On Memorial Day 2023, RVFD members participated in a ceremony re-dedicating the RVFD Firefighters Memorial. The memorial was originally installed in 1994 in Vinson Park on E. Jefferson St. in Rockville, adjacent to the old Rockville Library. When the library and park were demolished to make way for the new District Courthouse, the memorial was placed in storage pending a new location. When it became apparent that a new location would be difficult to find, RVFD decided to re-install the memorial in front of RVFD Station 33 at 11430 Falls Rd. in Potomac.
The memorial honors RVFD members who were killed in action while serving in the armed forces and those members who died in the line of duty while serving RVFD. Those members are:
Military Deaths | Line of Duty Deaths | |
| James W. Hudson – joined RVFD on March 27, 1940 – killed in action in Italy on September 12, 1944 at the age of 25. Donald R. Higgins – joined RVFD on October 27, 1943 – died on December 4, 1944 at the age of 21 from wounds sustained in action in Belgium. Woodrow W. Marth – Joined RVFD on July 28, 1937 – killed in action in Germany on March 11, 1945 at the age of 32. Philip W. Gates, Jr – joined RVFD on February 28, 1945. Died at Ft. Belvoir on April 20, 1947 at the age of 20. Thomas J. Barbieri II – joined RVFD on July 31, 2002 – killed in action in Iraq on August 23, 2006 at the age of 24. | Elwood H. Smith – joined RVFD on December 29, 1954 – died in the line of duty on July 21, 1956 at the age of 32. Ronald Biggs – joined RVFD on March 30, 1960 – died in the line of duty on May 22, 1962 at the age of 31. David W. Shaw – joined RVFD on January 27, 1960 – died in the line of duty on October 30, 1970 at the age of 30. James S. Nicewarner – died in the line of duty on June 26, 1977 at the age of 23. Although not a member of RVFD, he was serving on an RVFD unit. Sander B. Cohen – joined RVFD on April 30, 2003 – died in the line of duty on December 8, 2017 at the age of 33. |
