Fire trucks and engines from around the country including the San Gabriel Valley honored the 19 firefighters killed more than a week ago as they were fighting the fast-moving Yarnell Hill fire in Arizona.
Vice President Biden and Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, presented the family members of those killed with American and Arizona flags, as well as a bronze Pulaski tool during the large memorial service.
The pulaski is a special hand tool used in wildland firefighting.The tool combines an axe and an adze in one head, similar to that of the cutter mattock, with a rigid handle of wood, plastic, or fiberglass. The pulaski is a versatile tool for constructing firebreaks, as it can be used to both dig soil and chop wood.