Amazing Grace

On April 11, 1998, my good friend Lt. Jaye Toye died while fighting a brush fire at his home in North Andover. He was assisting the North Andover Fire Department when he suffered a heart attack. There were four of us on the L.F.D. who grew up and hung around together. Jaye, Ray Kenyon Jr., Jim Gaffney Jr., and myself. Jaye was a marine who served in Vietnam with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 26th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division at Khe Sahn.

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On the day that Jaye was buried, Ray, Jim and myself served as pallbearers along with three other friends on the L.F.D. I was supposed to sing "The Fireman's Prayer" at the funeral, which I had written the music for and sung at other firefighters' funerals and memorial services. I wasn't sure how I was going to get through that or even if I would be able to sing at all, having been so close to Jaye. All I remember is stepping out of the limo and hearing "the Marine Corp Hymn" and "Amazing Grace" on the pipes. I then knew I could do it. I knew that Jaye was there to help me out. It was also then that Ray Kenyon decided to learn to play the pipers. Ray is now a piper with the Brigade. This song is performed by members of both groups for this project