The Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) Memorial Wall honors the 343 firefighters who sacrificed their lives on September 11, 2001. It hangs at FDNY Ten House, home of Engine 10 and Ladder 10 companies. Five men from Ten House died on 9/11, about half of the firefighters on shift. Unveiled in 2006, the wall faces Liberty Park, about 200 feet from where the south tower stood.
International law firm Holland & Knight sponsored the sculpture in remembrance of Glenn J. Winuk, a partner and volunteer firefighter who perished in the attacks. Conceptualized by Viggo Rambusch of Rambusch Lighting Co., the mural portrays the day’s events in bronze, making sure to include “each group, tool and type of vehicle,” according to the wall’s official website. Rambusch’s team consisted of illustrator Joseph Oddi, sculptor Joseph Petrovics and Brooklyn-based metal casting company Bedi-Makky Art Foundry.
While the Firemen’s Memorial in the Upper West Side recognizes firefighters over time with a small 9/11 attribution, this memorial is specific to 9/11. Tourists and New Yorkers alike can be found paying tribute at this 8,000-pound, 56-foot-long sculpture.
“Before COVID, in the summers, you’d see hundreds of people lined up to see the memorial,” said Sal Argano, an active firefighter who served on the force during 9/11. “The people are starting to come back.”
Argano was 31 years old when terrorists crashed planes into the Twin Towers. He had been working an overnight shift in Brooklyn the night before, and by the time he got back on the island, the towers had already fallen. He lost many friends that day.
Other Ten House firefighters joined the force after the attacks.
“It just seemed like the right thing to do,” said Adam Rivera, wearing his full bunker gear.
The station’s remarkable closeness to the World Trade Center (WTC) means its firefighters live with constant reminders of 9/11. For some, it constitutes reverence. For others, it manifests as purpose.
“I think about it all the time,” Argano said softly. “I mean, we’re right here.” He looked across the street towards the WTC.
On a sunny afternoon days before the 20th anniversary of 9/11, Argano stood outside with lips pursed and both hands in his pockets. Alone and still as a wall, he looked onto the site of where the south tower used to stand. He remained there for a few minutes, transfixed on the south pool as if he was reliving a memory from two decades ago.
