40 years' worth of thanks: In 1968, a white firefighter saved a black baby girl....

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

Source: Boston Globe

In 1968, a white firefighter saved a black baby girl, touching the heart of a divided city. The two did not meet again. Until yesterday.

The firefighter crawled on his stomach through the pitch-black apartment, the smoke so thick he couldn't see his hand in front of his face. Somewhere inside was a baby and he had to find her.

A window broke, light filled the room, and he saw her lying in her crib, dressed only in a diaper, unconscious. Soot covered her tiny nose. She wasn't breathing and had no pulse. He grabbed her and breathed life into her as he ran from the apartment.

A newspaper photograph captured their image - a white firefighter from South Boston with his lips pressed to the mouth of a black baby from the Roxbury public housing development - at a time when riots sparked by racial tensions were burning down American cities.

But despite this most intimate of introductions, they remained strangers. William Carroll won a commendation for the rescue, stayed on the job another 34 years, and retired. Evangeline Harper grew up, lost her family to drugs and illness, had six children of her own, and became a nursing and teaching assistant. And through it all someone would often tell her the story about the day she almost died and the man who would not let it happen. She always wanted to meet him and say thank you.

Yesterday, more than 40 years after the fire, she finally did.

Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/02/12/40_years_worth_of_thanks

---

Wonderful story.

David

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. This is what heroism truly is...

What a great story!

Thank you...

K&R

:hug:

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

4. Thank you.

[Redstone]

42. Yes, indeed. Nobody who plays a sport is a "hero." A hero is someone who risks his or her

own life to save the life of another person. Period.

And that guy is truly a hero.

Redstone

[wryter2000]

56. I'll even go out on a limb here

As wonderful as that landing in the Hudson was, Sullenberg is right that it doesn't make him a hero. What choice did he have? This firefighter could have said "the smoke was too thick. I couldn't rescue her."

[Redstone]

58. No, you're not insulting him by saying that. As he said himself, he was doing his job. But my God,

he should still get all the credit in the world for his magnificent flying, yes?

(PS: Not to pat myself on the back, but I'm actually familiar with the idea you stated in your last sentence, having run into a burning house myself (and I'm not even a fireman). It would have been all too easy to bail out, because the smoke was so thick above three feet from the floor that I had to crawl into the kitchen to put the fire out.)

So, yeah, that fireman qualifies for the "hero" label.

Redstone

[wryter2000]

63. Oh, yes

I don't mean to belittle his accomplishment. It was amazing, and everyone involved will be forever grateful to him, even those of us who watched from a distance. But to me, being a hero involves some self-sacrifice or potential for self-sacrifice.

[spotbird]

90. Crawling through a burning building

commando style to rescue a baby involves enormous risk, or as you put it potential self-sacrifice. Try it some time.

[wryter2000]

96. Right

I wasn't questioning the firefighter's heroism.

[llmart]

106. Just one more thing we have cheapened in this country.....

the word "hero". It's thrown around for every little deed any more so it's lost the true meaning.

[TheEuclideanOne]

43. Is that truly heroism CaliforniaPeggy?

Heroism is that he chose not to let a black baby girl die? Really? Maybe I am just missing something here. I think that it would be despicable if the opposite happened and he let her burn because she was black. But to consider it to be heroism just because he didn't let her burn alive due to her skin color seems seriously misplaced to me. It was a nice story, but I don't see how skin color comes into play.

[Rebellious Republican]

45. This is not the thread to start a flame war, go away. N/T

:wtf:

[chalky]

47. On reading the comments, skin color didn't come into play until you brought it up.

But crawling on "his stomach through the pitch-black apartment, the smoke so thick he couldn't see his hand in front of his face" to save the life of anyone, regardless of age OR race? Yeah, that's heroism.

[FatDave]

52. Actually it did.

It was as if the writer was amazed that a white firefighter would move to rescue a black baby. I had the same reaction on reading it. Saving a white baby would have been run-of-the-mill and unremarkable. But this was a white man saving a black baby, and unprecedented and selfless or something.

