# 1 > Looking back over the years, things have really changed,65 years ago at the age of 15, I was voted in as a Junior member, later on I was voted in as president of the junior's, at 20, I became a driver operator, trucks, ambulance, with training. At 21 became fire police,I was asked to be Assistant Director of the Ambulance Board. Last year the wife and I went back to our old home town, called Linwood Pa. I visited the fire station, I asked did you know Chief of Police Russel Chaney? He was chief for 25 years, and guess what? No one ever heard of him. As we looked around, there was no one knew us, the people we knew are gone, some have past away. Our home town!! called Linwood, Pa. it is a small town about 1.4 miles long, 1.0 miles wide, this was back in the day! I'm talking about 65 years ago. Did thing change? Back in the day we never wore gear, fighting a fire, I used to see the truck coming down the street, I ran and jump for the back bar, if you missed, well God bless you. I never missed in all the times I did it.

#  2  >  The town of Linwood had two Fire Departments, in the town, one was Linwood, the other was called Friendship, they had more apparatus, than the City Chester Pa. had. Over the years they did away with Friendship, today it is called Lower Chi Chester Township, Station 39. They have one of the trucks from Friendship. On the front of it they keep the name Friendship. The ambulance they did away with it, it is in another town, Marcus Hook Pa. One mile away from Linwood.

My brother was Assistant Chief, I followed in his foot steps.

#  3  > I saw a lot of tragedy in life, that I will never forget. I always like to stay back, when we get an alarm. Why? Linwood had an 1948 International brush truck, also it was also used for lights at night time. No one like that truck, because, it was manuel shift, [ stick shift ] you had to double cluch it, to get in gear, sometimes 3 times. I had that all paddet down. It was always used for something, at any alarm they had. I would say, that's my truck. No one wanted to drive it, because of shifting it in gear. I always made sure it rolled out. It's just a lot of fun. I took everything serious. I was always a company man. That old 48 International was bought used, members would say we are going backwards. I agree. Then I looked at this way, it was my truck after all. ( Smileeeee!!!! ).

When I was 15 years old, my first fire was a traven, I rode shot gun on a 1934 huhn. The first peace out was a 1947 Ward Lafrance. I was the only one in the firehouse, and the driver, that's why I got to ride shot gun. The company had only 2 trucks, a 1947 Ward Lafrance, and a 1934 huhn. Pluse a 1947 Cadlace ambulance, all white. Those days I will remember for the rest of my life. Later on in years, we bought a new truck, 1956 Ward Lafrance. Later on I became Assistent Director of the Ambulance board, In the year of 1964, we bought a new ambulance. In 1956 they got rid of the 1934 huhn. Myself I think they should of restore the old huhn.