Ladder 118 Fire Truck crossing the Brooklyn Bridge to the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Every firefighter on the truck passed away shortly after.

On the morning of 9/11, 20-year-old Aaron McLamb, an amateur photographer, watched in horror from his office near the Brooklyn Bridge as two planes struck the World Trade Center. He grabbed his camera and captured a haunting image: FDNY Ladder 118 speeding across the bridge, the Twin Towers burning behind.

That photo became iconic—marking the final run of six firefighters: Vernon Cherry, Leon Smith, Joey Agnello, Robert Regan, Pete Vega, and Scott Davidson. They rushed into the Marriott Hotel at the WTC and were never seen alive again. Their bravery saved countless lives.

McLamb, who often chatted with the Ladder 118 crew, later said, “Not all heroes wear capes.” The truck, later found in the rubble, became a symbol of courage and sacrifice.

Ladder 118’s story is a powerful reminder of the heroism shown that day—and the lives saved because of it.