ANOTHER WAR YEARS VET PASSES.

IN REGARD TO REPLY # 1683 ABOVE BC HANK ZUERCHER ......
FROM DC JAY JONAS 2017 DV*7 NEWSLETTER.....
" Rescue 2 was called to the scene of the USS Constellation fire from operating at the site
of the plane crash from a
few days earlier at Park
Slope. They were led by Lieutenant Richard
Hamilton.
Upon arrival, Lieutenant Hamilton, Fr. Henry Zuercher, and Fr. Tony Motti made their way to the flight deck. They made their way down to the hanger deck. It is there that they found trapped and endangered workers. Lieutenant Hamilton sent a Firefighter to show them the way through the smoke to the exit to the flight deck.
They came upon a foreman
walking around in the smoke.
He told Lieutenant Hamilton that four of his men were trapped four decks below. Lieutenant Hamilton dispatched Fr. Motti to get a rope and a charged hose line to assist them in the rescue. The metal on the decks was hot. When Lieutenant Hamilton and Firefighter Zuercher made it to the bottom of the ladder, the foreman’s four friends were found
quickly. They were all semi-conscious. The two rescuers tied a bowline on a bight on the rope that was dropped down from Fr. Motti. One by one, the trapped workmen were raised to the upper decks of the ship. Lieutenant Hamilton had taken off his SCBA facepiece to give one of the trapped workers some fresh air. By the time the last worker was raised, Lieutenant Hamilton began to suffer from the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning. His body was failing. Fr. Zuercher was
able to position Lieutenant Hamilton’s body on top of his shoulders and climb the vertical ladder. Both Firefighters were hospitalized."
'

THE ENTIRE NEWSLETTER.... http://www.fdnysbravest.com/Div7NewsletterNov2017.pdf

Also, Thank you to Mick Dick, "mikeindabronx", for his regular sharing and postings of DC Jay Jonas Division 7 Newsletter with us on this site.
 
Just read of the death of FF Pete Budniak on 1/8/2021. I worked with Pete when he was in L120 during the war years and then he eventually transferred to L167.
 
RET FF FRANK J. DeGEORGE ENG*93.....On 3-31-21....RET 7-2-83 after 28 yrs OTJ......
REST IN PEACE BROTHER....THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE BOTH MILITARY & FDNY.....PRAYERS FOR THE COMFORT OF THE FAMILIES.
Viewing/Visitation: Donovan Funeral Home
82 South Church St.
Goshen, NY
Monday 4/5/2021 4 - 7 PM
Funeral Mass: St. John the Evangelist Church
71 Murray Avenue Goshen NY
Tuesday 4/6/2021 10:00 AM
Interment: Veterans Cemetery
111 Craigville Goshen
 
RET FF FRANK J. DeGEORGE ENG*93.....On 3-31-21....RET 7-2-83 after 28 yrs OTJ......
REST IN PEACE BROTHER....THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE BOTH MILITARY & FDNY.....PRAYERS FOR THE COMFORT OF THE FAMILIES.
Viewing/Visitation: Donovan Funeral Home
82 South Church St.
Goshen, NY
Monday 4/5/2021 4 - 7 PM
Funeral Mass: St. John the Evangelist Church
71 Murray Avenue Goshen NY
Tuesday 4/6/2021 10:00 AM
Interment: Veterans Cemetery
111 Craigville Goshen
RIP Brother.
 
IN REGARD TO REPLY # 1683 ABOVE BC HANK ZUERCHER ......
FROM DC JAY JONAS 2017 DV*7 NEWSLETTER.....
" Rescue 2 was called to the scene of the USS Constellation fire from operating at the site
of the plane crash from a
few days earlier at Park
Slope. They were led by Lieutenant Richard
Hamilton.
Upon arrival, Lieutenant Hamilton, Fr. Henry Zuercher, and Fr. Tony Motti made their way to the flight deck. They made their way down to the hanger deck. It is there that they found trapped and endangered workers. Lieutenant Hamilton sent a Firefighter to show them the way through the smoke to the exit to the flight deck.
They came upon a foreman
walking around in the smoke.
He told Lieutenant Hamilton that four of his men were trapped four decks below. Lieutenant Hamilton dispatched Fr. Motti to get a rope and a charged hose line to assist them in the rescue. The metal on the decks was hot. When Lieutenant Hamilton and Firefighter Zuercher made it to the bottom of the ladder, the foreman’s four friends were found
quickly. They were all semi-conscious. The two rescuers tied a bowline on a bight on the rope that was dropped down from Fr. Motti. One by one, the trapped workmen were raised to the upper decks of the ship. Lieutenant Hamilton had taken off his SCBA facepiece to give one of the trapped workers some fresh air. By the time the last worker was raised, Lieutenant Hamilton began to suffer from the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning. His body was failing. Fr. Zuercher was
able to position Lieutenant Hamilton’s body on top of his shoulders and climb the vertical ladder. Both Firefighters were hospitalized."
'

THE ENTIRE NEWSLETTER.... http://www.fdnysbravest.com/Div7NewsletterNov2017.pdf
RIP Brother
 
UPDATE.... RET CPT THOMAS MITCHELL.....
On 4-21-21 at age 73 ...... proby class 5-73..... FF ENG*290 & FF LAD*170 ..... LT ENG*23.....CPT LAD*152...... REST IN PEACE BROTHER......PRAYERS FOR THE COMFORT OF THE FAMILIES.....Arrangements will be Mon 4-26-21 1600 to 2000 hrs at Massapequa Park Funeral Home North Chapel at 1050 Park Blvd ....for further info call 516-798-2500 ..... massapequafuneralhome.com/obituary/thomas-c-mitchell/
 
