FDNY Whistleblower: Media Nixed News of Race Changes to 9/11 Flag Statue

NewsMax.com ^ | 1/11/02 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[kattracks]

Retired New York City firefighter Kevin O'Kane says that reporters from all the major news organizations were present when a clay sculpture of three of his FDNY brethren raising the American flag over Ground Zero was unveiled on Dec. 20 in Brooklyn.

But only one reporter bothered to mention that the racial make-up of the trio had been altered, he told NewsMax.com in an email complaining about the cover-up on Monday.

For the next three weeks the mainstream press breathed not a word of the fraudulent tribute, even as firefighter O'Kane struggled in vain to get coverage of what he and many of his brethren felt was a politically correct travesty that cheated three rightful FDNY heroes out of their due.

"I called one newspaper after another," O'Kane told NewsMax.com Friday. "Nobody wanted to cover this story."

On Tuesday NewsMax.com broke the story of the hero firefighter's complaint; how he and his brethren were livid that higher-ups in the FDNY had decided to tamper with reality to reflect - not the world famous photograph of the three Caucasian fireman who actually performed the deed - but a more politically correct version that replaced two of the white firemen with an African-American and a Hispanic. (See: Racial Changes Made in Ground Zero Firefighter Tribute)

After the NewsMax report, the story caught fire on talk radio in venues like Al Rantel's KABC broadcast in Los Angeles. By Thursday the Weekly Standard had its own version of the story on its web site, where it was picked up by Fox News Channel's Brit Hume.

But it took till Friday for the story to explode, when WABC radio's Sean Hannity featured a full hour interview with firefighter O'Kane and civil rights activist Lawrence Guyot, who argued that replacing the white firefighters was a good idea. (O'Kane and Guyot will continue the debate on Fox News Channel's cablecast "Hannity & Colmes" Friday night.)

Minutes after Hannity's interview ended, the Associated Press picked up the news that NewsMax.com reported three days earlier, sending the story richocheting around newsrooms all across the country.

"Given that those who died were of all races and all ethnicities and that the statue was to be symbolic of those sacrifices, ultimately a decision was made to honor no one in particular," Fire Department spokesman Frank Gribbon told the AP.

But the three firefighters who actually raised the flag - Dan McWilliams, George Johnson and Billy Eisengrein said through their lawyer that they were "disappointed."

"It's become something political as opposed to historical," attorney Bill Kelly told the AP.

The bogus sculpture unveiled in December will be cast in bronze in April and put on permanent display at FDNY headquarters unless enough public pressure is brought to bear, O'Kane told NewsMax.

"My fear is that the word won't get out and that this fraud will be erected and future generations will come to regard this politically correct sculpture as a historic fact."

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

Media Bias
War on Terrorism

[lormand]

This must not stand!

[Cicero]

Congratulations to NewsMax. Most of their stories never get beyond a limited circle of conservative readers, but this one took off, and evidently they were responsible for breaking the embargo.

I wish this happened more often.

[bayourod]

Firefighters of any race or gender could have raised that flag, but only three white males actually did it.

They are a credit to their country and deserve to have themselves represented honestly instead of others getting credit for something they did not do.

[Aaron_A]

Amazing, the height of this crap.

[aristeides]

Did Fire Commissioner von Hessen have to sign off on this travesty? I wonder if the firemen booed him because he does this sort of thing?

[kylaka]

This is just more evidence that the liberals sanction revisionist history.

[Dutchy]

FYI....Ann Coulter debated the absurdity of this statue on "Hannity and Colmes" tonight.

[B4Ranch]

History is what the journalist writes in the history book, not what actually happens.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

There's only one thing to do. Raise money to erect a real one nearby. Is that something that could be done, or am I dreaming?

[marti124]

Here is a great URL of the picture http://www.arlingtoncemetery.com/fireman-01.htm Plus it has a full interview with the photographer etc. Very large photo plus you can order even larger better quality prints.

[diefree]

And I heard from a reliable source that they want to flatten out the beer belly of one of the firemen.

[911]

For the next three weeks the mainstream press breathed not a word of the fraudulent tribute

Not true. At least one NY paper had a story on it. VermiciousKnid posted a link to a Dec. 22 Newsday story on this thread.

[Joaquin]

There's only one thing to do. Raise money to erect a real one nearby. Is that something that could be done, or am I dreaming?

I'll pledge $20, right here, right now.
How can we make this happen?

Joaquin

[I_be_tc]

Count me in. I am willing to have the truth be told.

[foreshadowed at waco]

The bad thing about putting diversity at the top of the agenda is that it is done for propaganda purposes and everyone knows it especially the kids meant to be inspired...black and Hispanic kids don't need to be tricked into having a good attitude toward themselves...they need the truth just like white and Asian children need the truth...the black community spends so much political capital on feel good symbolism that doesn't fool anybody...they should be putting their energy into education and economic development in poor communities and encouraging young men to marry their children's mommies...that's what will make everyone feel better in a more durable manner...a solid effort at expanding the black middle class in America.

[kattracks]

....a solid effort at expanding the black middle class in America.

What, and let them escape from the DemocRAT plantation? Never!

[Doctor Raoul]

If it were three black firefighters that raised that flag, then it should be the three black firefighters in the statue.

If it were three Hispanic firefighters that raised that flag, then it should be the three Hispanic firefighters in the statue.

If it were three gay firefighters that raised that flag, then it should be the gay black firefighters in the statue.

If it were three Native American firefighters that raised that flag, then it should be the three Native American firefighters in the statue.

Whoever did it, their images should be used.

Another case that proves PC=Stupid.

[Irish Eyes]

I also saw Ann Coulter tonight on Hannity and Colmes. I thought that she was very good. I hope that this scandal is talked about often enough for more people to hear of it. Political correctness should have no part in this. I agree that it is absurd.

[Doctor Raoul]

I'm in for $50.