I thought it was bullshit. Firefighters rescue people. White people, black people, preachers and pedophiles. To do any less would be to disgrace the profession.

Yes, the firefighter was a hero. But the article posted seemed to contend that he was more of a hero for rescuing a black baby. And that's the biggest crock of shit I've ever heard.

[glitch]

53. Despite the writer (and the editor), sometimes the story itself shines through.nt

[skygazer]

71. I remember that time

I grew up in New England in that time - I remember the busing riots and the racism. Much of the racism was coming from cops whose job it is to protect and serve yet they were contributing to the violence.

So yes, for a white man of that time to give his all to save a black child made a statement that not everyone was polarized with hate. Probably for him, he WAS just doing his job but by doing it, he created an iconic moment that made at least some people stop and think about what they were doing.

You can choose to call that a hero or not but you can't deny that moments like that make a difference.

[county worker]

73. This happened in Nov 1968. I got back from Vietnam in March 1968.

The country seemed to be coming apart at the seems that year. I lived through Tet but was more surprised at the terrible things that were happening in the US than I was about Tet.

Like you and I said, you had to be aware in 1968 to put this story into context.

check this out

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968

[Joe Chi Minh]

87. Your explanation is spot on. We have enough bad news - it's the rule -

so "feel good" stories are worth a lot to us.

Judging from the story, that young woman has lived a life in the most difficult circumstances on the margins of society, almost certainly because of her ethnicity. That didn't stop because of the fireman; it had barely begun. Therefore, when so many evil people begrudge a half-decent life to fellow-citizens of another race - never mind their own! - what's to complain about a story of a man who willingly risked his life, and for someone too young to even vote, as well as being of a different basic ethnicity!

Imagine that. It made no difference to HIM what colour the child was; but the article throws that in the face of racists, even while pointing it out. There are people of all races who have humanity and a sense of duty. They tend to go together. The reporter was not denying that.

Hollywood is ambivalent about African Americans, pandering at times to the Great White Hope syndrome. You know, where the A-A has a high-pitched voice, or gets beaten by the Caucasian hero in a fight. But let them have their little games, pathetic though they are. When they want someone to portray a particuarly wise person or someone of extraordinary dignity, they'll look for an African American, if it can suit the scenario.

African American critics on here have a very understandable and thoroughly well-founded, persecution complex, becuase they live their lives as a persecuted minority. It helps to get the perspective of others though, sometimes. When the Scandinavian lady reported that Obama had given her the money she needed for her excess baggage, (at the time when he would have been a community worker), neither she nor the reporter made anything of the difference in their skin pigmentation, but Obama was already being lionised - and it was in any case a million miles from a racial tinder-box environment or time. In a half ideal world, those critics would have a very compelling point, but in the world we actually live in, we need to maximise good news - and in terms of as many dimensions as are involved.

[treestar]

92. Obama should get even more credit for helping that white lady then

Because since he is part of the group with a reasonable persecution complex, many blacks might not have helped the person ahead of them in line unless they were black too. Why help your persector? Obama did that. Sometimes Obama makes me nervous because he's too good. Make another dumb Cabinet appointment, Mr. President, so I can be reassured of your humanity! Through somebody under the bus now!

[Joe Chi Minh]

94. Yes, it's gong to be interesting to see how it plays out. Will the day come when he has to

give them the bum's rush they so richly deserve, by the use of the nuclear option and/or executive orders. Those political date-rapists are no more open to courting, than they bothered with it when they were in power.

Churchill once said of the Nazis that they were either at your feet or at your throat. Poor Obama's got them at his feet and at his throat simultaneously. "Feet! Obama. Feet!"

[Gormy Cuss]

97. That's the context that some here are missing. Boston was a tense, racially divided city then.

The fire department wasn't immune from racism either. It was a nearly all white force and new recruits came from the ranks of the sons and nephews of firemen. It was seen by the Boston black community as little better than the police department or other city agencies -- a place for white men only.

That said, firefighters as a group are an awesome bunch. I've been to Florian Hall (the union meeting house) and have known firefighters of that era. I doubt that his actions surprised his colleagues -- they save everyone they can, even if at that time they wouldn't sit at the same table with some of those rescued.

