James Raymond Coyle of Ladder Co. 3, who died after less than a year with the FDNY, was described by Mayor Giuliani as an "exceptionally dedicated young man."
Firefighters carry an urn of ashes and the helmet of hero fireman James Coyle.
More than 1,000 mourners crowded the Church of St. Thomas Aquinas in Marine Park, Brooklyn, across the street from the elementary school Coyle attended, to remember him.
The rookie started his vacation on Sept. 10. The next day, while hanging out with friends at Ladder Co. 3 in Union Square, Coyle heard the first alarms and joined his buddies in responding after a hijacked plane struck 1 World Trade Center.
What everybody thought was a fire "turned out to be a defense of America," said Giuliani. "Now we have to borrow their courage. We have to carry on the fight."
Katie Coyle eulogized her younger brother for his generosity. "He'd give you the shirt off his back," she said, "and probably his pants too."
"Jimmy took great pride in his job," she went on. "He lived his life to be a fireman B and we're glad he finally got the chance."
Published by Daily News
October 25, 2001