Posted on 01/10/2002 9:43:54 AM PST by narby
Racial Changes Made in Ground Zero Firefighter Tribute
It happened more than two weeks ago, but at least one New York City firefighter is still steaming over the politically correct changes made to a sculpted tribute to the firefighter heroes who raised the American flag at Ground Zero just hours after the World Trade Center was leveled on 9/11.
The three flag-raising fireman, as depicted in a widely publicized photograph taken by New Jersey's Bergen Record, were white.
But when a statue commemorating the event was unveiled at the FDNY's Brooklyn headquarters on Dec. 21, the three white firefighters had been replaced by a more racially diverse trio of unidentified Fire Department staffers.
The $180,000 statue is the first memorial to the 343 firefighters and emergency medical personnel killed Sept. 11, reported Newsday at the time.
The racial modifications came at the behest of Fire Department officials, artists with Studio EIS, located on York Street in the Dumbo section, told the paper.
Our firefighter-reader complained:
"What Firefighters McWilliams, Johnson and Eisengrein did inspired the people of the United States in one of its darkest hours. ... This photograph is as sacred as the famous photograph and sculpture of the U.S. Marines raising the Flag on Iwo Jima. ...
"The 343 firefighters [who] were killed at the WTC (54 of whom I knew personally) consisted of all races and creeds.
"But the fact is that the three firefighters who hoisted the Flag on the afternoon of Sept. 11th at the WTC were white and should be depicted as such."
We couldn't have said it better ourselves.
This isn't true either. The famous picture is indeed not the first flag raised on Iwo, but rather the 2nd. The 1st flag was considered too small and a second flag was brought in so it could be seen from a further distance. The raising was not staged but rather just done and Joe Rosenthal even said he just turned and clicked the photo and didn't know what he got until the film was developed.
Here's a link that should help you out. United States Marine Memorial
History must be preserved!
The one saving grace was the Revolutionary War gunboat that was salvaged. That was pretty neat.
Did you see the section on 'Global Warming'? Utter Crap. And what's unfortunate is that 'If it's in the Smithsonian, than it MUST be true!'.
I maintain that Air and Space is the only building worth going through. Apparently, they haven't figured out how to re-write history so that it was Martin Luther King who landed on the moon, instead of Neil Armstrong.....
No, but if you come to the Second Annual Manchester Regional Police and Fire Tartan Ball, you'll see plenty of bare-kneed Firefighters and Cops offduty. Real men wear kilts.
*I'm surprised one isn't wearing Islamic headgear, you know, in the "I am an American" sort of way.
In Louisiana recently, there was a monument made to honor the verterns of WWII (Normandy Invasion?). The contractor for the construction company is located in Germany (and I believe dates back to the war). If they wanted to donate their services in tribute to the sacrifice these men made for freedom, that is one thing, but to contract it (with a lower bid than others) is offensive.
Statues don't appear to be made to glorify the heroics/valor of others anymore, but rather to fill the "What have I done list of politicians (government and corporate chairmen). "What have I done, why I got you a statue..."
They're probably planning an exhibit to purport the notion that NASA never did land on the Moon.
Sad, but when the Soviet's claimed the invention of "this and that", (like the telephone!) they were rewriting history for a political purpose. Somethings just don't change!
Just look at Slick's attempt to establish a legacy!
What about CBS? Dan Rather's face could be digitally re-mastered to allow for more blacks on CBS. Dan would look great as a black. Why not?
Too many white faces on the pages of most newspapers? Add some tint, and turn them black. Politically correct balance. What could be better? Who would object?
And for the history books? The folks who flew planes into the WTC shouldn't be represented as only middle easterners. How racist. Throw in some Irish, Blacks, and Germans for this history books.
Yeah, love is hate. War is Peace.
It certainly is an impressive museum, especially the lobby where Apollo 11, The Spirit of Saint Louis, Friendship 7, and the Wright brothers first airplane, among others, are on display.
100% American, the room demonstrates the greatness of the USA like no other place.
Anyone who can remain a liberal Democrat after walking through it's lobby and Arlington is a truly souless evil monstrosity.
To look at the Capitol and realize that it remains standing only because of a few brave civilians on Flight 93 is truly sobering.
Scott Beamer and those other brave Americans are true heroes, and Daschle and the rats are true scum.
I did have the honor of shaking his hand at a small celebration for the staff at NASA on the 30th anniversary of the moon landing.
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