Local firefighters have begun honoring the sacrifices made by U.S. servicemen and women in a quiet, weekly nonpartisan show of support while on the job.

Donning red T-shirts emblazoned with the words “support our troops” for the first time Friday, July, 11, Pelham firefighters are hoping to create a weekly tradition of remembrance until the every soldier “comes home safe.”

“It’s important to us because as time goes by, it seems like folks forget,” said Chief Michael Walker of the Pelham Fire Department. “It’s about supporting the troops. Everyone has their own ideology. The bottom line is about supporting those people over there.”

The idea for the T-shirts came in the form of an e-mail sent to James Foley, president of the Local 4546 firefighters union two or three years ago.

“Someone sent me an e-mail saying, ‘If you want to support the troops wear red on Fridays.’ So I started wearing red on Fridays” Foley said. “So I happened to notice some Boston firefighters wearing red in the same light. One of my friends happened to get me one of those T-shirts.”

Chief Walker took notice, Foley said, and supported his wearing the shirt. With Walker’s blessing, Foley organized a T-shirt sign-up sheet for the rest of the department. After receiving the red T-shirts a little more than two weeks ago, Walker and Foley designated Friday, July 11, as the first “red shirt Friday.”

The next batch of T-shirts will go to the Pelham Firefighter’s Ladies Auxiliary to be sold to raise funds to help the station purchase needed equipment and for local soldiers charities.

Foley had his own brush with the war when a cousin who was serving in the Army was deployed to Iraq. He is currently training cadets at West Point Academy. Foley said the display of remembrance is a nonpartisan show of support, without any political overtones.

“I don’t want to send the wrong message as an anti-war statement, because it doesn’t mean that,” Foley said. “It means we support the guys over there. We want to make sure that they’re remembered.”

With a nephew who is a captain preparing for deployment in Iraq, Walker agreed.

“If you like war, you’re a fool, I don’t care who you are,” he said. “It becomes necessary at times; whether you believe in this one or not, there’s no consequence. They are people who are doing what they’re told and doing it with great honor.”

Walker and Foley aren’t the only ones in the department with a connection to the war. The husband of another firefighter saw combat in Iraq and a member of the department’s search team is currently training in the Mojave desert in preparation for a tour of duty in Iraq.

Both men remember the death of Army Sgt. Dan Gionet of Pelham in 2006 in an explosion in Iraq. His mother, Denise Gionet, will help to manage some of the funds raised through T-shirt sales.

“I’m supporting the troops,” said Ray Cashman, a firefighter for 23 years in Pelham wearing his red shirt while out on a call. “Some people may not support the war, but you have to support the troops.”

A firefighter for 19 years, Bob Chatel hopes to see “red shirt Fridays” spread across the state and country.

“I hope to see fire services everywhere do it,” he said. “Let’s see them all get involved in this.”

Foley said he will continue to show his support until all the troops come home.

“I currently wear red on Friday. I will wear red on Fridays until the guys come home. I can say as a firefighter there are long shifts when we’re away from our wives and children and when we do get home, hugging your loved ones is very important,” he said. “When they have the opportunity to get home and put their arms around their loved ones that is very important to them. I’m hoping that they’re all able to do that and that we won’t lose too many more lives over there.”