11 years ago
on a morning not unlike this one - sunny, crisp and with a blessed and
welcome taste of the autumn to come filling the air, we are told by
those who always view the world in retrospect and painful hindsight that
a horrible tragedy befell the United States.
That the greatest nation on earth -
- the valiant ally counted on by so many, so often...
- the source of spiritual freedom of exploration and expression to so many for so long...
- the crucible where great ideas pass the test of intellectual fire, then move on to serve so many, so well...
- the deepest well of human compassion on earth, from whose waters so many have been healed and so many others set free of the enslavement of their pasts...
- the "Shining City on the Hill" to which so many yearned to come and share, contribute and add their spark of color to our already brilliant human tapestry...
was brazenly and viciously attacked in a wanton and soulless act that stunned the mind, lacerated the spirit and crushed the heart of all good people, everywhere.
2,819 dead, according to "official" accounts. Millions of others left dying inside, some never to recover.
2,819 potential legacies cut short, snuffed out before they could blossom.
Or were they?
When the dust had settled and the sabres began to rattle, stories began to emerge.
Not of pain, suffering and loss. We had those and will always have them.
Stories of those who chose legacy over loss.
Faith over fear.
Action over worry.
Service to others in a time of pain and peril over the pursuit of their own safety.
Heroes. Legacies claimed in a moment of pain, tragedy and unimaginable terror.
Cyril "Rick" Rescorla, Head of Security for Morgan Stanley at the World Trade Centers, had anticipated an attack on the buildings and put an evacuation plan in place. Rescorla died in the attacks while leading evacuation efforts.
Although Rescorla got most of Morgan Stanley's 2,700 employees safely out, he was last seen on the 10th floor, heading upward, when the WTC 2 tower collapsed. His remains were not found.
The 9 who saved John Abruzzo - John, a 6'4", 250 lb. man, worked on the 69th floor for the Port Authority. When the PA told employees to leave the building, John might easily have been left behind. You see, he is a quadriplegic, and the elevators could not be used.
9 co-workers placed themselves at risk, taking turns carrying John through the narrow halls and down the stairs, 69 flights of stairs, through the smoke and airplane fuel fumes. Thankfully, all survived.
Todd Beamer, Tom Burnett, Mark Bingham and the passengers of Flight 93 - We know the story. Heroic. Ballsy. But can you imagine having to choose dying now over (maybe) dying later, so that others will live? In life-threatening situations, we often hold out hope that something will change, that a turn of events will make it all better.
Those passengers knew nothing was going to make it better. So they made a decision to take the remaining moments of their lives in their own hands and end a bigger threat to people they'd never met.
When the moment came to take action, 2 simple words exemplified their resolve. "Let's roll."
Father Mychal Judge - "Father Mike," upon hearing the news of the attacks, donned his FDNY Chaplains uniform and rushed toward the towers. He stopped momentarily when Mayor Giuliani said "pray for us" to assure the Mayor, saying "I always do...I always pray for you."
Father Mike died asking God to bless the dead and to put an end to the horrifying events of the day. He was doing what he implored firefighters and all of his flock to do, to "speak with God every day."
Members of New York's Bravest, who would rush a burning building without blinking an eye, knelt in sobbing heaps as the news of Father Mike's death was spread. Then, as the FDNY Chaplain would have had it, they rose up and returned to the work God had called them to - and honored his death with acts of heroism both simple and incredible.
The legacy of Father Mychal Judge lives on with them.
Officer Moira Smith, NYPD - The only female NYPD officer killed in the attacks, she entered and exited the burning buildings three times, saving dozens of lives.
She leaves behind a legacy of service and courage her now 14 year old daughter can be proud of.
Welles Crowther - A young man took a great job on the 104th floor of the WTC. Working as a trader for a brokerage, he was the epitome of young, New York energy and life.
On 9/11, his experiences as a teenage volunteer firefighter led him to action. Crowther saved at least 18 people, directing healthy people to assist the injured and returning to the burning South Tower at least 3 times before perishing when it fell.
Ron Bucca, NYPD Fire Marshal - Ron Bucca worked his way from the ground floor all the way to the 78th floor, directing people to the exits and assisting in rescues the entire way. Multiple rescuers have told of his assistance with their work, allowing them to free and rescue countless people and escape the WTC.
He was on the 78th floor, still looking for survivors and trying to assist escapes, when the tower collapsed. He was the only NYC Fire Marshal ever killed in the line of duty.
Heroism? No, these were the claims of legacy made by those who knew only that there was a need in a moment of crisis.
A need for clear heads.
A need for steady hands.
A need for courageous hearts.
A need for nerves of steel.
A need for spirits undaunted in the face of fear.
A need for persistent drive to do what is right and necessary in response to terror and fear.
Their legacy is of creating stories of acts bigger than those who performed them. Actions taken to serve others in ways most people simply wouldn't.
To have faith in the face of fear - ultimate faith that their path is the right one.
To choose action over worry - to move into the fray, rather than worry about what's next.
To choose service over chasing success - to serve in the moment with faith that the end result will be what's right.
These aren't just heroes of 9/11, these are the legacies claimed in the crucible of fear, terror and tragedy.
When faced with your next "big decision," will you choose as they have and claim your legacy? You need not surrender your life...only your fear, worry and the chase for success.
Faith, action and service. Claim your legacy.
The Heroes of 9/11 insist on it.
