NEW YORK (AP) - A New York City firefighter serving with the Army National Guard in Iraq was killed when his vehicle came under attack outside Baghdad.
City officials say 39-year-old Sergeant Christian Engeldrum, who was killed yesterday, is the first firefighter -- or city employee -- to die in Iraq since the U.S.-led war began.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg issued a statment saying he joined all New Yorkers in mourning his loss and pray that his family find comfort in the many ways Engeldrum touched so many lives.
Another New York firefighter, Daniel Swift, of Ladder Co. 43 in Manhattan, was riding in the same vehicle and suffered shrapnel wounds. Bloomberg said Swift is in Germany for treatment and is expected to recover.
Engeldrum was a five-year fire veteran who served with Ladder Company 61 in the Bronx, and previously served as a police officer in the 47th Precinct.
Engeldrum was cited for bravery on July 15, 2000, after his company rescued two people from a fire. He was on active duty in the Army from 1986 to 1991.
Funeral arrangements were pending for Engeldrum, who was survived by a wife and two sons.
Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta offered condolences to the family and said Engeldrum's ``commitment to serving his country sets the example for all of us.''
Engeldrum was among 135 U.S. troops killed in Iraq in November, matching April of this year as the deadliest month since the war began in March 2003, according to Pentagon figures.
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