Rememberence

OFF THE WIRE
By Irishrider

http://youtu.be/uHTzb5w37Bk

10 years ago, September 11th, a day that will live on in infamy. Watch this attached video and pay tribute to our 3000 + innocent American lives lost to terrorism.
The hardest part for me still is watching those unfortunate people jumping to their death’s out of windows from 50 floors high up to 100 floors and even higher to avoid being incinerated to death. They had no choice--- they had no chance to survive. What they did have were families that loved them, mothers, fathers, grandparents, children, cousins, aunts & uncles, etc. all who loved them and who now mourn them forever. Too Sad!!! God Bless!!!
Some were fortunate enough to die instantly and never knew what hit them. For others they saw their fate in front of them and knew they would die before the morning was over as there was no escape for them as the clock ticked slowly towards their impending demise. Some of them used their last moment of life to call their loved ones to tell them good-bye as they awaited their impending deaths.

One brave group of airline passengers stood tall like Righteous Americans and beat-up the terrorists taking back control of the plane all the while knowing they were going to die. Yet their courageous actions save the lives of many of us here as their plane spiraled out of control and crashed into a Pennsylvania field.
Many of us may have known a victim, especially those of up in Massachusetts where 2 planes flew from here into the World Trade Center, as well as folks from N.Y. and Washington D.C. and surrounding communities.

September 11th was always a glorious day in my family as my beloved older sister was born on that day (albeit quite a few years before the Twin Towers we even thought of). We will never let that terrorist scum from ruining the celebration and love that we enjoy for our cherished sister.
I had my most wonderful Uncle Joe who was with N.Y.P.D. & then worked as a Security Manager for the Federal Reserve which was part of the Twin Towers area complex & fortunately retired before that horribly infamous attack. I’m sure his heart would be broken to see what that scum did to the City he loved, protected and served.

As well, my Dad was born & bred in N.Y.C. and his heart would have been broken to see his City of birth under such a horiffic attack

Also a very dear friend of mine, a Lieutenant with N.Y.F.D.- E.M.S. who was listed as M.I.A.--- fortunately a mistake as he was having a vacation day. Yet my courageous friend rushed in from Long Island to help and his name was removed from the M.I.A. List. Thank You God for sparing the life of my dear friend, Lt. Ric Remz of the E.M.S. Division of the N.Y.F.D.

Although Bush acted the role of a "Cowboy" with all his ballsey rhetoric like "hunt em down & smoke em out" and "dead or alive"---- yet it was Obama who took out Bin Laden without the fanfare or media circus his predecessor would have put on for us even pulling out his bogus "Mission Accomplished" banner, again, which was bullshit then & would still be bullshit now. But Bin Laden was caught and killed by our brave elite Navy Seals ordered by President Obama without any silly "cowboy rhetoric" or fanfare.

Ever wonder why these terrorists never attack Biker Bars? I don’t. But they are always welcome to try. I’d enjoy that!!!

A lot was lost on 9/11/2011. Freedoms that Americans once knew are now are lost forever but most importantly were the innocent lives lost on that Fateful day. God Bless America and LET FREEDOM RING!!!

http://youtu.be/uHTzb5w37Bk

Too Wild To Tame

911 Through the Prism of Our American Ancestry, Mine as Gson of an Illegal Alien

Hi all,

   Ten years later, today, all of us are remembering the most horrific day in modern American history, the courage of all those who fought to contain the devastation, and those 3000 who very sadly sacrificed their lives that day. Each of us shares a connection to the events of 911.

    One of our BOLT chapter directors sent around a wonderful letter describing his many connections to those who were present in New York at the time, including one who served in the FDNY, explaining why 911 means so much to him. The date, 911, which will haunt our memories and last in infamy, never to be forgotten by any of us, was a defining moment for all Americans, as it was America that was hit by the twisted minds of religious nuts orchestrated by Al Queda; but in responding to his e-mail, I shared with him in kind, my own story of the connections that I have with New York, including that of my "illegal alien" New Yorker grandfather who would have felt equal anger at the attack and devastation of his city.
    
    My Mom was certainly horrified on 911, having been born in New York City and lived in New York through her late 20s, going through the New York public school system in the Bronx, and then university at Hunter College, following which she studied to become a physical therapist to serve in the polio epidemic there. She was a New Yorker all her life and took pride in it. She was also the daughter of an "illegal alien."

    My maternal grandfather was orphaned at a young age in Germany and was taken out of the orphanage by the owner of a shoe factory there who put him to work on his factory line. My grandfather escaped from the shoe factory at age 13 and joined the merchant marines, where he sailed the seven seas for several years, ultimately to be shanghaied in New York at 18 and then, literally, he jumped ship in New York harbor, bypassing Ellis Island. Rather than continue his life at sea, he adopted the identity of someone with the German name of "Lange" whom he identified from an obituary in a newspaper as having passed away. That name became his, and in turn my mother's last name. He worked from then until his death as a factory foreman there in New York; and having lived in New York since age 18, I think he too came to think of himself as a New Yorker. I proudly carry his "lifted" last name as my middle name and have passed it on to my youngest son. Grandpa may have been an "illegal alien," and today many would argue that he and my Mom should have been deported, and I guess he could be said to be one of the first identity thieves, but to me he was a great man who overcame enormous adversity to find his place like so many other immigrants from every land before him to become a part of what has made New York City and our country great.

    In his e-mail our fellow BOLT member attached a link to some compelling footage of the planes impacting the twin towers, http://youtu.be/uHTzb5w37Bk
    One of my favorite pictures of a subsequent day in our history is included below.

    Remembering our individual connections to 911 should give us all connection to this very important part of our common history; indeed it is something that we all share together as Americans, whether we are the great great great grandchild of the Pilgrims or, as in my case, the grandson of an "illegal alien." Ours must be never to forget, and to guard against, to the very best of our ability, anything like it occurring on our land ever again.

    God bless America.

    Raymond Lange Henke