Photos by Courier-Journal Newspaper; Story by Ex-Captain Steve Grogan

On October 23, 2008, the Navy Department named their Naval Operations Support Center in Louisville, KY, the "HM2 Jeffrey L. Wiener Hall" for former Lynbrook resident and firefighter Jeffrey L. Wiener, who as a Navy Corpsman was killed in Iraq on May 7, 2005. 

At ceremonies that day attended by Jeff's widow Maria, and their two children, as well as Jeff's mother and other family members, US Senator Mitch McConnell, R-KY, told the crowd, according to the Courier-Journal newspaper, "Jeffrey's committed himself to protecting and healing others.  That is why he joined the Navy.  That's why he became a hospital corpsman."

Jeff, a graduate of Lynbrook High School, first joined the Lynbrook Junior Fire Department as a 14 year old and later became its Captain.  In September 1991, at age 18, he joined Tally-Ho Engine 3 of the Lynbrook Fire Department.  He became Captain of Tally-Ho in 2000.  Jeff, who was always attending fire training classes, also trained to be an AMT, and in extrication and rescue operations.  He later helped form Lynbrook's Heavy Rescue and Extrication Team.  Based on Jeff's emergency training and experience he became a paid EMT with the Nassau County Police Department.   

Jeff joined the Navy Reserves as a corpsman in 2002 after witnessing the horror of September 11th.   He then trained and later instructed new recruits at the Navy Operations Support Center in Louisville which is now named in his honor.  On May 7, 2005, during his second tour in Iraq, Jeff, at age 31, assigned to the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force was shot and killed by insurgents during a four-hour firefight in western Iraq.  The firefight had followed a suicide bombing near a hospital that killed three Marines. 

Maria Wiener told the Courier-Journal newspaper at the dedication ceremonies, "We're just honored that he made such an impact on everyone that he met here.  It was such a short time that he knew them, but they haven't forgotten him, and it’s just amazing."

Jeff was buried at Calverton National Cemetery on Long Island with full military honors.  The members of Tally-Ho Engine 3 have also not forgotten Jeff and have placed a memorial stone at the Village of Lynbrook's Doughboy Veterans Monument.   Each Memorial Day the firefighters honor their fallen Ex-Captain.  New York State also honors Jeff memory with his name on the Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Albany.