RET FF JOHN BLOCK SQ*4....LAD*176....BN*37....
ta176 said:
I just received word of the passing of FF John Block, Sq. 4 & L176, in St. Petersburg Fl.. He died in Hospice care and no info regarding wake at this time.
Very sad news....i first met John Block the night after the '71 LTs test.....Howie Carlson & i went to a bar named "My Friends Place" on Atlantic Ave & 75 St....Howie introduced me to John Block & Larry McCarthy there.....John Block was friends with John Vigiano so i continued to run into John thru the years .....a real nice & interesting fellow & FF....he later was a BN*FF in BN*37 with BC Jim Manahan Sr.....one night at a job on Pitkin Ave i was in R*2 & the 37 had responded also....the Fire was in some ground floor stores all with the usual roll downs covering the first floor front...as we were walking up John Block & BC Manahan were on the side walk in front of one of the stores as FFs were forcing the roll down ....whatever they were doing caused the entire large roll down to pull away from the bldg on one side & swing out towards the street the FFs were able to step aside but John Block & BC Jim were right in the path & headed for the street .....the roll down caught up with them by the curb....what saved them from more serious injuries was that the parking meters along the curb line held the roll down from crushing them......one time years before when John Block was still in SQ*4 on Bristol St myself & Pete Linzy were going campaigning for John Kopp for UFA BKLYN trustee.....several supporters were going around BKLYN prior to election time Pete & i were doing FHs in ENY...Brownsville & Bushwick....it was a hot election & certain areas already had their candidate selected ....the area mentioned that Pete & i were campaigning in was not all in favor of John but of their own guy so not all FHs were that receptive....when we were walking into 283/SQ*4 on Bristol St i knew it would not be an easy sell ....Otis J. was in front of the FH by the HW & we told him what we were there for & he said "sure the guys are in the kitchen , head on back".....there was a lot of noise coming from the small crowded kitchen ......as we got closer to the kitchen door i saw John Block sitting at the table with his feet up tying some fishing flies....i thought to myself at least i somewhat knew one guy in the crowd....as we walked in the kitchen everybody stopped talking & stared...i said "hello John how are you ? " ...he replied "good what are you doing here"... i said Pete & myself are campaigning for John Kopp".....still silence from all the guys then John said " well you came to the wrong place".....i thought oh boy & here i thought we were in....we discussed some issues with the guys but i dont think we won any voters there...John Kopp did win that term though ..... we laughed about that day thru the years wishing we could both go back .... John Block certainly saw the busiest of the FDNY War Years .SQ*4 1970 10.000 RUNS.....REST IN PEACE BROTHER.....PRAYERS FOR THE COMFORT OF THE FAMILIES.
 
Very sad news....i first met John Block the night after the '71 LTs test.....Howie Carlson & i went to a bar named "My Friends Place" on Atlantic Ave & 75 St....Howie introduced me to John Block & Larry McCarthy there.....John Block was friends with John Vigiano so i continued to run into John thru the years .....a real nice & interesting fellow & FF....he later was a BN*FF in BN*37 with BC Jim Manahan Sr.....one night at a job on Pitkin Ave i was in R*2 & the 37 had responded also....the Fire was in some ground floor stores all with the usual roll downs covering the first floor front...as we were walking up John Block & BC Manahan were on the side walk in front of one of the stores as FFs were forcing the roll down ....whatever they were doing caused the entire large roll down to pull away from the bldg on one side & swing out towards the street the FFs were able to step aside but John Block & BC Jim were right in the path & headed for the street .....the roll down caught up with them by the curb....what saved them from more serious injuries was that the parking meters along the curb line held the roll down from crushing them......one time years before when John Block was still in SQ*4 on Bristol St myself & Pete Linzy were going campaigning for John Kopp for UFA BKLYN trustee.....several supporters were going around BKLYN prior to election time Pete & i were doing FHs in ENY...Brownsville & Bushwick....it was a hot election & certain areas already had their candidate selected ....the area mentioned that Pete & i were campaigning in was not all in favor of John but of their own guy so not all FHs were that receptive....when we were walking into 283/SQ*4 on Bristol St i knew it would not be an easy sell ....Otis J. was in front of the FH by the HW & we told him what we were there for & he said "sure the guys are in the kitchen , head on back".....there was a lot of noise coming from the small crowded kitchen ......as we got closer to the kitchen door i saw John Block sitting at the table with his feet up tying some fishing flies....i thought to myself at least i somewhat knew one guy in the crowd....as we walked in the kitchen everybody stopped talking & stared...i said "hello John how are you ? " ...he replied "good what are you doing here"... i said Pete & myself are campaigning for John Kopp".....still silence from all the guys then John said " well you came to the wrong place".....i thought oh boy & here i thought we were in....we discussed some issues with the guys but i dont think we won any voters there...John Kopp did win that term though ..... we laughed about that day thru the years wishing we could both go back .... John Block certainly saw the busiest of the FDNY War Years .SQ*4 1970 10.000 RUNS.....REST IN PEACE BROTHER.....PRAYERS FOR THE COMFORT OF THE FAMILIES.
RIP Brother... gr8 story about him as well...prayers for his family.
 
Capt. John Galvin due to WTC illness. John was FF in E231, 44 Batt. & L120. Got promoted to Lt. & assigned to E239 and then promoted to Capt. and assigned to Div. 8. His Brother Tom was Chief of Training.
 
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