Bob Beckwith

Robert Beckwith (April 16, 1932 – February 4, 2024) was an American firefighter. As a member of the New York City Fire Department, he became well known to the American public after he stood next to President George W. Bush as Bush gave a speech at the ruins of the World Trade Center after the attacks of September 11, 2001.

Photos of Beckwith and the president appeared on the front page of the New York Daily News and the cover of Time magazine. This exposure launched him into the national spotlight and led to press attention and interviews. Beckwith later met several times with President Bush, spoke extensively in public, and acted as a fundraiser for charities.

Career Born in Astoria, Queens, New York City, on April 16, 1932, He had been in hospice care after receiving cancer treatments, according to Beckwith's grandson.