Peter Nelson of Rescue 4 was born on October 7, 1958. We will never forget the ultimate sacrifice that he made on September 11, 2001. May he continue to rest in peace.
Lyndsi Ann Nelson was born less than a month after her father died in the collapse of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. "You think about it every day," said Nelson's brother, Mickey Nelson of North Carolina. "But life has to go on."
Now 9 months old, Lyndsi is beginning to show more and more of the playful energy that her father had, relatives said. And when she is old enough to play games with friends, she will be able to do so in a park bearing her dad's name.
The Huntington Town Board yesterday renamed Oakwood Park in Huntington Station in honor of the longtime South Huntington resident.
"It's so appropriate," said Nelson's widow, Gigi. "He was a kid at heart."
Nelson's two other children from a previous marriage, Jamie, 14, and Ryan, 11, unveiled the sign reading "Peter A. Nelson Park" at the ceremony, which was attended by Huntington Manor firefighters and more than 100 residents and elected officials.
"Peter Nelson for so many people in the Huntington Station and South Huntington communities was the very human face of all that was lost on 9/11," said town board member Mark Cuthbertson.
At a pre-ceremony barbecue at the home of Nelson's childhood friend Steve Christian, Nelson's spirit hung in the air as beer bottles clinked, motorcycles ripped and close friends laughed over memories of Nelson.
He would have felt right at home, friends said.
"Pete would have been bouncing around somewhere," said Paul Heglund, captain of Rescue Co. 4 and longtime friend of Nelson. "He probably would have thrown his wife in the pool by now."
Nelson, 42, began his firefighting career at the age of 18 when he joined the Huntington Manor Volunteer Fire Department, where he rose to the rank of third assistant chief two years ago.
Nelson followed in the footsteps of his father, ex-assistant chief Al Nelson and his brother, former Huntington Manor firefighter Mickey. In 1986 Nelson joined the New York City Fire Department and spent 15 years at Ladder Co. 151 in Forest Hills.
In July of last year, Nelson was appointed to Rescue Co. 4, in Woodside. The promotion couldn't have come at a better time, he thought, as his wife had recently become pregnant with their first child. Nelson was working overtime on Sept. 11 to help save for his expected baby.
Friends and relatives said Nelson spent countless hours playing softball at the former Oakwood Park, located adjacent to the Harry L. Stimson Middle School, where all three of his children will likely attend. Gigi said it was comforting to know that, in a way, their father would be nearby.
"It kind of encompasses his life - kids, playing ball, sports, his sense of community, his dedication to his community. That's what this is all about," Gigi Nelson said. "It's just perfect."
New York Newsday, 2002