statue and lighting and permanence of it absolutely highlights the pride we have in the job we do and (ensures) the memories of those four men live on in future generations."
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May 28, 2021 at 10:07AM
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Beams of light bring sculpture to life, honor fallen firefighters at Naperville ceremony - Daily Herald
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