Lawrence Veling, 44, was a 15-year FDNY veteran and the senior man on duty on September 11th. As soon as the first plane hit, Engine 235 was expecting the call. Veling took the time as senior man to address the seriousness of the fire ahead, telling them to stay together “because it was the kind of horrible fire where firefighters get hurt.”
He had three kids, aged seven, six and two. When playing with youngest son, Veling was surprised to learn he had a facility for drawing cartoon characters. He became quite the neighborhood sidewalk chalk artist. Veling would draw, his son would cry, “More! More! More!”