nfd2004 said:
What a Great Honor it was way back on St Patty's Day, 1979 to March down the Avenue with the Members of the FDNY. Myself and about four other members of my own dept (Norwich, Ct) were invited to come down in the morning. We meet at Eng 37/Lad 40 for breakfast along with the other companies in the battalion. What a Great Breakfast it was. As I remember several off duty members also were there.
All the rigs were pulled out to make room for everybody and folding tables covered the apparatus floor. I remember seeing Ladder 40 making a run with a dozen or so folding chairs still on the rig, that hadn't been off loaded yet. That was when the Tiller Seagrave had "Life Begins at 40" posted on the front of the rig.
After breakfast we all took the subway to our staging area for the parade. I was so Honored to be invited to march with the many members of the FDNY. Although they kind of put me to shame when I saw some of the many medals worn by some of these firefighters. No Medals on our uniforms, but that was okay with them. They still referred to us all as "Brothers".
Those FDNY Members treated us Great. We went back the next few years later at their request. But as time went on, some of our friends retired and as it goes the faces in the firehouse belonged to strangers we had never really met.
Its kind of a long story but a member of Ladder 40 named Charlie Summerland was the guy that first invited us down.
Thanks very much Charlie and to the members of Engine Co 37 and Ladder Co 40 for inviting us, and all you did for us. I know I'll never forget it.
Willy D,
I noticed how you mentioned about all the Brothers wearing their medals on their Class A's. I too was so impressed when I would see these Brothers at funerals, wearing their Class A's, with three or four vertical rows of medals. It was something that made a lasting impression that's for sure.
I'd like to talk about one Brother; "Billy Blazes" from Ladder 59 up in the Bronx. Everybody wanted to do as much as they could after 9/11, and guys would come up with ideas for how to raise funds for various charities and other well meaning programs that benefited the widows and orphans of the 343.
Billy came up with the idea of making hats, and the organization he chose to benefit was the Scholarship Fund. Billy's hats had a large FDNY across the front, and a "343" in just as large lettering right underneath "FDNY."
Members of my local, where Billy lives, got involved and sold hats. Billy would send out summaries of who sold hats, how many, etc. I think his first batch he sold with the help of everybody was 5,000 hats.
I would see Billy at the funerals, but he was always wearing his Class A Trousers and a windbreaker, and his 343 hat. I asked him once why he was wearing this outfit, and he told me because he wanted the Brothers to see the hat, and he couldn't wear it if he had his entire Class A on. Roger that.
One day at a funeral, I saw Billy in his complete Class A. He had been Captain of L59, but he still wore a Lieutenant's Dress Jacket. And there across his chest; four or five vertical rows of medals, I don't know how many down, I'd guess 10 or 12. Wow.
Blazes and his company got blown up in a backdraft, and that's why he had to retire. This is back in the late '70's I think, but somebody who knows better on this site, can probably set the date straight.
I guess the point being; you'd never know the things Billy had done during the course of his career, just by talking with him. The amount of awards he had received for his actions was only surpassed by his humility.
I had to go to his house a few times and get hats. He had this beautiful painting on the wall; it was hundreds of FDNY firefighters, and the Worcester Six in the middle with their distinctive colored helmets. All in Heaven.
BlazesL59@aol.com if anybody who knows this decorated war years hero wants to reconnect with him.
