Dunn served as a firefighter with Carl Junction for more than five decades before his death from cancer in 2017. Ruby Dunn said she was unaware the firefighters had been planning the station’s memorial and was shocked when she saw it for the first time.  

“I had gone to the bank to cash a check, and the teller said, ‘Did you notice the new awning?’ and I said no,” she said. “I looked out the window, and I saw it was red. I thought it looked really nice. Then I saw what it said, and I couldn’t drive past it and look. I had to come home and look at it later. It was just overwhelming to see it. I can’t always look right now, but when I do, I just say, ‘Thank you, Lord.’"

Joe Perkins, now the chief of the district, said the crew began planning the memorial when Dunn first became sick. The crew didn't tell anyone, including Dunn's wife, in order to keep it a surprise.

Town, county and state officials gathered Sunday in the lofty bay that will house the town’s trucks, but was emptied for the occasion to sit the dozens of guests, family, friends and fellow first responders who came to celebrate the opening.  

“We’re just extremely humbled and blessed by this beautiful building provided for us,” said Ware Shoals Fire Chief Rodney Boyter. “Although we’re going to miss the old station, we’re quite excited to start a new chapter of our history at this location.”

Boyter gave a brief history of the department and the changes that have affected it over the decades. One thing that has remained constant, he said, is that the department has always been staffed with hardworking, dedicated firefighters who have all made sacrifices to keep their community safe.

"This is a '96 Pierce Dash, they call it. It's a top mount pump which is a safety feature," Courtney pointed out. The truck hauls 750 gallons of water.

"It's a 1,500 gallon a minute pump so it's got plenty pumping capacity," said Courtney.

“You know when 9-11 happened we all wanted to rush and go help, but that wasn't practical, so this truck became the hands of the Louisiana spirit,” State Fire Marshal Butch Browning said.  

18 years later, the Spirit of Louisiana is set to ride off into the sunset. Now with more than 60,000 miles, it's time for it to find a permanent home.

“We got to memorialize not only 9-11, not only the 343 New York City firefighters, but the history of this truck and how it's gone back and forth between two states,” Browning said.

"This is the 2nd Fire Engine struck on I-57 in the past 2 weeks in addition to the 2 fatalities involving State Troopers on Chicago Area Expressways," the Facebook post said.  

No firefighters were injured, however, the driver of the vehicle that hit the firetruck was taken to the hospital for injuries.