[county worker]

72. Like I an others have posted, you would have had to be aware in 1968 to understand.

check this out

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968

[llmart]

107. Maybe a lot of our posters.......

aren't as old as you and I, but those were some dark days in America with regards to race and that's why the writer mentions that the baby was black.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

74. I think it was only mentioned because of the picture and the racial climate at the time.

[TheEuclideanOne]

89. I could not have said it better myself.

I agree 100% with the points you expressed.

[TheEuclideanOne]

76. Yes, the comments didn't touch on race until I brought it up, that is correct

Before I read the comments, I read the title and you can't deny that skin color is the main theme of the post. After reading the article, I read all of the posts and they all had the same theme..... "How wonderful, the baby was black and he didn't let her burn!". My post was in part a sanity check because I was wondering if I was the only one that doesn't consider the fireman to be the opitamy of heroism for not letting a baby burn to death. Before I posted, there had to be at least 50 other posts. I was wondering if it was just me.

Regardless of whether we agree or disagree on what a hero is, I am curios about one thing.... You really don't think that a title like "White Fireman saves Black Baby" is related to race? Really?

[mindfulNJ]

50. Did you read the article?

This happened in 1968 when there was racial violence in most major US cities. This story was remarkable back in 1968 in that context.

[wryter2000]

54. Not because of that

But because he could have rightly said it was too dangerous, even for a firefighter, to stay in that room.

[Kajsa]

65. Were you around in 1968?

I was.

The racial tension in many US cities was so thick
you could cut it with a knife.

He could has assessed that the situation was too dangerous,
regardless of skin color.

But he didn't.

He risked his own life to save hers.

[county worker]

68. If you were around in 1968 as I was maybe you'd understand.

There most certainly were people who would have let her die because of her skin color. You need to put this in the context of that time.

[whopis01]

81. That's not the point being made and you know it.

It is heroism because he risked his life to save someone else. His actions were heroic.

As much as people like you want to make everything about the color of your skin, there are plenty of those who are above that. No one was claiming that it was heroism to choose not to let a black baby girl die. They were claiming it was heroism to run into a burning building to save the life of another person. In particular a person who he did not know and to whom he had no attachment.

If it had been a black firefighter running into that building to save the girl, would you claim that his action were not heroic?

[TheEuclideanOne]

88. I didn't bring race into it, I just identified that there was a focus on race.

If that is not the point being made, then why mention race at all? To me, it seems pretty blatant. I am not sure what you mean by "people like me", but I can only assume that you are referring to people who can read. :) If, for argument's sake, you are insinuating that I am forcing race into the story, then what is your explanation for the title of the article? Riddle me that, whospis01. Why not title it "Firefighter meets woman who's life he saved 40 years ago"?

[whopis01]

98. You mean the title of the article "40 years' worth of thanks"?

I find it hard to believe that you are missing the point as much as you claim to be, but for the sake of argument, here goes:

From the original post:

The firefighter crawled on his stomach through the pitch-black apartment, the smoke so thick he couldn't see his hand in front of his face. Somewhere inside was a baby and he had to find her.

A window broke, light filled the room, and he saw her lying in her crib, dressed only in a diaper, unconscious. Soot covered her tiny nose. She wasn't breathing and had no pulse. He grabbed her and breathed life into her as he ran from the apartment.


That is what makes the man a hero. Period.


You state:

Heroism is that he chose not to let a black baby girl die? I think that it would be despicable if the opposite happened and he let her burn because she was black. But to consider it to be heroism just because he didn't let her burn alive due to her skin color seems seriously misplaced to me.


No one is claiming that it is heroism because "he didn't let her burn alive due to her skin color".

Of course it would be despicable to let someone burn because of the color of their skin. However, is that really the opposite of what happened here? You are creating a false dichotomy by implying that the only deciding factor as to whether or not he was going to crawl through the burning building was based on the race of the person inside. He could have decided that it was too dangerous to go into the building. The point is that he risked his life to save the life of another human being and that is heroic.

