Bob Beckwith, the retired New York City firefighter who joined President George W. Bush atop a fire truck at Ground Zero just three days after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, has died at the age of 90.
Mr. Beckwith became a national emblem of hope and strength after his appearance with Mr. Bush, who stood with the firefighter by the rubble of the World Trade Center and addressed the attacks.
When someone in the crowd said, “We can’t hear you,” Mr. Bush shouted through a bullhorn: “I can hear you! The rest of the world hears you! And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.”
Mr. Beckwith was 69 years old and retired for seven years when he headed to Ground Zero on the day of the attacks to help with search and rescue efforts.
While Mr. Bush addressed the shocked and grieving nation on Sept. 14, 2001, Mr. Beckwith’s presence epitomized the collective response of first responders who demonstrated extraordinary valor. The poignant photo of Mr. Beckwith in his firefighter’s gear alongside Mr. Bush was featured on the front page of New York City newspapers and on the cover of Time magazine. The firefighter’s image quickly evolved into a representation of American resilience and unity.
“Beckwith, wearing a fire helmet and a respirator around his neck, was standing on top of Engine Co. 76’s mangled fire engine in the middle of the rubble, when he was approached by senior presidential aide Karl Rove with an unusual request,” the New York Post reported Monday. “‘Somebody is coming here. What you do, you help them up, and then you get down,’ Rove instructed Beckwith.”
“I see the president on the corner and he’s headed for the microphones across the street, but he did a hard right and he comes right in front of me and he puts his arm up,” Mr. Beckwith recalled last year to NBC New York. “I said, ‘Oh my God.’ I pulled him up on the rig, I turned him around. I said, ‘Are you OK, Mr. President?’ He said. ‘Yeah.’ So, I start to get down and he said, ‘Where you going?’ I said, ‘I was told to get down.’ He said, ‘Oh no, you stay right here.’ And he put his arm around me.”
“And there I am standing there. I did look up to heaven and I did say, ‘Look at me, Ma. I’m with the president,’” he told the news station.
Following his appearance with Mr. Bush, Mr. Beckwith used his platform for the greater good. He engaged in press events, interviews and shared his story — one marked by determination and a sense of civic duty. His friendship with Mr. Bush yielded several meetings over the years, further emphasizing his influential role during a critical period in modern American history.
Former Rep. Peter King announced Mr. Beckwith’s passing on Facebook on Monday, lauding Mr. Beckwith as “an American icon who personified the best of the FDNY, New York and America at our most perilous moment.”
“I was proud to call Bob my friend and extend my prayers and deepest sympathy to his wife Barbara and all his family members,” added Mr. King, New York Republican. “Bob Beckwith R.I.P.”
• Washington Times Staff can be reached at 202-636-3000.