North East Firefighter to be added Memorial Wall

The name of a fallen North East Fire Company firefighter who died in the line of duty 55 years ago will be added to the Maryland Fire Rescue Services Memorial Wall of Honor during ceremonies in June 2019.  Stewart W. Godwin, 56, died on Dec. 8, 1963, after collapsing at the scene of the plane crash at the edge of Elkton. 

When Pan Am Flight 214 went down just before 9 p.m. that Sunday, a general alarm went out for all available ambulances.  The North East Fire Company responded, and while they searched the debris field for survivors, Mr. Godwin, a crewmember of the North East unit, suddenly collapsed about 1:30 a.m. into the arms of Andrew Scarborough, another North East member, the News Journal reported.  He had been a member of the fire company for 18 months, according to the newspaper.

Pan Am Flight 214 was in a holding pattern above Cecil County, awaiting clearance to land in Philadelphia when it was struck by lightning. George Hollenbaugh, Vice President of the North East Fire Company, developed the nomination for the company, working to ensure that this fallen Cecil County firefighter will be remembered.