The two tower ladders seemed to stand at attention 100 feet above West Central Avenue yesterday, an American flag large enough to cover a car strung between them.
Along with the thousands of friends, family members, colleagues and a former president, Old Glory and the life-saving firefighting equipment underscored a lot of what was important to New York Fire Capt. Frederick Ill Jr.
They also represented what his son described as his father's dual roles on the morning of Sept. 11, when he responded with other members of Ladder 2 in Manhattan to the World Trade Center after two airliners were hijacked and flown into the Twin Towers.
He was not only there as a New York City firefighter, but, like his comrades, became one of the first soldiers in this new war, said Fred Ill 3rd.
The younger Ill became a member of the FDNY in July and also responded to Ground Zero.
During yesterday's Mass for Ill at St. Margaret's Roman Catholic Church, it wasn't hard to picture him in a military light.
His brother-in-law, Dan Murphy, described how Staff Sgt. Ill with Company A of the 854th Engineer Battalion of the Army Reserves traveled to Central America to build schools and churches as part of his military service.
Former President Clinton attended the service and spoke with Ill's family.
Clinton met Ill on more than one occasion while president, and since the terrorist attack has twice visited the 51st Street and Third Avenue firehouse where Ill worked, a spokesman for the former president said yesterday.
Not all of yesterday's recollections were about Ill's public service as a soldier and heroics as a firefighter, which included the 1999 daring rescue of a Bronx man who was pushed onto high-voltage subway tracks in front of an oncoming train.
His sister, Jane, told an overflowing church about "a beautiful baby," with delicate features, blue eyes and platinum blond hair. Growing up in the Bronx with Frederick Ill Jr. as an older brother meant playing stickball, raiding Sammy's Fruit Stand and charging $5 to iron her brother's pants and shirts.
Ill soothed his sister's fears after the two watched scary Bela Lugosi movies as adolescents. He also offered endless encouragement after she repeatedly failed road tests for a driver's license.
"He was always a shoulder to lean on," she said. "Everyone who was fortunate to know him can say they were touched by an angel."
Firefighter Chris Flatley of Ladder 2 spoke of a colleague who routinely entered the firehouse "with a 7-Eleven coffee cup and a smile."
Ill, he said, never played up his rank.
"I'm just a firefighter," Flatley recalled Ill telling him. "The rank is for payroll purposes."
Fred Ill 3rd summed up his feelings for his father in two words — "monumental pride."
He fondly recalled a father who referred to his 1986 Ford Tempo as "Precious," enjoyed working with his son on renovations to their house and never ran out of time for his wife and three children.
"Even after a hard 24, he always had time for any one of us," the younger Ill said.
"I'm proud to carry his name and legacy," he said. "I know I have the best and bravest guardian angel on my shoulder."
After thanking everyone for their support, he directed his comments toward his mother.
"Mom," he said, "we'll move on."
The Journal News
Published: October 10, 2001