PS...this is by no means the complete list of those who claimed a legacy on 9/11. Each and every one of those brave souls has my undying respect.
That the greatest nation on earth -
- the valiant ally counted on by so many, so often...
- the source of spiritual freedom of exploration and expression to so many for so long...
- the crucible where great ideas pass the test of intellectual fire, then move on to serve so many, so well...
- the deepest well of human compassion on earth, from whose waters so many have been healed and so many others set free of the enslavement of their pasts...
- the "Shining City on the Hill" to which so many yearned to come and share, contribute and add their spark of color to our already brilliant human tapestry...
was brazenly and viciously attacked in a wanton and soulless act that stunned the mind, lacerated the spirit and crushed the heart of all good people, everywhere.
2,819 dead, according to "official" accounts. Millions of others left dying inside, some never to recover.
2,819 potential legacies cut short, snuffed out before they could blossom.
Or were they?
When the dust had settled and the sabres began to rattle, stories began to emerge.
Not of pain, suffering and loss. We had those and will always have them.
Stories of those who chose legacy over loss.
Faith over fear.
Action over worry.
Service to others in a time of pain and peril over the pursuit of their own safety.
Heroes. Legacies claimed in a moment of pain, tragedy and unimaginable terror.
Cyril "Rick" Rescorla, Head of Security for Morgan Stanley at the World Trade Centers, had anticipated an attack on the buildings and put an evacuation plan in place. Rescorla died in the attacks while leading evacuation efforts.
Although Rescorla got most of Morgan Stanley's 2,700 employees safely out, he was last seen on the 10th floor, heading upward, when the WTC 2 tower collapsed. His remains were not found.
The 9 who saved John Abruzzo - John, a 6'4", 250 lb. man, worked on the 69th floor for the Port Authority. When the PA told employees to leave the building, John might easily have been left behind. You see, he is a quadriplegic, and the elevators could not be used.
9 co-workers placed themselves at risk, taking turns carrying John through the narrow halls and down the stairs, 69 flights of stairs, through the smoke and airplane fuel fumes. Thankfully, all survived.
Todd Beamer, Tom Burnett, Mark Bingham and the passengers of Flight 93 - We know the story. Heroic. Ballsy. But can you imagine having to choose dying now over (maybe) dying later, so that others will live? In life-threatening situations, we often hold out hope that something will change, that a turn of events will make it all better.
Those passengers knew nothing was going to make it better. So they made a decision to take the remaining moments of their lives in their own hands and end a bigger threat to people they'd never met.
When the moment came to take action, 2 simple words exemplified their resolve. "Let's roll."
Father Mychal Judge - "Father Mike," upon hearing the news of the attacks, donned his FDNY Chaplains uniform and rushed toward the towers. He stopped momentarily when Mayor Giuliani said "pray for us" to assure the Mayor, saying "I always do...I always pray for you."
Father Mike died asking God to bless the dead and to put an end to the horrifying events of the day. He was doing what he implored firefighters and all of his flock to do, to "speak with God every day."
Members of New York's Bravest, who would rush a burning building without blinking an eye, knelt in sobbing heaps as the news of Father Mike's death was spread. Then, as the FDNY Chaplain would have had it, they rose up and returned to the work God had called them to - and honored his death with acts of heroism both simple and incredible.
The legacy of Father Mychal Judge lives on with them.
Officer Moira Smith, NYPD - The only female NYPD officer killed in the attacks, she entered and exited the burning buildings three times, saving dozens of lives.
She leaves behind a legacy of service and courage her now 14 year old daughter can be proud of.
Welles Crowther - A young man took a great job on the 104th floor of the WTC. Working as a trader for a brokerage, he was the epitome of young, New York energy and life.
On 9/11, his experiences as a teenage volunteer firefighter led him to action. Crowther saved at least 18 people, directing healthy people to assist the injured and returning to the burning South Tower at least 3 times before perishing when it fell.
Ron Bucca, NYPD Fire Marshal - Ron Bucca worked his way from the ground floor all the way to the 78th floor, directing people to the exits and assisting in rescues the entire way. Multiple rescuers have told of his assistance with their work, allowing them to free and rescue countless people and escape the WTC.
He was on the 78th floor, still looking for survivors and trying to assist escapes, when the tower collapsed. He was the only NYC Fire Marshal ever killed in the line of duty.
Heroism? No, these were the claims of legacy made by those who knew only that there was a need in a moment of crisis.
A need for clear heads.
A need for steady hands.
A need for courageous hearts.
A need for nerves of steel.
A need for spirits undaunted in the face of fear.
A need for persistent drive to do what is right and necessary in response to terror and fear.
Their legacy is of creating stories of acts bigger than those who performed them. Actions taken to serve others in ways most people simply wouldn't.
To have faith in the face of fear - ultimate faith that their path is the right one.
To choose action over worry - to move into the fray, rather than worry about what's next.
To choose service over chasing success - to serve in the moment with faith that the end result will be what's right.
These aren't just heroes of 9/11, these are the legacies claimed in the crucible of fear, terror and tragedy.
When faced with your next "big decision," will you choose as they have and claim your legacy? You need not surrender your life...only your fear, worry and the chase for success.
Faith, action and service. Claim your legacy.
The Heroes of 9/11 insist on it.
PS...this is by no means the complete list of those who claimed a legacy on 9/11. Each and every one of those brave souls has my undying respect.
