Mythical 9/11 firefighter Bob Beckwith who stood with President George W Bush at Flooring 0 dies at 91

Bob Beckwith, the New York Town firefighter who stood at President George W. Bush’s aspect at Flooring 0 within the speedy aftermath of the 2001 terror assaults, has died at age 91. 

Former U.S. Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., first introduced Beckwith’s loss of life in a submit on Sunday. 

“Bob Beckwith has passed on to the great beyond. A person of sophistication and dignity. An American icon who personified the most efficient of the FDNY, New York and The us at our maximum perilous second. Bob Beckwith R.I.P.,” King wrote. 

Nassau County Govt Bruce Blakeman, whose nephew, New York State Court docket Officer Tommy Jurgens, died within the 9/11, 2001 assault whilst rendering help on the Global Industry Heart, advised Fox Information Virtual that he had grown shut with Beckwith over time. Each are local Lengthy Islanders, and Beckwith’s grandson, Matt Beckwith, additionally works for Blakeman’s administrative center. 

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President George W. Bush, status subsequent to retired firefighter Bob Beckwith, 69, speaks to volunteers and firefighters as he surveys the wear on the website online of the Global Industry Heart on Sept. 14, 2001, in New York Town. (PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP by means of Getty Pictures)

“I am very unhappy to listen to that Bob Beckwith has handed. We become just right pals, and all of us understand that ancient day when he stood subsequent to President Bush at the pile of rubble on the Global Industry Heart. And it has particular that means to me as a result of I misplaced my nephew, who was once a courtroom officer administering first help when the development collapsed on him,” Blakeman mentioned. “It is a very emotional factor. And with Bob’s passing it, it brings up just right reminiscences of him. And it additionally brings up dangerous reminiscences of 9/11. However, we are going to leave out him very a lot. He was once a stalwart member of our neighborhood right here in Nassau County. And, once more, you understand, it is a giant loss.” 

“It is a reminder that on that instance, which was once so tragic for such a lot of folks, listening to the president on that pile of rubble with Bob status subsequent to him as a retired firefighter,” he mentioned. “The symbolism was once very robust, and it gave convenience to these households that misplaced family members as neatly, because it gave us hope that shall we conquer those murderous terrorists.” 

“I am very proud that Bob’s grandson, Matt, works for us. He does a really perfect activity. And he is the spitting symbol of Bob, which is one thing that on a daily basis I consider. As a result of, Matt, you’ll inform, they are certainly connected,” Blakeman added. 

Family inform Fox Information Virtual that 9/11-related sicknesses contributed to Beckwith’s loss of life. 

Wrapping his arm round Beckwith at Flooring 0 on Sept. 14, 2001, President Bush addressed first responders whilst status on a pile of rubble and talking via a bullhorn. 

“I need you all to understand that The us these days – The us these days is on bended knee in prayer for the folk whose lives had been misplaced right here, for the employees who paintings right here, for the households and extra. This country stands with the great folks of New York Town, and New Jersey and Connecticut, as we mourn the lack of hundreds of our voters,” Bush mentioned. 

President George W. Bush, heart left, speaks to rescue staff, firefighters and cops from the rubble of Flooring 0 on Sept. 14, 2001 in New York Town. (Eric Draper/White Area/Getty Pictures)

“I will pay attention you, the remainder of the arena hears you, and the individuals who knocked those constructions down will pay attention all folks quickly,” the president added, garnering applause and chants of USA. “The country sends its love and compassion to everyone who’s right here. Thanks on your exhausting paintings. Thanks for making the country proud. And would possibly God bless The us.”  

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Beckwith, who served 30 years with the FDNY, was once 69 years outdated and had retired six years prior on the time he watched the Dual Towers cave in on tv from his house on Lengthy Island. 

3 days later, he determined to power to Decrease Long island to lend a hand seek for survivors, following police automobiles around the Williamsburg Bridge. 

Bob Beckwith, heart, along with his grandson, Matt Beckwith, proper, and Nassau County Govt Bruce Blakeman, left. Beckwith’s grandson works for Blakeman’s administrative center. (Fox Information Virtual/ Nassau County Govt’s Place of job)

Wearing his outdated tools, together with his leather-based fireplace helmet from Ladder Corporate 164, Beckwith controlled to persuade each individuals of the NYPD and Nationwide Guard that he was once overdue for accountability and was once granted get entry to to Flooring 0, in keeping with the 9/11 Memorial Museum. As soon as on website online, he went to paintings at the bucket brigade, because the strains of first responders who stood shoulder to shoulder, manually passed off buckets of particles within the seek for survivors. The workforce he joined controlled to unearth FDNY Engine 76. 

As they looked for the truck’s motive force, Beckwith overheard that Bush can be visiting the website online in a while and jumped onto the hearth truck to get a just right view of the command submit the place the president was once anticipated to talk. An individual Beckwith believed to be a Secret Carrier agent – later known as White Area Deputy Leader of Body of workers Karl Rove – approached the truck and requested Beckwith to leap up and all the way down to end up that the wreckage was once secure to climb. 

President George W. Bush, proper, attends a rite on Feb. 25, 2002, within the Oval Place of job the place New York Governor George Pataki introduced a bullhorn to President Bush, as retired New York firefighter Bob Beckwith watches. (Pool Picture/Getty Pictures)

He complied however was once quickly stunned to see the president strolling towards him.

“I see the president at the nook, and he’s headed for the microphones around the side road, however he did a troublesome proper, and he comes proper in entrance of me, and he places his arm up,” Beckwith recalled in a 2021 interview with NBC. “I mentioned, ‘Oh my God.’ I pulled him up at the rig, I became him round. I mentioned, ‘Are you OK, Mr. President?’ He mentioned. ‘Yeah.’ So, I begin to get down and he mentioned, ‘The place you going?’ I mentioned, ‘I used to be advised to get down.’ He mentioned, ‘Oh no, you keep proper right here.’ And he put his arm round me.”

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Beckwith, surrounded by way of information cameras, unknowingly become a part of the ancient second Bush rallied American unravel within the aftermath of the assaults. 

The picture of him and the president was once plastered at the quilt of Time mag on the time. Although Beckwith was once best at Flooring 0 that day, as individuals of his former fireplace corporate had been eager about his age all the way through seek and rescue efforts, the helmet he wore stays an artifact and image of heroism.