Kneeling Fireman Statue in NYC

I tend to follow the same route to and fro from work for the most part, and almost always manage to find something interesting when I stray away from the beaten path. This time it was when I decided to walk West on 43rd Street from Grand Central Station, when I discovered the statue of the Kneeling Fireman. As someone that was in New York on 9/11, this brought back a flood of memories that usually tend to surface around 9/11.

The history of this statue reinforces that timing can be everything. The inscription at the base of the statue states that the Milstein Family and Emigrant Bank have dedicated this site to display “The Kneeling Fireman” statue on commemoration of the 10th Anniversary of 9/11/01.

The statue was originally commissioned by the Firefighters Association of Missouri, and arrived in New York just as the tragedy began to unfold. Matthews International decided this statue should never leave the city and presented it to the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation, who accepted the gift on behalf of all the firefighters and citizens of New York City. The Milstein Family agreed to display the statue and provided a granite base and storage until a fitting permanent site could be found. “The Kneeling Fireman” was temporarily displayed in front of one of the Milstein buildings at 44th Street and 8th Avenue. With the dedication of this site in front of the Emigrant Bank building, the statue has found a permanent home and represents the only memorial to 9/11 in midtown Manhattan.

The Milstein Family was one of the builders of the World Trade Center, including all walls, floors, and ceilings.

The statue also features A FireFighter’s Prayer, which is the first time that I read it.

The statue also celebrates the 150th Anniversary of the New York City Fire Department. It is definitely a site worth visiting if you are in the vicinity of Grand Central. I know I will be walking past this often.

#gottalovenewyork