HUNTINGTON, NY — Henry Gerdes, a lifelong resident of Huntington who served in World War II and was a member of the Huntington Fire Department for 83 years, died on June 13. He was 103.
Gerdes was an “irreplaceable” member of the department, said Sean Schwier, chief of the Huntington Fire Department. He was the longest serving member of the department and the last one to serve at the Main Street firehouse, which closed in 1958.
“Henry’s knowledge and memory of the Huntington Fire Department and the town itself is something that will be missed but not forgotten,” Schwier told Patch.
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Gerdes earned a Bronze Star and Purple Heart during his army service. He was remembered for his activity within the Huntington Fire Department, having served as secretary of the hose company for more than 50 years. He never missed meetings until the coronavirus pandemic, but he would still phone in each month to let his chief or captain know he could not attend.
“Henry was truly one of a kind and part of a great generation that will never be forgotten,” Schwier said. “There’s so much more I could say about Henry.”
Schwier, who is 36, has been a member of the department for nearly 19 years. He knew Gerdes for most of his own life.
“That’s just a portion of his life,” Schwier said. “I can’t even speak for all the things I’m sure that man has done for this department and this town going back generations ago.”
Most current fire department members don’t have memories of Gerdes riding the back of the firetruck and putting out blazes, as people who have 40 years of experience now joined when Gerdes already had four decades under his belt.
When Gerdes could no longer take a hose line and douse a fire himself, he assumed other responsibilities: driving the firetruck, assuming dispatcher duties, preparing the firehouse for when firefighters returned from calls, and taking on administrative duties like roll call.
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Gerdes’s constant presence in the firehouse is something Schwier said was instilled onto him.
“His care and love of the fire department, his drive to be here all the time, that’s something I definitely instill from him,” he said. “He was always here. Even growing up as a child, Henry was always here.”
The Town of Huntington mourned the loss of Gerdes.
“Thank you, Mr. Gerdes, for your many years of service to our community and our nation,” Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth wrote on Facebook.
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