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| New York`s Bravest... |
October 09, 2001 |
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Mrs. Rogers teaches second grade at Los Ranchos Elementary School. She thought her children might want to write to someone about the attacks on New York and Washington, but she wanted to be sure they would be received and would matter to the person receiving them. She asked me who they should write to. I suggested Representative Joe Crowley, a Democrat from New York.
Like me, Joe is one of the younger members of the House. He has two young kids and we are often checking on each other`s children. Joe is from Queens. A big guy from a large Irish Catholic family, he plays guitar and sings Irish songs. He`s outgoing and friendly and direct. I like him.
Joe`s cousin, John Moran, introduced Joe to the gal that`s now Joe`s wife. They were close, growing up. They taught each other how to play the guitar and would race around the neighborhood on their bikes and hang out down by the fire station. John had two kids, too, both boys.
Another New Mexican, Joseph Carrothers, is a wood carver and made a beautiful carving of a firefighter. He brought it in to Channel 7 last week and wanted to find a way to get it to New York. Joseph Lynch, a young photographer at the station, called our office. UPS volunteered to ship it for free. Then we called Joe Crowley.
Yesterday, I took some cards from Los Ranchos and a carving of a firefighter down the hallway to Joe Crowley`s office. He`s going to deliver the carving and some cards from the children of Los Ranchos for the firefighters to Rescue 4 at the Woodside Fire Station in Queens, New York.
This elite Search and Rescue unit lost 7 firefighters September 11. Rep. Crowley`s cousin, John Moran, was a battalion chief for a neighboring unit and is also missing.
Their station is 4 or 5 miles from the World Trade Center and their job is Search and Rescue. They go into buildings to get people safely out. It`s dangerous work. When the fire started after the attack on the World Trade Center, they rushed into the building to help people. They lost 7 firefighters from their station on September 11th when the buildings collapsed. Joe`s cousin, John Moran was the battalion chief from one of the neighboring stations. He went into the building too. He`s still missing.
I wanted to let Joe know that there are a lot of people all over the country praying for him, and the firefighters and the people of New York, including a woodcarver and some children from Los Ranchos on the banks of the Rio Grande in far away New Mexico.
Joe Crowley says his cousin, John Moran, used to say that firefighters perform one act of courage in their career. That`s when they take the oath of duty. After that, everything else they do is just part of the job.
It was nice to say thank you and deliver a hug from New Mexico.
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