Joe
Downey
On September 11, when FDNY Captain Joe Downey of Squad 18
arrived at the smoking remains of what used to be the World
Trade Center, the first thing he did was approach a fire
chief and ask, "Have you seen my dad?" The chief
turned away without giving Joe an answer. He could not bear
to tell Joe that his father, 63-year-old Deputy Chief of
Special Operations Ray Downey, was missing. It was then
that Joe knew something was wrong. Days later, Joe and his
two firefighter brothers, Ray, Jr., and Chuck, found their
father's crushed car and spent hours retrieving personal
items, such as one of Ray's favorite caps, which Joe now
holds close to his heart. Joe quoted his dad as once saying,
"I have no intention of ever retiring. They'll have
to throw me out. "Joe, following in his dad's footsteps,
has since been promoted to Battalion Chief and works in
the elite Special Operations Command.
