New York City honors firefighters killed in line of duty
Thousands of firefighters from around the world joined officials and citizens of New York City to honor the memory of 356 firefighters killed in the line of duty over the past two years. Most of those honored Saturday died at the World Trade Center Sept. 11 of last year.
Former New York City mayor Rudolf Giuliani reminded tens of thousands of people gathered at a packed Madison Square Garden arena that the firefighters had died “to protect people” and to “protect life.”
The fire department presented the Medal of Supreme Sacrifice to survivors of its fallen members. A roll call reading of the 356 names triggered a five-minute standing ovation from the audience.
Earlier, thousands of firefighters, some from as far away as Japan and Australia, marched in heavy rain. They each carried an American flag representing firefighters or paramedics lost while on duty since October 2000. Last year’s annual memorial had been cancelled following the Sept. 11 attacks.