Donny Regan was a friend of mine. We grew up in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. He was a great person to have as a friend, a stand up guy. He would literally give you the shirt off his back if you were in need. Quick with a smile and a joke he immediately charmed neary all who met him. Donny bartended at his brother Billy's bar, Mahoneys, on Aveneue D for several years and was easily one of the favorites. He later married his sweetheart and went on the Fire Department. I lost track of him just before he got married due to leaving Brooklyn myself.Only shortly after 9/11 did I find out that he perished in the conflagration that day. I was not surprised. Donny would have been the first to come to your aid if you were in trouble. He proved it time and again before 9/11 and that virtue was probably one of the primary reasons he joined Rescue 3 of the FDNY.
He will never be forgotten.
His son joined the Marines and fought in Afghanistan and Iraq and is now on the FDNY fulfilling his father's legacy. No greater tribute could a son pay his father's legacy.
| AoS note: moved to Home Front, WoT. Thank you for this tribute, it's especially appropriate today. |