Now as to why the title of the article is what it is... The article is titled "40 years' worth of thanks". I don't see what that has to do with race.

Granted, the story does make a point of the racial issues involved. However I think that the reasoning behind that is pretty straightforward. This happened just seven months after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. This happened just over a year after the Detroit riots where Johnson ordered (amongst others) the 82nd Airborne into the inner city. This happened at a time when the news was inundated with stories of conflicts between blacks and whites throughout the country. So, did it matter at that time that he was white and she was black? Of course it did. It was a symbol that people can all come together and help each other at a time when they were being torn apart.

If this was a story about a white firefighter saving a black girl today would that title be appropriate? Of course not. But consider the historical perspective. At the time it was significant. Hell, even without any title or text, look at how it stands against other pictures of white firefighters from that era:



To get back to the original point... To question the heroism in this story based on the race of the people involved is ludicrous.

[TheEuclideanOne]

100. if you keep leaving out enough information, eventually your argument will make sense.

Boy it sure is fun watching you dance around the point. I give you an A+ for effort, but an F for execution. Sometimes it is what is NOT said that is more important than what is said. Often times, people like you :) will leave out a very important fact because it makes it difficult to make your point credibly. I really love the way you mention the Title of the post as "40 years' worth of thanks:" and totally leave out the 2nd part/subtitle that reads."a white firefighter saved a black baby girl....". If that second part were to have been left out of the story, we may not even be having this descussion, but it isn't and you know it isn't. It is pretty hard to miss. Yet, you have the nerve to say "I don't see what that has to do with race". You can't just cherry pick parts of the story and pretend that people are not going to notice the points that you leave out. Geez, the post is at the very top of the page, it is not like people aren't going to notice. So, in short, you are just not being intellectually honest and I guess that you are focusing on winning an argument or trying to support your flawed logic than anything else. I have an idea. Why don't we just save time and I can say "You are right, I am wrong". Feel better now? Good.

[whopis01]

104. Well, you got your opportunity to grade and rate and berate me.

Did you even look at the article?
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/02/12/40_years_worth_of_thanks/

The title is "40 years' worth of thanks". The portion that read "In 1968, a white firefighter saved a black baby girl, touching the heart of a divided city. The two did not meet again. Until yesterday." is the first paragraph of the article, not the title.

Beyond that, I did not hide or leave out the racial side of it. My very next sentence made direct reference to that. Did you even notice the latter part of my post?

Your posting was not directed as a criticism of the original article. It was directed at the poster who claimed that this was what heroism is truly about. If CaliforniaPeggy was really claiming that this was an act of heroism because it was a white man saving a black girl, I would agree with you completely. But I feel confident that she was instead referring to the act of risking one's life to save another. You may disagree with me, and that is fine.

Please feel free to add anything else you wish to discussion, if you wish to do so. I have said what I needed to say and will let anything else go without further disagreement.

[TheEuclideanOne]

101. You are confusing the two points

If it had been a black firefighter running into that building to save the girl, would you claim that his action were not heroic?

Of course I would say that it is heroic. At the same time, if the article was titled "Black firefighter saves black baby", I would also argue that race was a part of the story. If race were not a part of the story, then we would not be mentioning the skin color of the firefighter and the skin color of the baby.

There are two seperate points here that you are trying to meld into one. One point is whether this story is about race. The other point here is that firefighters are heroes for saving lives.

[Rebellious Republican]

102. Check this great story out.

Wow, you have done such a good job of taking a good moment for peoples of all races, and turning a story of hope and changing times and attitudes into something else all together.

Click on the link and read the entire story, before you flame away. Would'nt it be nice if people could just live together and not keep kicking sand in each others face and pointing fingers at one another.

Racism does not come in any paticular color!

Snip> "Terra kept leaning over and asking, "Are you okay?" I explained to her that while I found her grandfather's attitude and comments ignorant and demeaning to women and minorities everywhere, I also saw him as a relic of an era that once had its death-like grip on the entire nation.

