Posted on 09/24/2001 7:14:33 AM PDT by SAMWolf
RITA Kachmarchyk struggled from her wheelchair, gripped the railing, propped herself up on crutches and stood on unsteady feet.
Her legs may have been shaky, but her voice was like the rock of Gibraltar as she sang loud and clear: "Glory, glory, hallelujah."
Rita, who suffers from cerebral palsy, joined with her husband, Stephen, 9-year-old daughter, Katie, and thousands of her fellow New Yorkers yesterday at a Yankee Stadium awash in a tidal wave of flags, tears and pride.
"God will prevail, but some of our dreams have been tested," Rita said. "I have always dreamed that Katie would never live with fear, but today she is worried."
Still, she has no doubt the terrorists failed to achieve their most important goal.
"They sought to divide us," she said. "But instead they united us as never before."
We will eventually know the exact number of lost lives. But the toll of broken dreams will be countless.
Doreen Noone was to marry firefighter Kevin Prior of Squad 252 on July 12.
"I'll never forget when he proposed to me at Gilgo Beach," she said. "It was going to be a dream.
"I don't think I'll ever see Kevin again," she said through her tears. "But he'll always be in my prayers."
Debbie Ragaglia was holding up a sign that read, "Lenny, you'll always be a hero."
Her brother Leonard Ragaglia, a firefighter, "had a dream that his two little boys would never want for anything," she said. "That dream is over because they will never have him, nor will his seven sisters and four brothers.
"His whole squad is missing."
Deputy Chief Tommy Purtell is a cop who gets angry when people describe him as a hero - and he will not talk to you if you dare mention his actions on Sept. 11.
He was at the Stadium to honor his colleagues.
"You should have seen those emergency service guys," the deputy chief said. "They were like steel. Knocked on their asses, got up, and charged in all over again. They are still there and you cannot force them to take a day off."
Throughout Yankee Stadium on a Sunday blessed with sunshine you almost felt like you could touch the emotion in the air with your finger.
Every color, every creed, every race, every religion together.
Muslims filed onto center field with priests and rabbis.
Some in the crowd were good singers, some were bad singers. But, my God, you could hear them as one voice.
There were dignitaries, there were rich people, there were ordinary people.
A chorus struck up that golden oldie, "Over There," and when it came to the words, "The Yanks are coming," there was a lusty tone of resolve.
The singers sought closure, they sought God, they sought comfort - and they also were showing they had no doubt who'd win the war between America and the terrorists.
Oh sure, you could say that it was a jingoistic outpouring of flag-waving - but heck, what better flag to wave?
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