NYFD Battalion Chief John Moran (Freeper BCM) Perishes In World Trade Center

NY Daily News ^

[AppyPappy]

The bone-chilling wail of bagpipe playing "Amazing Grace" echoed through a Queens church yesterday as yet another fallen firefighter from the World Trade Center tragedy was memorialized in death.

It was yet another day — of many more to come — for Masses and memorial services for both heroic rescue workers and innocent civilians lost in the flames and collapsing towers.

At the memorial Mass for 49th Battalion Chief John Moran, his younger brother, Firefighter Michael Moran of Ladder 3, recalled how he spoke to his brother by cell phone after the second plane crashed into the Trade Center.

"I told him to be careful," the younger Moran told mourners, including his brother's wife, Kim, and two sons, Ryan, 7, and Dylan, 4. "I didn't see him there that day, but now I see him all the time."

The memorial Mass at St. Francis de Sales Church in Belle Harbor, Queens, was conducted by the fallen firefighter's uncle, Father Paul Moran, who called his 42-year-old nephew's last assignment a "mission of love, to save life, not destroy it."

Mayor Giuliani called for a standing ovation for the 20-year fire veteran, who held a law degree from Fordham University and was injured in the Father's Day explosion at an Astoria hardware store that killed three firefighters.

The mayor said while Moran's two young sons may not fully comprehend all that's happened, "The thing I want them to understand for their entire life is that their father is a great man."

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It is believed that John Moran is BMC. We have a picture from a freep Posted Here. Here is his Fire Dept Memorial http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/f dny/html/memorial/wtc/moran_jo hn_bc_bat049.html. Here is a google search of his postsHere

I found these:

To: ELS

This was the best time I've ever had in the pouring rain! I was shouting so hard that I can hardly speak today. While the chants were great and certainly got people's attention, I personally loved it when we sang "America the Beautiful" and "God Bless America." I think that really stopped people in their tracks (and completely confounded the liberals).

32 Posted on 11/27/2000 15:45:04 PST by BCM
[ Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | Top | Last ]

After the Bush victory:

To: AndrewC

My fellow Freepers, who sustained me through all the insanity.

24 Posted on 11/27/2000 19:20:44 PST by BCM
[ Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | Top | Last ]

BTW I found this one as well:

To: bcjohnson

God bless you, you will be missed.

4 Posted on 01/03/2000 22:37:18 PST by BCM

John 15
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

[glory]

Did you notice too that his memorial was 3 yrs to the day from when he became a FReeper? Very eerie.

RIP brave soul.

glory-->to those FReepers that have lost thier lives recently!

[StayoutdaBushesWay]

Thanks for posting this cartoon.
I was deeply saddened today at the news of Chief Negotiator and had already known of BCM, but this cartoon made the tears start flowing again.
BCM and Chief Negotiator will be missed, May God Bless the families left behind and to all us FReepers grieving.

[G-Rated]

"I knew it had to catch up to FReeRepublic,,,sooner or later..there were just too many. "

That thought has crossed my mind, too. I've wondered if there are others and if we'll ever find out why they simply stopped posting.

[rbmillerjr]

peace be with you

[homegroan]

RIP, BCM & CHIEF N.

[moodymare]

His memorial was on 9/28/01 and he registered on Free Republic on 9/28/98. So sad to lose a man of this caliber.

[G-Rated]

"May they shake hands in heaven."

Wonderful, comforting thought.

[Molly Pitcher]

This is just too much. May God bless and keep him , and may the Lord comfort his family and friends.

[tinlady]

He will be missed by all of us. God bless his family. So little to say about such a great man, but words fail me at this loss.

[mad_as_he$$]

I know that BCM was a gentle man from reading his posts. The fact that he was a Freeper just gives me another reason to help as many of osoma boys go to their 70 virgins as I can.

The last part of the Air Force parajumpers motto is:

"so that others may live."

They have it down for all rescue and firepersons everywhere.

BCM you will be avenged and it is my sincere wish that it be some of my friends who are D Boys that do it for you. I have e-mailed them this story. They are the best soldiers in the history of the world and Osama's boys have no idea what the wrath of a bunch of po'ed D Boys will bring down on them.

[Aaron_A]

A final bump for BCM up there in heaven; RIP.

[mafree]

Boy, I'm sorry about this. Rest in peace, BCM. Condolences to BCM's family.

As so many have said, two great FReeper Chiefs enter heaven together.

[G-Rated]

The poem made me a little misty, too.

[Mr_Magoo]

Is someone working on the FR Memorial Wall?

Yes, I am.

Does anyone know the year that BCM was born? I need that to complete his plaque.

[RaceBannon]

here is the Freeper you mentioned

[AppyPappy]

He was 42 when he died.

[AGreatPer]

Re: #199. Rest in peace BCM. Dead, this hard to take.

[Rowdee]

Appy, thanks to you for following up this story on BCM and posting this memorial to him.

My prayers go out to his family and circle of firefighter friends.

[Gelato]

John Moran,

Good bless you for your service.

[NYCVirago]

Here's the photo from the article, and the caption. Note: for those of you who are not New Yorkers, three firefighters lost their lives in a fire in Astoria, Queens, this Father's Day. It was the most horrific event of the year for the fire department until September 11, of course.:

Caption: Firefighters carry helmets of Battalion Chief John Moran at memorial service for him yesterday in Queens. Moran, who had been injured in Father's Day fire this year, leaves behind two young sons.