Community Corner

9/11 Memorial to Recognize Area Firefighters Killed in Line of Duty

A dedication ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11.

A memorial recognizing two area firefighters killed in the line of duty wil officially be unveiled on Sept. 11. 

The 9/11 firefighters memorial, which will be located at , 501 Harrison St. in Algonquin, is also meant to recognize all of those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2011. The dedication ceremony will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday and is open to the public, according to an Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District press release. 

The Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Association raised funds for the memorial and was able to secure a 15-foot section of the World Trade Center to be included as part of the memorial. 

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 will dedicate the memorial to Edwin LeRoy "Roy" Benson and Capt. G.D. "Mac" McIntyre—the only two firefighters in the district's history that died in the line of duty. 

Benson died on April 6, 1967 while advancing a hose line at a residential fire, according to the news release. McIntrye died while returning to quarter after an emergency incident on May 23, 1976. 

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McIntyre was a volunteer fireman with the Algonquin Volunteer Fire Department for 24 years. He was a Captain with this department at the time of his death. He worked for the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad and was also civil defense director for the village of Algonquin. 

Benson was operator of the Algonquin station on Main Street from 1952 until the time of his death. He was also a member of the Algonquin Volunteer Fire Department, McHenry County Firemen's Association, the Illinois Fireman's Association, the Algonquin Businessmen's Association and the American Legion Post 670 in Algonquin.

Benson owned the Sinclair Gas Station at 7 North Main Street. 

This project has been entirely paid for by donations and fund-raising efforts. Some funds are still needed for the continued upkeep of the Firefighters Memorial. If you would like to donate, checks can be mailed to: Algonquin Firefighters Association, 1020 W. Algonquin Rd. Lake in the Hills IL, 60156. If you have questions regarding the Firefighters Memorial, please e-mail alglithffmemorial@gmail.com.


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