Retired City Firefighter Bob Beckwith, the former smoke-eater who proudly stood shoulder-to-shoulder with then-President George W. Bush at Ground Zero just three days after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, has died, the FDNY announced on Monday.
City Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Ozone Park), chairwoman of the Fire and Emergency Management Committee, called Beckwith “an American icon. May he rest in peace. Thank you for your years of service to our city.”
Beckwith, 91, joined the FDNY in 1965 and spent his entire 30-year career in Queens at Ladder Co. 117 in Astoria and Ladder Co. 146 in Douglaston; he labored for countless days at the Pile in Downtown Manhattan, aiding in the rescue and recovery efforts.
