The Memorial Wall at the Fire Museum of Memphis is one of 50 monuments featured in Etched in Stone: Enduring Words from Our Nation’s Monuments, a new book published by National Geographic.
The wall depicts a wounded firefighter being carried from the ruins of a burning building. Another firefighter slumps to the ground, exhausted. Beneath are the simple words: “The Alarm Rang, and We Answered.”
The wall “is a reminder to those who visit the museum, or even just catch a glimpse of the wall as they pass by, of the daily sacrifice of firefighters for their community,” says author Ryan Coonerty. The book “celebrates words that define America’s storied past and symbolize the drive of its people.”
Etched in Stone is divided into four major sections: “In Praise of Public Lives,” “Ordinary Heroes” (which includes the Fire Museum), “Bear Witness,” and “A More Perfect Union.
Memphis is in good company here. Other sites in the book include the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, the World Trade Center Memorial in New York City, the Statue of Liberty in New York City, and the Albert Einstein Memorial in Washington, D.C.
National Geographic has more information on the book.
