Firefighters show support for troops with special shirts By Liz Hoffman One by one, fire departments along the South Shore are going red. Seventeen departments have joined the “Red Shirt Fridays” program, trading in their blue summer uniform shirts for red ones on Fridays to support American troops overseas. And with the nation’s 222nd birthday still fresh in the rearview mirror, four others are planning to do so. The Boston Fire Department was the first in the area to don the specially made shirts, doing so last spring. Since then, several local firefighter unions and organizations have adopted the tradition, which is spreading across the United States and Canada. Military veterans fill the ranks of many fire departments, while others are holding positions for reservists now serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. “It’s kind of a shout-out to them,” said Jamie Meier, a Canton firefighter. Marshfield firefighter Eric Morgan brought the idea to Chief Kevin Robinson earlier this month. “There are so many veterans that end up in police and fire departments,” said Morgan, who was in the Navy from 1993 to 1997. “This seemed like a good way to include them and support other people still over there.” Robinson checked with uniform regulations and OK’d the plan. Last week, Marshfield firefighters donned the shirts, which bear a “Support Our Troops” logo on the left sleeve, for the first time. Sixteen other departments currently wear the shirts on ...
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Firefighters show support for troops with special shirts By Liz Hoffman One by one, fire departments along the South Shore are going red. Seventeen departments have joined the “Red Shirt Fridays” program, trading in their blue summer uniform shirts for red ones on Fridays to support American troops overseas. And with the nation’s 222nd birthday still fresh in the rearview mirror, four others are planning to do so. The Boston Fire Department was the first in the area to don the specially made shirts, doing so last spring. Since then, several local firefighter unions and organizations have adopted the tradition, which is spreading across the United States and Canada. Military veterans fill the ranks of many fire departments, while others are holding positions for reservists now serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. “It’s kind of a shout-out to them,” said Jamie Meier, a Canton firefighter. Marshfield firefighter Eric Morgan brought the idea to Chief Kevin Robinson earlier this month. “There are so many veterans that end up in police and fire departments,” said Morgan, who was in the Navy from 1993 to 1997. “This seemed like a good way to include them and support other people still over there.” Robinson checked with uniform regulations and OK’d the plan. Last week, Marshfield firefighters donned the shirts, which bear a “Support Our Troops” logo on the left sleeve, for the first time. Sixteen other departments currently wear the shirts on ...