Sept 11th. The Firefighters of Ladder Co 24.

The Band of Brothers In Greenwich Village

Engine Co 24, Ladder 5, Battalion 2, is the local fire station in Greenwich Village around the corner from my apt in New York. It’s a beautiful neighborhood with Federal style townhouses, tree-lined streets, and is conveniently located right next to charming, loft-filled Soho. For years I walked by the station past the smiling, hunky fireman who always made my day. They were always gentleman, always respectful, and always flirted with me.

Some days I would deliberately walk by there to make my day, giving the guys an exaggerated big wave.

These kind manly men were always uplifting and polite, the opposite of the creepy guy sexual harassers in New York City who yell stupid, controlling shit to women like “Come on baby, smile!” or “I wanna get up in your crevices,” which they consider to be pick-up lines.

One day, I walked by the station and I just couldn’t smile. I was in tears. My asshole “boyfriend” just dumped me I was mad/sad. “How ya doin’? Vinnie asked. “My boyfriend just dumped me,” I blurted out. “For a yoga instructor.” “What an idiot!”Vinnie said. HE dumped YOU?” He reminded me of my Dad, who called any guy who ever insulted me or dumped me a “loser.”

“What a jerk,”Paul chimed in. “His loss. “Whoever he was didn’t deserve you!” added Gregory. “Forget about him. Fuggedabout it,” Vinnie said sympathetically, sounding like he was in The Sopranos. They made me feel better.

A couple of weeks later, I dropped by the station with cannolis from an Italian Bakery, just because. “What are these for?” the boys asked. “For being ‘real men’,” I told them. And for always being nice to me.” They gave me a Greenwich Village Halloween Parade T-shirt that the guys were going to wear in the upcoming parade.

On Sept 11, 2001, the entire battalion rushed down to the Twin Towers a mile away, to the call of duty. None of them refused to go into the buildings. They all died. All of them. Anthony, Vinnie, Gregory, and another 8 of them. They were someone’s son, husband, grandson, father. Some of them had small children. It happened in a New York minute.