| NEW YORK WORLD TRADE CENTER MURDERS - SEPT. 11,2001 |
| Buck, Greg: When firefighter Greg left for work the morning of Sept. 11, he asked his dad to please walk his dog, Emily, since he was running late. He arrived at the Brooklyn firehouse in time however, to race with Engine Co. 201 to the burning towers of the World Trade Center. In a search for survivors, he and three other company members entered the South Tower 10 minutes before it collapsed. "I wish I could give more details - we just don't know what happened to them," said Captain Luke Lynch. He described Buck as "a great firefighter. "I don't know a person who loved his job as much as Greg did. He always had a smile on his face," said his father, Ernie. Greg, 37, was a licensed nurse, having graduated from Staten Island University training at the top of his class six years ago.Two weeks after graduation he joinded the NYCFD. Greg was born in Brooklyn. He and his wife, Katherine, were married two years ago and lived on Staten Island, New York. - Rhoda Amon (Newsday.com) [Ent. 10/01] (http://cf1.newsday.infi.net/911/victimsearch.cfm?id=1081) |
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| Guja, Lt. Geoffrey, 47, was on light duty at a Brooklyn headquarters recovering from a previous injury and was not required to respond to fires. But when he heard the alarm for the World Trade Center, Guja and another Llieutenant hopped on a subway and sped to the Twin Towers, where they geared up with another company. He was killed when the towers crumbled. "He didn't have to go, but there was no stopping him. He died doing what he loved to do," said his wife, Debbie, of Lindenhurst. Guja, who worked for the NYCFD for 13 years, was also a part time RN at Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre. "He never talked about that part of his life, but so many people from the hospital came to his service and talked about what a good nurse he was and how much they all loved him," his wife said. Others came from his former firehouse in the Bronx and told anecdotes about Guja's good-natured antics that kept everyone's spirits up. After years of service in the Bronx, he was transferred as a "floating lieutenant" to Brooklyn's Battalion 43. Guja's passion was his 43-foot houseboat, which he kept at Gilgo Beach. Every July 4, he would take his wife and stepdaughters, Kelly and Jamie, on a cruise to the Statue of Liberty. Geoffrey was born in Brooklyn and grew up in Massapequa, New York. He attended the State University at Binghamton. -Rhoda Amon (Newsday.com) [Ent. 10/01] (Ref: http://cf1.newsday.infi.net/911/victimsearch.cfm?id=1162) |
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| May They Rest in Peace |
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| Bucca, Ronald: Ronald and a Battalion Chief were the only firefighters to reach the 78th floor (the 'crash zone') of the south tower several minutes before the tower collapsed. He was the first NY fire marshal ever to die in the line of duty. He had been with the NYFD for 23 years and concurrently with the army reserves as a military analyst. As an LPN he also held a BS degree in Public Safety. He was an avid historian and had a lifelong interest in Boy Scouting. Ronald was also known as 'The Flying Fireman', a nickname he received after falling five stories suffering severe injuries during a fire rescue attempt in 1996. His son Ronnie, who had walked alongside the fire truck that carried his dad's casket, said of his dad "My father never bragged or talked about his accomplishments, but the family knew what he did." Ronald, 47, lived in Tuckahoe, NY where he is survived by his wife and two children. [Ent. 11/01] (Ref.: http://www.nydailynews.com/2001-11-11/News_and_Views/City_Beat/a-131693.asp) |
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| Huczko, Stephen. Steve, 44, as a Port Authority police officer - described by his wife as someone who could never sit still - rushed from his Jersey City (NJ) headquarters to assist in the rescue effort. An avid runner, Steve was remembered for his intense involvement with his kids as exemplified by his encouraging them to participate with him in a local triathalon. He obtained his nursing degree while working nights for the PA and had a goal of retiring in five years to pursue a career in nursing as a way of continuing to help people. Steve lived in Hampton, NJ where he is survived by his wife and four children. [Ent. 9/02] (Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/24/national/portraits/POG-24HUCZKO.html ) |
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