LODD FDNY/U.S. Army

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FF Christian Engledrum of Ladder Co. 61 in the Bronx died while serving with the Army National Guard in Iraq.Sgt. Engledrum of the Bronx was killed Monday. A firefighter for 5 1/2 years with FDNY and a former police officer is survived by his wife and 2 children.More is posted on the fdny/insider website as well as on the local news stations and news papers. May he rest in peace!

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Thoughts and prayers to the friends and families of FF/Sgt. Engledrum

RIP

[DMA327 12]

Again... Thoughts and prayers to our fallen comrade and prayers for his family...

May he be commended for his services in our fight for freedom

[EJS1810 7]

My condolences to the family of FF/Sgt. Engeldrum. Also injuried in the same vehicle was FF Dan Swift L-43 Harlem and a member of Lake Carmel VFD. He is being airlifted to Germany.

Newsday reports that Baldwin LI Volunteer FF Wilfredo Urbina was also killed in the same attack

[Guest]

My condolences to the families, friends, brothers and sisters of these fellow FFs who are an inspiration to us all in their devotion to family, duty and country.

December 1, 2004

2 New York Area Firefighters Killed in Iraq

By ALAN FEUER and ROBERT HANLEY

Ever since Christian Engeldrum shipped off to the war last month, a yellow sign has hung from the eaves of Ladder Company 61 in Co-op City in the Bronx. The sign read: "We support our troops. Ft. Engeldrum, L-61, Now Serving."

Yesterday, the members of his company were forced to remove that sign. In a solemn ceremony, they replaced it with black-and-blue memorial bunting.

Firefighter Engeldrum, 39, was killed while serving with the New York National Guard on Monday when a roadside bomb exploded near his convoy outside Baghdad. Another New York City firefighter, Daniel Swift, of Ladder Company 43 in Manhattan, was riding in the same vehicle and was injured in the attack. He is expected to recover.

In a separate attack on Sunday, a volunteer firefighter from Cranford, N.J., Stephen C. Benish, 20, was killed while on patrol in Ramadi.

The casualties came during one of the deadliest months in the war. According to the Pentagon, at least 135 United States troops had been killed in November, matching April as the deadliest month since fighting began in March 2003.

Firefighter Engeldrum was the first New York City employee to die while serving in Iraq, Fire Department officials said. He was a sergeant in Company B, First Battalion of the 105th Infantry. He was called up by his unit in May and arrived in Iraq on Nov. 2, his family said.

Two candles burned beside his photo on a table outside Ladder Company 61 yesterday afternoon. The men of his unit stood at attention as the bunting was displayed, their hands cupped at their waist.

Inside the firehouse, a small shrine had been erected in his honor. It included a photo of Firefighter Engeldrum on Sept. 11, 2001. According to the caption, he had helped raise the first flag over ground zero after the attack.

"Chris was the core of this house - everybody looked up to him," said Firefighter Mark Klinger, who had worked with Firefighter Engeldrum for the last five years. "An excellent firefighter, a good father, a good friend. That's all I can say."

Near the bay of the firehouse, there is another photograph - this one showing Lt. Charles Gabarini, the only member of the firehouse to have died on 9/11.

Firefighter Engeldrum had completed his service with the National Guard, but re-enlisted. He did so, his colleagues said, in outrage at the Sept. 11 attack. "It had an effect on him," said Lt. Brian Horton of Ladder Company 61. "His country was attacked, he was a soldier, and he wanted to defend it."

Firefighter Engeldrum is survived by his wife, Sharon, and his two sons: Sean, 18, and Royce, 16. Royce's birthday, fire officials said, was the day his father died.

The firefighter last spoke with his family the night before Thanksgiving.

"He was glad to hear my voice," Mrs. Engeldrum recalled. "He was tired. He couldn't talk. He was going out on a mission. He just called to see if everything was O.K. here."

At City Hall, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg praised Firefighter Engeldrum for having served not only in the Fire Department, but also in the Police Department. "Christian Engeldrum spent his life protecting the people of this city and protecting democracy," the mayor said in a statement. "As a firefighter, a police officer and a decorated member of our military, there was no risk he wasn't willing to take for his fellow New Yorkers and his fellow Americans."

Thirty city firefighters are on active duty overseas. Since Sept. 11, 2001, 103 have been called to active duty.

Firefighter Swift, who served with A Company of the 69th Infantry, was sent to Texas for retraining in the summer, his fellow firefighters said. He is being treated for his wounds in Germany before returning home.

