A permanent memorial dedicated to fallen firefighters John Mesh and Larry Leggio was revealed at the Kansas City Museum on Friday.
The memorial will be at the museum for the next two weeks as part of an exhibit called "In the Line of Duty: A History of the Kansas City Fire Department" until it is moved to the site of the fire on Independence Ave. that killed the two men in October 2015.
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Many friends and family members were on hand for the memorial dedication on Friday, just two days after the one-year anniversary of the tragic fire.
"If I'm not glowing on the outside, I feel like I'm glowing on the inside," explained Missy Leggio, the widow of Larry Leggio. "I'm so happy that we're moving and making steps forward to make a permanent memorial."
The memorial was made using an 800-pound black granite stone imported from India. It features a special dedication alongside the badges and badge numbers of the fallen firefighters.
Memorial for fallen @KCMOFireDept firefighters John Mesh and Larry Leggio revealed at @KC_Museum pic.twitter.com/CX9lwndnWo
— Tom Dempsey (@KCTomDempsey) October 14, 2016
After seeing the memorial for the first time, Missy Leggio said she first noticed a picture of her husband in the top left corner.
"The top smile is his classic, infectious smile," she said, while looking at the memorial. "That's the smile I fell in love with. He flashed it at me once and it was over."
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Another picture of Larry Leggio featured at the bottom left of the memorial was close to the heart of his brother, Joe.
"It was at his wedding five years ago," he said, smiling when telling the story. "It was him smiling after I gave the toast. I was Best Man in his wedding, and I made a crack about him."
The memorial will eventually be placed on the west wall of Snyder's Grocery Store, just steps from where the men died on the night of the fire.
John Mesh's brother, Jim, said it would be tough visiting the site, but it will serve as a special place for reflection for the families.
"I'm glad that it's going to be somewhere that our families can go," he said.
With just two days removed from the anniversary, Jim said he was looking forward to moving on from a personally tough year.
"It's been a year of firsts, like the first Thanksgiving without him," he explained "But this (last week) has been the hardest of the whole year."
Planners expect to move the memorial to the outside wall of Snyder's Grocery Store in early November.
Moving forward, the families said the memorial was a great honor for the men who gave it their all.
"It's an incredible and honorable thing," said Joe Leggio. "It's very fitting to honor two guys that gave the ultimate sacrifice."
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Tom Dempsey can be reached at Tom.Dempsey@KSHB.com.
