Firefighter Gerard Dewan
Ladder 3

Laid to Rest
on December 13, 2001

FF Gerard Dewan, FDNY Ladder Company 3-Unaccounted For
Hello everyone. I feel like I need to share my information with everyone. Maybe, in some strange way, it gives me some piece of mind. My uncle Gerard was the youngest of 6 with my dad being the oldest. The 2 generations before them were filled with Boston firefighters. Of my uncles, they all became firefighters. My uncle Paul is a retired Boston Lieutenant, my uncle Bill a current Boston Lt. and my uncle Jack is a firefighter in Brookline. My dad was the only black sheep...He's a retired Boston Police Sgt-detective. Then there was Gerry. He always wanted to be a jake, like his
brothers, his dad, and the rest of his family. Gerry always had a desire to go to "The Big Apple". He was a BIG "buff". SO a few years back he took the FDNY test, passed, went through "probie school" and became a full fleged FDNY firefighter. Gerry loved his job! I'd talk to him on the phone and he'd say "Michael, you hafta come down and ride with me. We get a fire every night down here!" I never did get the chance to do that...and it appears I never will. While working on Ladder-3 in Manhattan on Tuesday, Gerry, as my family has found out, was dispatched on the inital report of an explosion @ the WTC. We have also learned through another FDNY firefighter that the last radio transmission from L-3 was that they were on the 34th floor of one of the towers assisting with evacuations of the building. The entire crew of L-3, as well as hundreds of other firefighters, cops and EMS providers, have not been heard form since. While my family and I are still hanging on to hope and faith, I speak for myself when I say, being a firefighter as well, all of my hope and faith are slipping away with every minute that passes. I will let everyone know any information as soon as i get it. Until then, say a prayer not only for my uncle Gerry, but for everyone that is missing and everyone that has been affected by this cowardly, senseless act against our freedom.

Thank you, all, for taking the time to read this. Michael

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