Every year, September 11 seems to become more and more like every other tragedy in the course of human history — the human beings who suffered in the tragedy become lost to us. In time, they become like a silhouetted line of soldiers on a far-away horizon, backlit by the setting sun. We can see them marching off, but can barely make them out.
Somehow they’ve lost their identity — their humanity. It is sad that the farther we move away from them in time and distance, the less likely we are to look back. We may still remember them, but not as individual human beings. We remember them as part and parcel of a number — a date.
Our nation finds it easier to process great individual sacrifice as a date that “will live on in infamy,” rather than confront the great human loss the date represents.
It is right that we remember December 7th, June 6th, and September 11, but we should also take the time to remember those human beings whose sacrifice that date memorializes.
Consider taking a moment this September 11 to not just remember the date, but remember those law enforcement brothers and sisters who rushed toward and then into those buildings.
Let this be the law enforcement prayer on this — and every subsequent — September 11:
Dear Lord,
Bless our brothers and sisters, who bravely risked all to protect others on September 11, 2001 and fell to never rise again except in your glory.
God bless Charles D. Cole Jr., Alex W. Baez, Frank Balusi, Cesar A. Borja, Thomas G. Brophy, Madeline Carol, Charles J. Clark, Daniel C. Conroy, John Coughlin, Michael Curtin, Kevin A. Czartoryski, John D’Allara, Vincent Danz, Garrett Danza, Corey Diaz, Jerome Dominguez, Stephen, Driscoll, Renee Dunbar, Robert M. Ehmer, Mark Ellis, Robert Fazio, Edward M. Ferraro, Donald G. Feser, Barry Galfano, Rodney Gillis, Captain Edward C. Gilpin, James, J. Godbee, John E. Goggin, Robert C. Grossman, Claire T. Hanrahan, Kevin Hawkins, Robert B. Helmke, Aleck W. Herrmann, William J. Holfester, Richard Jackubowsky, Louise M. Johnston, Ronald Kloepfer, Thomas Langone, James Leahy, Frank Macri, David Mahmoud, Vito, Mauro, Gary Mausberg, Jacqueline McCarthy, Brian McDonnell, Denis, McLarney, Christopher McMurry, Brian S. Mohamed, Michael Morales, Dennis, Morales, Robert Nicosia, Carlos Ocasio, Edwin Ortiz, Robert V. Oswain, Patrice M. Ott, Angelo Peluso, John Perry, Glen Pettit, Christopher Pupo, Gerald Rex, Claude Richards, Roberto Rivera, Timothy Roy, Michael Ryan, Joseph Seabrook, Moira Smith, Harold Smith, Ramon Suarez, Paul Talty, Ned Thompson, Martin Tom, Santos Valntin, Joseph Vigiano, Walter Weaver, Ronald E. Weintraub, Robert W. Williamson, Richard D. Winter, George M. Wong, john T. Young, James Zadroga, Robert A. Zane, Fred Ghussin, Thomas Jurgins, William Thompson, Mitchel Scott Wallace, Charles Mills, Clyde Frazier, Rcihard Moore, Salvatore Papasso, William Pouhlmann, Charles Wassil, Christopher Amoroso, Maurice Barry, Liam Callahan, Robert Cirri, John Mark Cortazzo, Clinton Davis, Donald Foreman, Greg Froehner, Thomas Gorman, Uhuru Gonja Houston, George Howard, Steven Huczko Jr. Anthony Infante, Paul Jurgens, Robert Kaulfers, Paul Laszczynski, David LeMagne, John Lennon, John Levi, James Lynch, Kathy Mazza, Donald McIntyre, Walter McNeil, Fred Marrone, Joseph Navas, James Nelson, Alfonse Niedermeyer, James Param, Domnick Pezzulo, Bruce Reynolds, Antonio Rodrigues, Richard Rodriguez, James Romito, John Skala, Walwyn Stuart, Keneth Tietjen, Nathaniel Webb, Michael Wholey, Leonard Hatton, Richard Jerry Guadagno, and Craig J. Miller.
As I remember the sacrifice of these fallen officers, I pledge that “To protect and serve,” will never just be the words on the side of my squad car, but also my sacred mission.
So help me God.
Amen.
