Community honors fallen firefighter

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Fort Wayne and the surrounding area honored a fallen hero Friday.  Mark Haudenschild II was remembered by his peers and loved ones.  Hundreds, if not thousands of people, took part in a day-long event to honor the Washington Township firefighter.

Haudenschild was killed in the line of duty Sunday night.   He was 26-years-old.

PHOTOS: Mark Haudenschild II is laid to rest

Haudenschild was taken through the city Friday morning.  According to Brian Gillett, the fire chief in Washington Township, close to thousand people lined up to pay their respects.

"The two schools that brought all the school kids out, and waved flags and held up signs, they don't know how much that helps us," Gillett said.

Angela Starr Haudenschild, Mark's older sister, said she could see the procession and the amount of people coming out to participate from her hotel room.

"I couldn't believe it," she said.  "It was all for him.  It's how he would have wanted it.  Firefighter standards.  That's what he would have wanted."

The procession ended at D.O. McComb and Sons on East Dupont Road.  From there, hundreds more came out for visitation.  Many visitors were firefighters.  They came from all corners of Indiana, and others came from out of state.

"We don't do anything by ourselves at a fire scene or a crash scene," Gillett said.  "In this case, we don't do this by ourselves."

Gillett added he expects many more firefighters to visit Saturday for Haudenschild's funeral service .

Gillett said many people inside for the viewing were grieving the loss of a loved one.  At the same time, others were sharing smiles, and celebrating Haudenschild's life.

"He always had a smile on, and he definitely loved his kids," Starr Haudenschild said.  "Those little ones were his life.  Them and his wife, Janet, were his life."

Gillett encouraged anyone who can not attended Saturday's services, but wanted to participate, to place an American flag out in their yard.