I saw him as an antique, a flashback of southern bigotry, but as a man whose heart was not irreparably hardened. As back wards as it seemed, he spewed from his lips the only social code he'd ever known - behavior very likely passed down to him from many generations past." <Snip

The young lady telling this story ends with very profound words for us all to ponder. Because we have all been taught the same things, racism resides in all colors and cultures. Many people need to replace the hate in their heart with love and respect for one another. Fight the good fight when and where it is needed, yes?

Snip> "Terra and I were two women born of traditions that tried to teach us to hate. As I caught a glimpse of her happy tears, I knew that race would never be a real barrier for us. Grandpa - or no Grandpa - we would be a part of each other's worlds for life." <Snip

http://www.helium.com/items/922330-testimonies-inter-racial-friendship?page=2

[whopis01]

103. Do you really believe that

CaliforniaPeggy was referring to the racial side of the story when she said "This is what heroism truly is"?

After all, that is what you were replying to, not the posting of the article.

I think it is pretty clear that she was referring to the act of risking one's life to save another. I am not the one trying to meld the two issues into one. You didn't merely argue that race was part of the story - you questioned whether or not it was heroism. And you did that because of the racial issues that were involved in the story.

[Two Americas]

93. good point

Many firefighters have saved many children, and risk their lives in their jobs all of the time. This is a big story because of race, and is getting a good response because it is a chance for white liberals to gush about themselves and each other and re affirm their self-images as enlightened caring people. As such, it is extremely self-indulgent, and that comes at the expense of a deeper and more meaningful discussion about racism.

It is most definitely misplaced consider it to be heroism just because he didn't let her burn alive due to her skin color, and I do think that is what people are doing. Is a fire fighter doing a person of color a favor by rescuing them just as they would a white person? Is it more heroic because of the person's race? What does it say about us that the fact that a white fire fighter saved a Black child is some big newsworthy event? Are we really to believe that had the child who was rescued had been white, or the fire fighter Black, that we would see the same response here?

So many people latching onto these stories and then wallowing in an emotional feel good party about them reflects how racist the society still is, and how far we have to go yet.

People will get angry with us for our comments, and ask "can't we just feel good about this?" Sure they can. Can't we ask why this makes so many people feel so good? If not, why not?

Would a story about a white person who is still so thankful and grateful for the actions of a Black person 40 years ago get the same response? If not, why not? Would a story about a person who is still so thankful and grateful for the actions of a person 40 years ago, without race being involved at all, get the same response? If not, why not?

[roguevalley]

86. ahhh, lovely. just lovely.

[sandnsea]

2. That was great

Thank you so much for posting.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

5. You're welcome, thanks for reading.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

3. Jesus

i am crying like a baby here.

what a great story

[babylonsister]

6. Recommend. Wow! Thank you! nt

[Mind_your_head]

7. Beautiful! n/t

[emilyg]

8. Thank you.

[NYC_SKP]

9. Thank you, firefighters of the world. Just thank you.

Recommended.

[undergroundrailroad]

10. This is truly a beautiful story with an enchanting ending. I love it!

[MicaelS]

11. "There's your new granpa."

:cry: :cry: :cry:

Thanks, Dave.

[Booster]

12. I love firefighters - there's no one braver than these guys.

What a truly beautiful story. Thank God for people like William Carroll.:toast:

[EFerrari]

13. What a beautiful picture that was.

[ronnie624]

99. I'll bet there's not a dry eye on this thread. n/t

[Vektor]

14. Wonderful story, thanks so much for posting.

It's nice to see stuff like this and be reminded that there is not only ugliness in the world, though sometimes it can seem that way.

Very brave heroes, our firefighters...risking life and limb every time they show up on the scene.

[Quantess]

15. What was the story in 1968?

Anyway, it's a very cute story.

[Kajsa]

69. There were riots in Washington D.C.,

following the assignation of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Civil unrest affected 110 cities in the US.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Washington,_D.C._riots

Like I said in another post here,
the racial tension was very thick.

