Palatine to honor firefighters killed in 1946 crash

The Palatine Fire Department will host a public memorial ceremony Monday, Oct. 1, to recognize the service and sacrifice of Palatine volunteer firefighters Wesley Comfort Jr. and Leonard Nebel.

Comfort and Nebel were killed in the line of duty Oct. 1, 1946, when their fire truck collided with a Chicago and Northwestern Railroad passenger train. The truck was en route to a fire when the deadly crash occurred.

Nebel died at the scene and Comfort succumbed to his injuries four days later.

The memorial ceremony will be held at the Palatine Firefighter's Memorial at the corner of North Brockway and West Slade streets in downtown Palatine. The Palatine Fire Honor Guard will step off from Station 85 at 39 E. Colfax at approximately 8:45 a.m. and march to the memorial site. The ceremony will begin at about 9 a.m. and include a wreath presentation and ringing of the ceremonial fire bell.