by Helen Hall
Kitchener Citizen
Even 10 years later, Bill Prince got a catch in his voice while talking about his friend George Cain.
Prince, of Great Neck, New York, was a speaker at the 7th Annual Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Day, and spoke about his friend, a New York firefighter who was killed in the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2011.
Local firefighters hold an annual ceremony to remember their fallen, but this year it included the unveiling of a monument to the 343 New York firefighters who lost their lives on September 11th. The monument includes a piece of a beam from the World Trade Center.
The beam stands in front of glass with etchings of what remained of the World Trade Center after its collapse. A bronze helmet was added for the 343 firefighters who died that day.
Prince said firefighting was his friend’s “dream job.” He said he loved firefighting and he loved spending time in the country, and the shiftwork gave him the time to do both.
Cain was born in New York and had spent seven years as a firefighter. He was a member of Battalion 8, Ladder Company 7. Six of its members died on September 11, 2001.
“The firefighters were walking in when everyone was walking out,” Prince said.
Cain helped evacuate hundreds of guests from the World Trade Center Marriott Hotel. The hotel was full at the time of the attacks. When the towers collapsed, the hotel was destroyed and Cain was still inside.
“I found comfort that he was with his brothers when he died, his second family,” Prince said.
Prince said he considered it to be a “privilege” to be in Kitchener for the unveiling of the World Trade Center monument.
Many at the ceremony were also moved by the event, which included the American national anthem, and some went up and held their hands to the beam.
Kitchener was one of a handful of cities in Canada to receive a significant part of the World Trade Center.
Firefighter Kevin Schmalz said the Kitchener Fire Department heard that the New York Port Authority was offering pieces of the building for first responders to memorialize throughout North America. He applied, and after a long process, his application was successful.
At the unveiling, he said he was honoured that the Kitchener Fire Department was considered a “worthy recipient” of the memorial beam. Local firefighters raised $300,000 for the New York firefighters’s Widows and Children’s fund following the attacks, and travelled to New York with supplies and attended funerals.
The ceremony was also a memorial for local firefighter Captain Bill Duncan, who died of a brain tumour in March 2011. A bronze helmet was added to the memorial with his name.
Duncan’s wife Donna said he would be embarrassed by the attention of the memorial.
“Bill would say ‘I’m not a hero,’” she said, adding that he was a humble guy.
She described him as an “amazing person to live with” and that they “found the funny thing in everything.”
When they learned Bill had brain cancer, she said she could not attend the next firefighter memorial because she realized that the time was coming when a helmet would be added for Bill. The annual memorial and family fun day is a gathering for local firefighters and their families to offer support to each other.
However, she said Bill never complained about his disease, and loved being a firefighter.
“He lived life the way he wanted to while he was here,” she said.
She said that she knew others in the crowd were also suffering from the loss of a loved one.
“I hope you find comfort from your friends and family.”
Kitchener Citizen
Even 10 years later, Bill Prince got a catch in his voice while talking about his friend George Cain.
Prince, of Great Neck, New York, was a speaker at the 7th Annual Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Day, and spoke about his friend, a New York firefighter who was killed in the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2011.
Local firefighters hold an annual ceremony to remember their fallen, but this year it included the unveiling of a monument to the 343 New York firefighters who lost their lives on September 11th. The monument includes a piece of a beam from the World Trade Center.
The beam stands in front of glass with etchings of what remained of the World Trade Center after its collapse. A bronze helmet was added for the 343 firefighters who died that day.
Prince said firefighting was his friend’s “dream job.” He said he loved firefighting and he loved spending time in the country, and the shiftwork gave him the time to do both.
Cain was born in New York and had spent seven years as a firefighter. He was a member of Battalion 8, Ladder Company 7. Six of its members died on September 11, 2001.
“The firefighters were walking in when everyone was walking out,” Prince said.
Cain helped evacuate hundreds of guests from the World Trade Center Marriott Hotel. The hotel was full at the time of the attacks. When the towers collapsed, the hotel was destroyed and Cain was still inside.
“I found comfort that he was with his brothers when he died, his second family,” Prince said.
Prince said he considered it to be a “privilege” to be in Kitchener for the unveiling of the World Trade Center monument.
Many at the ceremony were also moved by the event, which included the American national anthem, and some went up and held their hands to the beam.
Kitchener was one of a handful of cities in Canada to receive a significant part of the World Trade Center.
Firefighter Kevin Schmalz said the Kitchener Fire Department heard that the New York Port Authority was offering pieces of the building for first responders to memorialize throughout North America. He applied, and after a long process, his application was successful.
At the unveiling, he said he was honoured that the Kitchener Fire Department was considered a “worthy recipient” of the memorial beam. Local firefighters raised $300,000 for the New York firefighters’s Widows and Children’s fund following the attacks, and travelled to New York with supplies and attended funerals.
The ceremony was also a memorial for local firefighter Captain Bill Duncan, who died of a brain tumour in March 2011. A bronze helmet was added to the memorial with his name.
Duncan’s wife Donna said he would be embarrassed by the attention of the memorial.
“Bill would say ‘I’m not a hero,’” she said, adding that he was a humble guy.
She described him as an “amazing person to live with” and that they “found the funny thing in everything.”
When they learned Bill had brain cancer, she said she could not attend the next firefighter memorial because she realized that the time was coming when a helmet would be added for Bill. The annual memorial and family fun day is a gathering for local firefighters and their families to offer support to each other.
However, she said Bill never complained about his disease, and loved being a firefighter.
“He lived life the way he wanted to while he was here,” she said.
She said that she knew others in the crowd were also suffering from the loss of a loved one.
“I hope you find comfort from your friends and family.”
KITCHENER’S NEWEST PUBLIC ART
World Trade Center beam unveiled at Kitchener’s Firefighter Memorial
World Trade Center beam unveiled at Kitchener’s Firefighter Memorial
Bill Prince spoke about his friend and firefighter George Cain who was killed at the World Trade Center September 11, 2001. Cain is remembered in Kitchener with the 343 helmet at the Kitchener Firefighters Memorial.
Donna Duncan and her granddaughter Lily lay flowers by the bronze helmet of her husband Captain Bill Duncan, who died of brain cancer in March.
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