VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — For Michelle Gallina of Virginia Beach, last weekend in Colorado Springs was a bittersweet tribute to two men she holds dear: her late husband, Master Firefighter Matthew A. Gallina, and her grandfather, Firefighter James B. McCormack. They were both honored at the annual Fallen Firefighters Memorial ceremony, where the names of firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice are added to a national monument.
Both men's names were etched on the same panel.
Matthew Gallina passed away last year from esophageal cancer, an occupational illness common among firefighters. His name was among the 311 added to the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) memorial wall.
James B. McCormack, a firefighter from New York, died in the line of duty in 1973 after suffering sm