By: Maria Allard | Roseville-Eastpointe Eastsider | Published September 12, 2025
MOUNT CLEMENS — The 38 Macomb County first responders who have died in the line of duty were honored during the annual Macomb County Fallen Heroes Memorial ceremony held Sept. 11.
The remembrance, which included a 21-gun salute, was held in front of the Macomb County Courthouse, the location of the Fallen Heroes statue. The names of the fire and police personnel, their departments and their ends of watch — dating back to 1910 — are etched in the sculpture. Their memories live on each time someone visits the site or sits on a patio bench in front of the courthouse.
The ceremony began when the Roseville Honor Guard presented the colors, Jaremy Davis sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” and Roseville Fire Chaplain Mike Barthel provided the invocation.
Veteran advocate Pat Daniels remembered Frank Blowers, who designed the Fallen Heroes memorial. He also helped design the Roseville Fallen Heroes Memorial, and the Vietnam Memorial at Freedom Hill in Sterling Heights. Blowers, who grew up in Roseville, died in November 2024.
Blowers’ widow, Lynda Blowers, was presented with a folded U.S. flag in recognition for all he did for the community. Lynda Blowers said her husband served in the Army from 1965 to 1967 as a member of the 101st Airborne Division. He always had a soft spot for veterans, police officers and firefighters.
“He was involved in everything,” Lynda Blowers said. “He was just a passionate guy.”
The ceremony continued when retired Washington Township Fire Chief Dan Last read the names of the 38 first responders as Fraser public safety officer Robert Woonton rang a bell in their honor.
Gary Lewandowski and Bob Woonton, Robert Woonton’s dad, were among the event organizers. Lewandowski said the donations and fundraisers covered the costs of the memorial. He said it was dedicated in 2010.
Those who gathered last week also paid tribute to the nearly 3,000 victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, including the 343 police and firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice. As one of the guest speakers, Roseville Fire Chief Keith Jacobs reflected on the anniversary of that somber day.
“As all of you do, I remember Sept. 11, 2001, as if it was yesterday. I remember the confusion, the disbelief and the fear that we all experienced that morning,” said Jacobs, also the president of the Macomb County Fire Chiefs Association. “Then came the anger, followed by sadness and emptiness.”
Standing before the crowd, Jacobs said he felt pride when honoring the fallen heroes of that solemn day, and the local first responders who have made the ultimate sacrifice answering their last call to duty, responding to their final alarm or dispatcher’s call.
“These heroes didn’t hesitate to respond. They did not hesitate to put their lives in danger for a stranger who was scared, alone, reaching out for a hand in their darkest hour. We come together today with heavy hearts, but also with deep gratitude,” Jacobs said. “When the call came, whether it was a cry for help, a house in flames or a danger threatening our community, they did not hesitate. They stepped forward while others stepped back. They knew the risk, and they answered the call.”
Medstar paramedic Barrett Johnson was a sophomore in high school when “the towers were hit.”
“We were dismissed from school and sent home,” Johnson said. “It was hard for me to understand how this heinous act could ever happen. I think about all the lives lost that day. Those individuals saying goodbye to their loved ones for the last time. Wives, husbands and children left behind. It breaks my heart.
“Time goes on. We heal and cope,” Johnson said. “We honor those that lost their lives that day by continuing to do our job. To save the people we can, to help those in need, to remember why we do this.”
The evening ended with taps by retired Roseville Police Detective Sgt. Keith Waller, and a rendition of “Amazing Grace” by the Metro Detroit Pipes & Drums.