{"id":18765,"date":"2014-09-08T18:18:20","date_gmt":"2014-09-09T01:18:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sierramadrenews.net\/?p=18765"},"modified":"2014-09-08T18:43:21","modified_gmt":"2014-09-09T01:43:21","slug":"a-hero-a-tragedy-and-a-fathers-love-a-sierramadrenews-net-911-tradition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.sierramadrenews.net\/?p=18765","title":{"rendered":"A Hero, A Tragedy, and a Father\u2019s Love – A SierraMadreNews.Net 9\/11 Tradition"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Letter on Memorial Wall at Colorado Springs<\/p><\/div>\n

Posted 9\/8\/14<\/em>– Each year as we approach September 11th, SierraMadreNews.Net looks back in memory of those who died on Sept. 11th, 2001, when the US was attacked on its own soil for the first time since WWII. \u00a0Nearly 3000 people died that day, 2,996\u00a0people, including the 19 hijackers and 2,977 victims. The victims included 246 on the four planes (from which there were no survivors), 2,606 in New York City in the towers and on the ground, and 125 at the Pentagon. \u00a0Among the dead were 343 \u00a0members of FDNY,\u00a0340 firefighters, a chaplain, and two paramedics. \u00a0A 344th firefighter was also killed, a volunteer firefighter named Glenn Winuk from Jericho, NY, who was working as an attorney in a building a block and a half from the towers. \u00a0After escorting employees of the firm from their building, he was last seen sprinting towards the towers.<\/p>\n

According to Wikipedia, the\u00a0NYPD lost 23 officers, the\u00a0Port Authority Police Department\u00a0lost 37 officers.\u00a0Eight emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics from private emergency medical services units were also killed, bringing the total number of emergency workers that died to 411 (412, since Wikipedia is apparently also unaware of Mr. Winuk).<\/p>\n

Among the 411 was a firefighter by the name of Lt. John P. Napolitano, Jr. \u00a0John was a member of the elite Rescue 2 unit of the FDNY, after having started as a volunteer at the Lakeland Fire Dept., where he rose to be the Chief, and then the Commissioner. \u00a0The Lakeland Fire Dept. has since been renamed in his honor. \u00a0I attended the memorial held to honor firefighters that gave the ultimate sacrifice in 2000, 2001 and 2002 in September of 2002. \u00a0The fallen from 2000\/2001 that would ordinarily have been honored in 2001 were memorialized in 2002 because with flights grounded when the ceremony took place in Sept. of 2001, there was very low attendance that year.<\/p>\n

While there, I chanced upon a letter written by Lt. Napolitano’s father, John Napolitano, himself a veteran of the NYPD (click on image at left). \u00a0I was very moved by the experience, and wrote about it on the News Net site<\/a><\/strong>. \u00a0A couple years later, I was surprised to receive an e-mail from \u00a0John, who had come across my site online. \u00a0With that e-mail began a long relationship which has resulted in several articles that have been published over the years, including Mr. Napolitano’s account of several of the ground zero memorial ceremonies, and letters that he occasionally writes to his son, and more. \u00a0In 2006, the five year anniversary, I ran a seven part series of articles on the News Net and in the San Gabriel Valley Weekly newspaper. \u00a0Since then, there have been periodic updates. I’m very proud that Mr. Napolitano allows me to share his thoughts and feelings with my readers, and I’m proud to count Mr. Napolitano as a friend (a friend that I hope to someday meet…)<\/p>\n

There’s a lot to read here, if you’re going to read it all. \u00a0Grab yourself a cup of coffee and relax, maybe read a little now, a little tomorrow, etc.. But grab some tissues, too. \u00a0You will be moved by his words.<\/p>\n

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John Napolitano, who will testify at Mohammed hearing, holds up a picture of his son. Photo courtesy of John Napolitano<\/p><\/div>\n

Published 2006<\/strong><\/p>\n

A Hero, A Tragedy, and a Father\u2019s Love, Part 1<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong>Part 2<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Part 3<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong>Part 4<\/a> \u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong>Part 5<\/a> \u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong>Part 6<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong>Part 7<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>(account of the 2006 Ground Zero ceremony)<\/p>\n

Published 2011<\/strong><\/p>\n

A Hero, A Tragedy, and a Father\u2019s Love, Part 8<\/a> – <\/strong>Mr. Napolitano’s reflections on the 10th anniversary of 9\/11<\/p>\n

Published in 2012<\/strong><\/p>\n

A Hero, A Tragedy, and a Father’s Love, an update<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Published in 2013<\/strong><\/p>\n

A New Year’s Message from John Napolitano<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

A 9\/11 Message from John Napolitano<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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A Hero, A Tragedy, and a Father’s Love, Part 8 in a Series – New for 2011<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n