Free Republic

PASADENA, Calif. -- Thousands of volunteers were hard at work in Pasadena and Irwindale getting the floats ready for the 122nd Rose Parade Presented by Honda, but one float in particular is much more than just a float. "It's a dream come true for me. This is something I've wanted to do for nine years," said Jerry Thomsen, a firefighter specialist. When America was attacked more than nine years ago, a group of Los Angeles firefighters headed to Ground Zero to help, and Thomsen was among them. Now he and his L.A. firefighting buddies are honoring their fallen comrades in...