The bravery and heroic actions of two Kansas City firefighters was made evident on Monday, October 12, 2015 when Larry Leggio and John Mesh risked their lives in a burning apartment to save two trapped residents. The civilians escaped unharmed, thanks to the help of these two firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice and were killed from injuries resulting from the building collapse. Junior Taylor Mesh’s uncle was one of those firefighters.

  “They’re definitely heroes. Every single one of them. Firefighters risk their lives to save others and they don’t ask for much in return,” junior Taylor Mesh said.

   In the aftermaths of the tragedy, firefighters from around the country came to stand by the fallen heroes and offer their condolences to the fragile families.  

   “The fire department has been extremely supportive. They’ve done numerous things to help my family, my aunt, and my four cousins. My Uncle John had four daughters: a senior, a junior, an eighth grader, and a 5th grader and it was really hard for them to deal with the loss of their dad,” Mesh said.

   The entire Kansas City community has rallied around these men offering honor and respect to Larry Leggio and John Mesh during a moment of silence at Kauffman Stadium. The Kansas City Royals have also brought joy to the faces of mourning families with their World Series win.  

  “We went to the Royals World Series Parade and my family got to sit in front of Union Station and meet all of the Royals team’s family members. At the end we went back into Union Station to talk to some of the players and that’s when I got a picture with Salvador. Volquez gave us hugs and took a selfie with us which was pretty cool because we are all huge Royals fans. Seeing my cousins smile was really good because they haven’t been smiling much lately,” Mesh said.

  For family members of the fallen firefighters the grieving process is an on-going and arduous struggle to cope with the reality of their loss.

   “I miss him, we all miss him. It’s just crazy that it’s about to be a month since it’s happened. It doesn’t seem real. I think it still hasn’t hit me,” Mesh said.  

  Although nothing can replace the loss of a family member, solace and support from the Kansas City community has touched the hearts of these widowed families.

  “Through all of this stuff everyone’s been super supportive. The Sprint Center held a big memorial service like a remembrance. When we were escorted there the highways had been blocked off on both sides with firetrucks. People were just stopped in the middle of the highway on the other side and got out of their cars and were saluting us. Random people. It honestly gave me the chills,” Mesh said.

   Memories of John Mesh and Larry Leggio will forever reside in their voluntarily sacrifice of their lives for their neighbors.

  “My Uncle John is a hero. He was really young. He was 39 and would turn 40 next August. His sacrifice just shows how caring he is. Even though he wasn’t big into people besides his family, he was still willing risk his life to save others. I think that shows a lot about him,” Mesh said.