Sandy Hook victim Daniel Barden given a firefighters memorial
Sandy Hook kindergartner Daniel Barden always dreamed of growing up to be firefighter like his uncles, who he admired greatly.
Wednesday the seven-year-old was laid to rest and remembered by family, friends and more than 100 firefighters from New York City, Simsbury, New London, Lyme and elsewhere.
They lined the long driveway on both sides, from the curb to the large wooden doors of Saint Rose of Lima Church. They stood at attention in dress uniform as his grief-stricken family passed by in the funeral procession.
Some played bagpipes.
“Daniel wanted to be a firefighter when he grew up, I’m told,” said Steve Elliott to RadarOnline, a firefighter with New York’s Ladder 23, who made the trip from Manhattan. “He has two uncles in the service and the word just spread. On Facebook, on Twitter, everyone just got right in their cars and drove.”
“We’re here to show our support for this community like our community was deeply affected after 9/11. We’re here to return the favor,” said Lt. Eddy Boles, another NYC firefighter.
The family described him as the “light of their life,” the smiling boy was imaginative and outgoing, enjoying nothing more than playing drums in a band with his brother, James, 12, and sister, Natalie, 10.
“Our son had so much love to give to this world, and he was supposed to have a whole lifetime of bringing that light to the world. All of us have suffered a loss because that won’t be realized,” Daniel’s father Mark told Katie Couric in an interview.