Letter from a Firefighter

In the past few days I have received many “chain e-mail letters” from Afghan-Americans, Afghan children etc. I’d like to write a letter that hopefully will make its’ way around. I’ll call it a letter from a firefighter.

In December 1999 six Worcester, MA firefighters lost their lives trying to save others. They did this heroically and without ever giving it a second thought. America took notice and paid these heroes tremendous respect and tributes. They deserved every bit of it.

On Tuesday September 11, 2001 a couple thousand New York City firefighters headed off to work as they had done many days, some, like Firefighter Joe Angelini of Rescue Co. 1; for as long as 40 years without giving it a second thought. Little did they know that their tour, which begins at 9:00am, would be forever incorporated into the history of the world. Firefighters are similar to officials in sporting events; they don’t want to be part of the story. They are just there to help out.

At approximately 8:45am an American Airlines jet apparently with terrorist hi-jackers at the controls screamed over the island of Manhattan and into the upper floors of 1 World Trade Center. Manhattan Box 8087 was transmitted and several firehouses in lower Manhattan emptied out. One thing was different though. Because of the proximity to the hour of changing tours, many firefighters who had already been relieved decide to “take in the run”. Quite commonplace among firefighters in New York where esprit de corps is always prevalent.

A third alarm was transmitted almost immediately bringing over one hundred fire personnel to the scene. Command staff from Fire Headquarters in Brooklyn also responded. Enroute, Chief Peter Ganci transmitted a fifth alarm. Again, with many fire companies “riding heavy” due to the change of tours several hundred firefighters were now on scene or responding. They did what they’re trained to do. They went into a burning hi-rise building filled with people of all different kinds, with total disregard for their own safety to ensure the safety of the citizens they’re paid to protect.

It didn’t matter if the fire was caused by a cigarette in a trash barrel or a plane with 24,000 gallons of hot burning jet fuel aboard. The men and women of the FDNY were going to save lives and put the fire out.

Within a few minutes of the firefighting attack on 1 World trade Center beginning, another jet crashed into 2 World Trade Center. Another fire to be fought, additional alarms were transmitted and more of the bravest as they are known responded from throughout the 5 boroughs to lower Manhattan. There was a job to be done, and they had to do it.

In a little over one hour 2 World trade Center crumbled to the ground, soon followed by 1 World Trade Center.

A fire department chaplain, Father Mychal Judge, did what he did best. He ministered to a firefighter. The firefighter had been injured in the collapse of the building and was apparently not going to make it. As he was praying over the injured firefighter, a woman who had leapt to her death fatally injured Father Judge himself.

Many firefighters emerged from the rubble of 2 World Trade Center, only to be fatally injured in the collapse of 1 World Trade Center. They had cheated death once on a bright summer morning, and attempted to help their colleagues and citizens cheat it too. But it was not to be.

Today is September 22, 2001. About twenty of those New York Firefighters have been laid to rest; another 300 or so are listed officially as missing.Most would add to that, presumed dead. Round the clock for 11 days now, those same New York City firefighters have been trying rescue/recover their brother firefighters. A city has been shaken, a nation has been galvanized. Firefighters everywhere have been wracked with a wide range of emotions. In every community where they serve and protect one thing has not changed. The selfless dedication to duty. If those two magnificent buildings in New York City could somehow be miraculously re-constructed overnight and the same thing happen tomorrow, the firefighters would do the same thing, give up their lives to save others. That’s what we do.

Everytime a firefighter dies in the line of duty he/she takes a small piece of every firefighter with them. This one hurts bad, really bad.

Firefighters don't make a lot of money. Nobody ever became a millionaire through firefighting. Many work a second job. For many it becomes a family thing. Some families in New York are paying a heavy price, fathers and sons missing, brothers missing. Fathers trying to recover their sons, and a son trying to recover his father.

I’m proud to be a firefighter; I hope these true acts of heroism and bravery by these New York City Firefighters make you proud to be an American!

Capt. Gerry Mahoney
Cambridge, MA Local 30 IAFF