September 11, 2005 Today is a day that should be significant to all of us, and I am not sure that I have the words to do justice to any of what has taken place since that time. I was debating to write this piece this morning, but I elected to wait until after I attended a very special dedication in our town. I was asked to speak as a representative of the fire department. I certainly did not take this responsibility lightly as I felt I had to properly honor those 343 persons who lost their lives on 9/11/01 but to also not minimize the American Loss of life of some 3000 at the Pentagon, and in the field in Pennsylvania. The firefighters that lost their lives, would tell you that they were just like all others that day were doing their jobs. We in the fire service no how difficult that job was that day and they knew they were facing almost insurmountable odds before any collapse. But nonetheless we did what we are supposed to do. Fight fires, assist in life safety and evacuation and help others. I make this point because as tragic and horrific as 9-11 was to all of us, it was a single incident. Yes it was the largest single life loss fire has felt but my other point is that since that time the fire services of this country have handles hundreds of thousands of other alarms. We have lost another 300+ lives in multiple incidents over these past four years. I explained to a crowd of civilians today about the Maltese cross. I explained about the Knights of St. John who wore the tunics that bore the four pointed cross that we now know as the Maltese. These knights stood by and represented the hope that anyone threatened or injured by fire could be helped by someone wearing that cross. The weather here in the northeast was remarkably like the morning in 2001. Bright blue crisp skies with some beautiful white clouds. I can remember vividly that morning who was with me at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy as we watched our TV sets and saw firefighters rushing into a disastrous scene trying to help civilians. Huh, that's funny because I saw that this morning on my TV as I watched the scenes of firefighters from FDNY and all over in Louisiana helping out in hurricane Katrina. The location changed, the disaster was natural and not man made terror, but the firefighters were there. Due to the efforts of a very bright dedicated patriotic young adult who was doing an Eagle Scout Project, we placed a monument in our town of North Attleboro Mass today that recognized all Americans that lost their lives, and all branches of the military and the port authority, police and fire. There were family members present of folks who lost their life on United flight 175. Part of the monument are small circular granite pieces that are engraved for each of the agencies involved. It is no surprise to me that the Maltese cross I described is set in stone. That Maltese cross that I wear, like so many other firefighters so proudly, was there hundreds of years ago, and there in 2001 at 9-11 and will be there in the future. Like America's Fire Service, it is the representation of something that is solid, everlasting and can be built upon. God Bless the USA, God Bless America's Fire Service, and make sure you truly do not ever forget where we have been and what we have gone through on 9-11-2001. It will make us stronger and show us the way we need to navigate in the future. Say a prayer or do what you can to help our firefighters down south that have lost so much.
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