It was a hero’s tribute.
Family and local leaders honored one of New York’s Bravest who died from 9-11-related illness with a street co-naming in East Flatbush. William “Billy” Gormley, of Ladder company 174 in East Flatbush, was memorialized at the intersection of Flatbush and Flatlands avenues on Oct. 13 with the unveiling of a new street sign bearing his name.
The ceremony paid tribute to the brave firefighter who served in the United States Marine Corps and was a first responder rushing to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
In the aftermath, Gormley worked for weeks amid the lethal dust and smoke of the still-smoldering World Trade Center rubble to help recover the remains of his fallen brothers, and as a result of his heroic efforts, he contracted lung cancer, which finally claimed his life on June 14, 2017.