He visited his firehouse in East Harlem for the last time in September.

Firefighter Swift is known around the firehouse as Swifty. He plays on a hockey team and is an all-around good guy, his colleagues said. Every two weeks, Firefighter Swift called his buddies from Iraq.

Firefighter Swift had even asked his colleagues in New York to send flame-retardant hoods to him in Iraq. He hoped the hoods could help his fellow soldiers when they were attacked.

"I thought he'd come home without a scrape on him," Firefighter John Davies said. "He's just one of those guys, you know?"

Private Benish, who served with the Second Infantry Division, had joined the Cranford Volunteer Fire Department only months after graduating from Arthur L. Johnson High School in Clark, N.J. He served with the department from the summer of 2002 until he went to boot camp in March 2003, said Leonard Dolan, the department's chief.

Chief Dolan said he was impressed with the firefighter's resignation letter. It read, in part, "I have a strong desire to serve my country in these troubling times," the chief said.

In other letters to his colleagues written from Iraq, "He never expressed one bit of apprehension or fear," Chief Dolan said.

Private Benish wrote in his letters of entering a mosque and finding weapons and explosives, Chief Dolan said. He also wrote of coming home on leave.

"I can't wait," the chief quoted him as writing. "That's all I think about."

In one of his final letters, Private Benish wrote of combat.

According to the chief, he wrote: "I'm just happy, I guess, at getting a lot more of them rather than them getting me."

Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company

[Guest]

Thoughts and prayers also go to the family of U.S.Army Pvt. Brian Grant, killed by sniper fire last Friday.

Sniper fire kills

ex-fireman's son

BY MAKI BECKER

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Wednesday, December 1st, 2004

The war in Iraq claimed the life of another member of the FDNY family over the holiday weekend.

U.S. Army Pvt. Brian Grant, the 31-year-old son of a retired Staten Island firefighter, was killed Friday when he came under sniper attack in the city of Ramadi.

Grant enlisted in the Army last February "because of all the people that were killed on 9/11," his father, John Grant, said yesterday.

"He wanted to go do the right thing," said John Grant, 70, an Army veteran who served 24 years in the FDNY before retiring in 1982. "He was very patriotic."

Brian Grant's family was stunned when he suddenly enlisted, but understood his decision.

One of his brothers is a city firefighter, another is an NYPD officer and a third is in the Army Reserves. Brian Grant's father said his fourth son "wanted to serve one way or another."

"He did it to make it a better place here for us," said his older sister, Maureen Grant. "He did it for everybody back here."

Brian Grant was born and reared on Staten Island and moved to Dallas. He was working as a sales manager for Cintas commercial uniform company when he decided to enlist. He originally was deployed to South Korea but got new orders to go to Iraq in August.

Always good-natured, he sent home letters from Iraq filled with upbeat messages and funny stories about pesky sand fleas. "He always kept his spirits up," his mother, Carol Grant, said.

"He would say, 'Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. I'll be okay,'" his sister said.

After he was felled by a sniper's bullet, two Army officers arrived at his parents' door in Florida and told them the horrible news. "As soon as I saw the uniforms, I knew," John Grant said.

The family plans to hold his funeral services on Staten Island and then bury him in Arlington National Cemetery.

"He was only in, like, nine months," his father said.

[jnb1335 0]

Bloomberg working to have FF Engeldrum's full pension awarded to his widow and family

http://nypost.com/news/regionalnews/21086.htm

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Bloomberg working to have FF Engeldrum's full pension awarded to his widow and family

http://nypost.com/news/regionalnews/21086.htm

That just seems to be the RIGHT thing to do! Hats off to Mayor Bloomberg!

[jnb1335 0]

Amen, brother.

[TR54 239]

On the news they said he is the firefighter seen climbing a ground ladder to hang an American Flag at the Trade Center on Sept.11 th 2001.

Prayers for his family !

[RWC130 594]

Thoughts and prayers to the FDNY and to all of our Troops.

God Bless!

Mayor Bloomberg AMEN!

[hudson144 150]

Wake to be held @ Schuyler Hill Funeral Home located at 3535 East Tremont Ave in the Bronx.

Tues 12/7,Wed 12/8 from 1400-1700,1900-2100

Funeral services Thurs 12/9 1100 hrs At Church of St Benedicts located at 2969 Otis Ave in the Bronx.

My understanding is that this will be a full Fire Dept/Military Funeral.