16 Kids Of Fallen Heroes Are Joining FDNY Just After 18th Anniversary Of 9/11

Sep 11, 2019

16 Americans are joining the Fire Department of the City of New York in honor of their fallen parents who gave their lives to help others during 9/11. The members are following in their parents' footsteps and will be graduating two weeks after September 11th.

According to WPIX, of the 16 graduates who are joining the FDNY fourteen of them lost their parents on the day of the 9/11 attacks. Two of graduates lost their fathers to 9/11 related illnesses. A spokesman for the FDNY said in the New York Post that this current graduating class has the most “legacy” members since 9/11. However, many other sons and one daughter have previously joined the FDNY before this class.

“Bravery runs in these extraordinary families who have sacrificed so much for our city. I’m proud of the commitment these probies have already demonstrated to the department and look forward to celebrating with them at their graduation," Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro told The New York Post.

“I think it’s a great tribute to their dads, it’s quite inspirational to hear that they’re following in their fathers’ footsteps," The President of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, Gerard Fitzgerald also told The Post.

Family members of the new graduates are elated that these children are honoring their parents in such a special way. Carl Asaro who was only 39-years-old at the time of his death was a father of six children and spent his 14-year career at Midtown’s Engine 54/Ladder 4. That particular fire department lost 15 men on 9/11. Two of Asaro’s youngest children are in the graduating class of the FDNY, while another two are already members.

Their mother Heloiza told the The Post, “Being that they are the youngest, I’m more concerned. They wanted to honor their father, to help people like he did. Even if he hadn’t died, they would have become firefighters. Since they were little kids, the fireman was Santa Claus. The fireman organized the picnics.”

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