[jennied]

16. Can I say she looks fantastic for 40.

[ClayZ]

17. I am a firefighter's Mom. Thanks for this story!

Last week he did his PreSchool run. He puts on all his gear and crawls into their classrooms. They do this so the children know not to be scared by the firefighters and hide from them. He looks pretty scary with all that stuff on. We are very proud of him! :-)

[qanda]

22. You have a right to be proud.

Good for him!

[blm]

23. Firefighter's sister here thanks you, too.

We have many stories, some very sad, but the love and respect for firefighters is set in stone.

[dipsydoodle]

18. made me well up reading that.

Yes - a true hero "just doing his job." Thanks for posting.

[rpannier]

19. Great story

Thanks for sharing

It reminds us all just how important firemen are

[MADem]

20. I remember when that happened.

It was a difficult period for the city of Boston, and for firefighters. Fires were being set in abandoned buildings, and then, when the firefighters arrived, people were throwing bricks and bottles at them. There was a dislike of authority, and the "pig" "fuzz" cops and the firefighters were all lumped in together. I knew a firefighter who took ten stitches to the head in one of those situations. Through it all, they still responded. The pay back then was pretty meager, too.

This was a nice story, and a break from all that meanness.

[Sequoia]

66. I recall hearing those types of stories when I was a kid.

I couldn't understand why people would throw bricks at firemen. I wonder if karma ever caught up with them.

[marybourg]

75. Not to say it was right, but

there was a lot of resentment in the black community due - in part - to the fact that blacks were not being recruited or accepted onto fire and police departments. Those departments were almost all white even in large cities of the Northeast. And that was only part of it. It was a very different world then.

[Sequoia]

77. I see.

But were blacks throwing bricks at white firemen who putting out fires? I heard it was "those damn Demorcatic liberal commie bastard hippies!"

[MADem]

82. I had an extended-family relative who was injured in one of those melees.

He was a tough bastard. Went right back to work. And he was OLD, and had diabetes, too.

It was an odd time. Don't Trust Anyone Over Thirty...I mean, really--how fucking stupid is that? But idiots were buying it...until they had a few birthdays and got closer to thirty.

[qanda]

21. Thank you for sharing this

But I'm sitting here crying like a baby. What a wonderful story.

[islandmkl]

24. great story...seeing the good in humanity amongst all the crap is refreshing...

now...what am i supposed to do with this salty coffee??...

[Rebellious Republican]

25. Nice post FMD!

Personally, as a wildland fire fighter, I have a special place in my heart for my structural brothers and sisters.

Providing us with egress routes, invaluable logistical and material support. Gals and guys who normally wear bunker gear and drive quints, quads, and tanker trucks are not what comes to mind on a wildfire, but they are there.

I could tell you stories of nerves of steel and untold bravery and at great risk to themselves, they have had our backs many times, but thats for another time.

Great story, I think most people that work as first responders generally have a sensitive and tender side that most never get to see.

[AnneD]

36. As a Nurse I have to say....

the 3 groups of folks we really bust our asses to save are police men, fire men and kids. I mean we try to save everyone but I know we code longer and take it more personally with these groups.

[Rebellious Republican]

41. I understand you completely, my sister is a retired RN, she worked

at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany when the war started. Still makes her tear up when she thinks about it, she worked Triage. Thank you AnneD for your dedication and service, you to make a difference!
:pals:

[AnneD]

67. God Bless your sister.....

I never worked as a combat nurse, but I can say that I would feel the same thing. I did work at a Nursing home and took care of several Battan Death March vets.....as ex Army and a Nurse-they got lots of TLC from me.

Thanks for the kind words :hug:

edited to add...I don't know if you ever watched MASH but there was a scene once where they were working to save a young GI and it was Christmas. He died on Christmas-close to midnight. Every one was sad but one of the cast-I can't remember who-said they didn't want the kids to remember that their dad died on Christmas so they scrolled the clock foreword to the next day. That about sums it up.

