Fallen September 11 hero firefighter Michael Brennan had a rare posthumous bestowed on him recently when a street (at 41st and 50th Avenue) in Queens, New York, was renamed “Michael Brennan Way”. Michael grew up on the street and his mother, Eileen Walsh still lives there. The ceremony to unveil the new street sign was held on Friday, July 19, and was attended by family, friends and people from the neighborhood. Michael’s sister, Veronica Brennan, said afterwords, “We were amazed at the number of people who showed up on a weekday. We’re still hurting but we’re very proud. It hurts that it needed to be done but it’s an enormous honor.”
Michael was stationed on 48th Street and 8th Avenue in Manhattan, a firehouse that lost 15 men. In 2000, photographer Peter Foley spent three months documenting life in that firehose and fondly remembers Michael as “the sweetest, funniest guy who always loved the camera and was always mugging for it.” ♦
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