NPR 09-07:Firefighters Remember a Friend Lost on Sept. 11他曾是

Steven Bates was an 18-year veteran of the New York Fire Department when he died Sept. 11, 2001.

On Fridays we bring you StoryCorps. It is a project that's collecting stories of Americans around the country. This is a chance for Americans to remember and to pass on their memories. And today we will remember Steven Bates. He was a lieutenant 1 with Engine Company 235 in Brooklyn, and he was killed on Sep. 11th, 2001, 6 years ago this month. Steven Bates had been with the fire department for 18 years. And here 2 other lieutenants 2 with the department Bob Carberry and John Cullen recall spending time with their friend on and off the job.

Physically 3 he was a big ben. Large guy, six-foot, blond hair, blue eye, but his was a tough on the outside, big big soft guy on the inside.

I know he loved dogs, he loved cartoons, he loved his naps.

Yeah, there are certain people we enjoy seeing when we show up at work and he was definitely one of them. You’d walked in the firehouse in the morning and when his big traditions would have those pretzel rolls from Glendale, (Glendale ) he was from Glendale, Queens. And he got me into doing triathlons. And him and I were fat balding firemen. And I have a picture in my basement of him and I with our bellies 4 sticking out of a wetsuit with these bathing caps on, ready to do a triathlon. I looked at that and I just go hysterical 5. I always do that specific triathlon in memory of him.

You know, when you get on the fire department they take a photograph of you, and the reality is that is the picture they are going to use if you die. And so it’s called a death picture. It’s an official photograph and they know this is the photograph they are going to use if you pass. So, that picture was a sad picture. If you look at his eyes, and you could see he had some tough days.

I think that had a lot to do with his upbringing. He was a pretty much an orphan 6 his whole life. So I guess he developed the shell around himself but if you got to know him, you saw the soft side of him.

And the fire department gave him a family. We have these terms that what we call each other brother. And every time he came to work he had, like, 12 brothers and sisters.

You know, he was a perfect person to be a fire fighter. And I think Stevie would want to be remembered as, as a caring guy.

He was a strong, strong man. He had a generous spirit. And I'm really honored to know him, and, you know, to call him friend.

John Cullen and Bob Carberry remember Lieutenant Steven Bates who died on Sep. 11, 2001. StoryCorps is trying to record interviews in honor of every person who died that day. And these recordings 7 will be part of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center. All storyCorps interviews are archived at the American Folk Life Center at the Library of Congress and at npr. org.