[Rebellious Republican]

91. Yes, I watch MASH and I do remember that scene, yes it sums it up well.

She was Air Force and I am Ex-Navy. I hope I have a nurse like you when all I have left are my medals and sea stories, I bet those old boys from Bataan were a handful ;). Like you my sis is extremely sensitive and takes special exception to anyone who has served honorably as well, and I would not want to be the person the speaks ill of those in the military in her presence.
:patriot:

[AnneD]

95. I was working in New Mexico.....

and come to find out.....an entire company of soldiers from NM were on Bataan. That is how I met so many survivors. Several had photos of them upon their release from the camp. They were just skin stretched over bone and looked like walking death. One vet that I took a real shine to would talk in his sleep. The aides couldn't figure out what he was saying, but I recognized it as Japanese and told them to be very careful around him if he was talking like that because he was back in the POW camp. Imagine over 50 years and he still couldn't escape it. I had an uncle that was a green beret assassin and once when my aunt went to wake him from a bad dream-he broke her jaw while in his sleep and could have broken her neck.

He did pass away while I worked there and I put up with a lot of crap from his family (they were in denial about his prognosis and were just plain rude)-but I was very privileged to be one of his last Nurses (I care for him not them). He got the the gentlest of care from me and we always shared many a wonderful conversation. He was such a kind and humble man. I hated to see him go, but I knew he had suffered so much in this lifetime. He's one I always think of on Veteran's Day.

And yes...I love the old salts or squids.

[Blue_Tires]

26. thanks for this

i just saw it and was about to post it...

[Alcibiades]

27. That's sweet

Every day, people are connecting in ways that don't always make the news--this happened, in part, because someone was there to take the iconic photograph.

I was born in 1968, and it might be a little hard for some folks to understand how divided this nation was then. I think that's a good thing.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

28. Unselfish, unbiased heroism

the bonding that happened--"this is your new grandfather"--was wonderful--we need to hear more stories like this.

[iamjoy]

29. Great Story

Evangeline Harper has had some real hardships in her life, but it seems like she still has a great disposition. She also has real determination, she doesn't quit - does she? There is no doubt William Carroll is a hero and inspiration, but maybe Harper is too.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

37. Everyone is a hero in this story.

[katandmoon]

30. Beautiful. Thank you.

[Barack_America]

31. What a beautiful story.

Tears in my eyes over here.

[TEmperorHasNoClothes]

32. pass the tissues, great story

[Delphinus]

33. The story captures it so

much more beautifully than the video. I hope all read it - very touching. Brings tears and a smile as this is what we *CAN* be. This connection.

[Le Taz Hot]

34. **Sniff**

Great story!

[Maineman]

35. Nice. Very nice.

[Frisbee]

38. Beautiful story...

Thanks for sharing.

[depakid]

39. What an excellent story!

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[YOY]

40. Sometimes a human interest story has social connections instead of being fluff.

K&R.

[RubyDuby in GA]

44. That was wonderful.

Thank you for sharing that with us.

[ColesCountyDem]

46. What a wonderful post to read first thing in the morning!

Thank you!

:hi::hug:

[Dinger]

48. Very Touching, K & R : )

:)

[L0oniX]

49. K & R

[Fire1]

51. Moments like these are so precious. Bless them both.

[FlaGatorJD]

55. Have to pass along another heartwarming firefighter story

This is such a great story about William Caroll and Evangeline Harper, and although my story doesn't have the racial component, it reminded me of something that I witnessed in December about another group of heroic firefighters.

This story has two parts. One about the wonderful mission these firefighters just completed, and the other about Steven Sillers, who was the inspiration for the Tunneltotowers run, now held annually in NYC.

I was in New Orleans watching football on Sunday in a sports bar just before Christmas. A group of NY firefighters came into the bar.
There was about 30 of them, and they were celebrating a successful mission and preparing to fly home. Part of the group had driven several trucks full of donated toys down to the Gulf region, and others flew down to help out, I believe in Alabama and Mississippi, and they had just finished distributing them.

