ARLINGTON, Va. 鈥� In a powerful display of remembrance and unity, the 2025 procession completed its 6,500-mile journey across the country in July, paying tribute to 29 EMS professionals who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
Starting on June 1 in Riverside, California, the procession 鈥� led by the specially decorated Tree of Life ambulance 鈥� wound its way through 19 states, stopping in 29 communities before . At each stop, first responders, families and local residents gathered to honor the fallen and ensure their legacies endure.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 care what uniform they wear or what company they鈥檙e with,鈥� one participant shared during the Cheyenne, Wyoming, ceremony. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all about remembering and bringing us all together as first responders.鈥�
The Tree of Life carried with it a moving visual tribute: individual leaves inscribed with the names of the 29 EMS professionals being honored. In cities like Billings, Wichita, North Platte and Morristown, the arrival of the procession was met with solemn ceremony 鈥� featuring motorcade escorts, community salutes and emotional reflections on the service and sacrifice of EMS providers.
A legacy born from a gap in recognition
The is part of a broader effort led by three national organizations committed to honoring fallen EMS professionals: the National EMS Memorial Service, the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride and the National EMS Memorial Foundation.
The National EMS Memorial Service was established over 30 years ago by Kevin Dillard in Roanoke, Virginia, home to the nation鈥檚 first all-volunteer rescue squad. Recognizing that EMS professionals lacked a formal memorial like those in police and fire services, Dillard and volunteers created what would become the Tree of Life, a temporary but deeply symbolic tribute added to each year.
Each panel of the Tree of Life holds the names of providers who have died in the line of duty. While it is publicly displayed during the annual Weekend of Honor in Arlington, the panels are packed away afterward until the following year. The Moving Honors procession emerged as a way to give more people across the country a chance to connect with the Tree 鈥� and with the heroes it honors.
鈥淵ou hear those families say that their loved ones are going to be forgotten,鈥� one organizer shared during the Wichita ceremony. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 one of our goals 鈥� not only to spread the word about the memorial service, but to reassure families that their heroes will never be forgotten.鈥�
From coast to coast, a growing tradition
The idea for a traveling memorial began in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of in-person ceremonies, according to the National EMS Memorial Service. With the Tree of Life installment built in Dallas, the challenge became how to safely and meaningfully bring it to D.C. That鈥檚 when legacy sponsor Global Medical Response stepped in, offering an ambulance and staffing for a cross-country journey.
Now known as Moving Honors, the procession has become an annual tribute, growing in scope each year. The 2025 route brought the Tree of Life from Southern California through the Great Plains and Midwest, and into the Northeast 鈥� reaching as far north as Buffalo, N.Y. and Copake before its arrival in Arlington. At each stop, a replica of the Tree was available for public viewing, allowing community members to pay respects, offer notes of support, and learn about the honorees.
In North Platte, Nebraska, where the ambulance made its only stop in the state, responders reflected on the deep sense of connection within EMS.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e part of fire, police, EMS 鈥� you鈥檙e in a family,鈥� one participant said. 鈥淵ou just feel like your loved ones are memorialized.鈥�
The journey concluded with a special ceremony on congressional grounds, followed by the procession into Arlington, led by the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride, which began in 2000 as a grassroots effort by 10 EMS providers cycling from Boston to Roanoke. The bike ride continues to honor EMS personnel who died, were injured, or became ill in the line of duty through long-distance cycling events held nationwide.
A permanent memorial on the horizon
Although the Tree of Life offers a powerful symbol, there is still no permanent national EMS memorial. That鈥檚 something the National EMS Memorial Foundation is working to change.
In 2018, after a decade of advocacy, the U.S. Congress passed , authorizing the Foundation to establish a permanent memorial in Washington, D.C. Federal approvals are ongoing, with plans for development to begin shortly thereafter.
Until then, Moving Honors remains one of the most visible tributes to fallen EMS professionals. And with funding coming entirely from private donations and volunteer labor 鈥� often from active EMS providers 鈥� support is more vital than ever.
This year also marked the launch of the , a monthly giving campaign designed to sustain the mission. Donors receive a limited-edition challenge coin and help fund ongoing efforts to honor and remember EMS heroes.
A promise to always remember
As the decorated ambulance made its final stops in New York and New Jersey before arriving in Arlington, responders and families alike reflected on the meaning of the journey.
鈥淚t means that people care,鈥� said one attendee. 鈥淵ou take care of someone on their worst day and may never see them again 鈥� but this tells the people answering the call today that they鈥檙e seen, that they matter.鈥�
With each mile traveled, Moving Honors reinforces that message: those who gave everything in service to others will never be forgotten.
