Thirteen children of firefighters who died at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, graduated from the New York City Fire Department academy on Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The fathers of another six children died of 9/11-related illnesses, making it the largest class of so-called legacies in FDNY history.
In total, 301 probationary firefighters were officially admitted to the department during a ceremony in Brooklyn.
“They are honoring their fallen loved ones, they are continuing their families’ legacy of service, and making all of us immensely proud,” FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said during the ceremony at the Christian Cultural Center.
Gregory Kumpel, 28, told the Journal his father would have been “pleasantly surprised and hopefully proud,” to see his son join the department.
His father died at the World Trade Center.
Legacy graduate Robert Tilearcio Jr., 29, of Queens, said that he spent hours in his father’s station house growing up.
Robert Tilearcio survived the 9/11 attacks but died in 2017 of brain cancer.
“I’m making my dad proud, Tilearcio said Tuesday. “Our fathers are watching over us today, and that’s a fact.”
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