I became caught up in their celebration and spoke with several of them, and one of them gave me one of the t-shirts they were handing out. It wasn't until I got home and was able to research the story of the T-shirt for the Tunneltotowers Run. I've pasted a portion of the website regarding this incredible 9/11 story and the annual run. It appeared to me that the tragic events of 9/11 had affected these men in a way nothing else could, and their emotions and comraderie was very moving. They didn't talk that day about 9/11, but I'm sure this was also about alot of healing too.

To all firefighters, with a special thanks to those in NYC and Mr. Carroll, I salute you.

(excerpt from the website)
Stephen Siller, beloved husband and father of five, was a firefighter from Squad 1, Park Slope Brooklyn. On 9/11, he was off-duty, and on his way to golf with his 3 older brothers.
When Stephen heard on his scanner that the World Trade Center had been hit, he turned his vehicle around and headed towards the site. When his truck was prohibited from entering the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, typically of him, he raced on foot towards the site with his gear strapped to his back.
He was last seen alive on West and Liberty Streets where he, more than likely, went looking for his Squad, all of whom perished. The Tunnel to Towers Run retraces Stephen's footsteps on that fateful day.
In running along his path, we honor the memory of all the Firefighters, Police, and EMS workers who performed their duty that day. In running this race, we are reclaiming still another part of the city for all our heroes and for all of those who died on 9/11.
They will never be forgotten! Tunneltotowersrun website

[saigon68]

57. Awesome

[Omaha Steve]

59. First response men and women in uniform

Most firefighters do civic activities year round. The Jerry Lewis telethon stands out front in my mind. Most firefighters nationwide are also good union members.


From the story: Carroll then took the group for lunch at Florian Hall, the union's headquarters, where Carroll still goes every week for coffee with friends or to help fellow retirees with healthcare questions. Over sandwiches, the group looked at old black-and-white photos of that day and traded stories about the challenges of raising children.

[Chorophyll]

60. What a great story.

I started reading through the comments up top here and gave up. Some people will pick a fight with a soft stick of butter!

The reunion between the firefighter and the woman he saved 40 years ago is what makes the story. Thanks for posting.

[Belial]

61. This is a great story.. but..

Let's not forget everytime these guys and gals jump on the truck or even on their off duty times.. they risk their lives. Reading this story made me feel a little guilty as it sometimes takes something like this to make me remember what I way to often take for granted. These "gentle" reminders help me to remember..

Thanks for the post.

[Redstone]

62. Having once run into a burning house myself (and I'm not even a fireman), and having

the utter surprise (hey, I'd never done that sort of thing before) of getting up to the second floor and discovering how BLACK that layer of smoke can be, such that I had to crawl into the kitchen to hit the fire with my extinguisher, I can personally understand and appreciate what firefighters go through.

I was coughing up black gurp for a week after that. And I only did it once; those guys (and women) do it every day. And it's not like they're getting rich by doing it.

True heroes, every one of them.

Redstone

[Kajsa]

64. What a beautiful story

this is!

I'm so glad they finally got to meet each other
after all these years!

Thanks so much for sharing this.

:)

[nolabear]

70. There are actually two wonderful acts here

Evangeline didn't have to look her hero up and thank him for saving her life all those years ago, but she took the trouble to say "thank you" and to give him a gift. The delight he took in that teddy bear (a universal symbol of comfort and hugs) was incredibly touching.

I think this act, and this article, are indicative of the feeling of the new rapprochement between people who have been afraid of one another in the past. And it is wonderful, wonderful. He was so happy that she'd gotten in touch. It was great for both of them.

[Chorophyll]

79. Yes. What you said. nt

[tilsammans]

78. Did. Me. In.

"There's your new grandpa," Anderson said to her son.

"What a beautiful day," the retired firefighter said . . .

How wonderful that they found each other after so long. Happy tears! ---> :cry:

[Abq_Sarah]

80. Thank you so much

For posting this story. It really shows what a difference one person can make in this world.

[noiretextatique]

83. great story

i'm glad they found each other after all these years.

[dana_b]

84. yes it was. made me cry a little n/t

[Uncle Joe]

85. This is a lovely inspiring story.

Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Fire_Medic_Dave:thumbsup:

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

105. Thanks to everyone who responded and recommended.