East Meadow Street
Renamed To Honor 9/11 Firefighter
Newsday 8/8/09
Family,
friends and neighbors
gathered with
firefighters and town
representatives in East
Meadow Saturday to celebrate
the life and commemorate the
death of Capt. Daniel J.
Brethel, a firefighter who
died in action on 9/11.
Vincent Drive, where Brethel
and many of his loved ones
grew up, was renamed Capt.
Daniel J. Brethel Drive in
honor of the East Meadow
resident, who was 43.
As veteran firefighters from
the FDNY and East Meadow
Fire Department stood at
attention, residents young
and old gathered, some
sitting on lawns and curbs,
to watch the unveiling of
the commemorative street
sign in a ceremony at
Vincent Drive and Front
Street.
Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate
Murray officiated and Brethel's siblings spoke to the gathering.
"The loss of Daniel Brethel was
one that was felt by so many, especially here in East Meadow
where he grew up," Murray said. "It is only fitting that we
dedicate this street where he grew up to Captain Daniel J.
Brethel, a true American hero," she added.
"But today is not a sad day,"
said Councilman Gary Hudes, who also addressed the crowd. "It's
the celebration of a wonderful life. Daniel's life."
Brethel was described as a
natural firefighter, one who had yearned to do nothing else from
a young age and loved what he did. Becoming a firefighter in
East Meadow at 18, he rose to the rank of captain with the EMFD
and later became captain of Ladder Company 24 in Manhattan.
"It's a sad moment, but a happy
moment," said former EMFD Chief John J. O'Brien, 51, who joined
the department around the same time as Brethel. "It's something
that we need to recognize and it's nice to see that his spirit
will always be recognized for the rest of our lives."
The ceremony was held in tandem
with a reunion of residents who grew up with Brethel on the
block from 1954 to 1978. According to Randi Shubin Dresner, a
close friend, the reunion attracted people from as far away as
California.
"Danny was a big part of the
fabric of Vincent Drive," she said. "The memories are etched of
him riding his bike down the block going after those firetrucks.
He was so dedicated. It was in his blood and his soul. And when
we thought of the reunion, we thought of Danny. It sort of ties
it and makes the circle complete."
Brethel's sister, Loretta Brethel
Feret, 49, was touched by the ceremony.
"I think it was beautiful," she
said. "It's almost eight years, and it's so heartwarming to have
people, after all this time, remember Danny and the fond
memories of him."
