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West families hold private firework memorial

Posted at 10:54 PM, Apr 16, 2014
and last updated 2014-04-17 09:21:00-04

In a powerful ceremony, West families gather for a ceremony to remember the fallen first responders from the explosion.

It was a private gathering of families and first responders of those who died in the explosion Wednesday night. Only a few people were allowed, but media was allowed a few hundred yards away from the Knights of Columbus Hall. From that distance, sounds of the ceremony could be heard.

It started off with a prayer shortly after dark. Then the fireworks started, sporadically, during the national anthem. Throughout the next 20 minutes the fireworks went off every few minutes while Amazing Grace was played and during Taps. They also called the names of each first responder who was killed in the blast. 12 fireworks went off and during some, cheers erupted in memory of the fallen.

Finally a lone firework went off and it slowly faded away.

One person said over the loudspeaker, the fallen will always live in our minds and in our hearts.