Posted on 10/04/2001 1:22:45 PM PDT by AppyPappy
The bone-chilling wail of bagpipe playing "Amazing Grace" echoed through a Queens church yesterday as yet another fallen firefighter from the World Trade Center tragedy was memorialized in death.
It was yet another day — of many more to come — for Masses and memorial services for both heroic rescue workers and innocent civilians lost in the flames and collapsing towers.
At the memorial Mass for 49th Battalion Chief John Moran, his younger brother, Firefighter Michael Moran of Ladder 3, recalled how he spoke to his brother by cell phone after the second plane crashed into the Trade Center.
"I told him to be careful," the younger Moran told mourners, including his brother's wife, Kim, and two sons, Ryan, 7, and Dylan, 4. "I didn't see him there that day, but now I see him all the time."
The memorial Mass at St. Francis de Sales Church in Belle Harbor, Queens, was conducted by the fallen firefighter's uncle, Father Paul Moran, who called his 42-year-old nephew's last assignment a "mission of love, to save life, not destroy it."
Mayor Giuliani called for a standing ovation for the 20-year fire veteran, who held a law degree from Fordham University and was injured in the Father's Day explosion at an Astoria hardware store that killed three firefighters.
The mayor said while Moran's two young sons may not fully comprehend all that's happened, "The thing I want them to understand for their entire life is that their father is a great man."
I found these:
To: ELS
This was the best time I've ever had in the pouring rain! I was shouting so hard that I can hardly speak today. While the chants were great and certainly got people's attention, I personally loved it when we sang "America the Beautiful" and "God Bless America." I think that really stopped people in their tracks (and completely confounded the liberals).
32 Posted on 11/27/2000 15:45:04 PST by BCM
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After the Bush victory:
To: AndrewC
My fellow Freepers, who sustained me through all the insanity.
24 Posted on 11/27/2000 19:20:44 PST by BCM
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BTW I found this one as well:
To: bcjohnson
God bless you, you will be missed.
4 Posted on 01/03/2000 22:37:18 PST by BCM
John 15
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
RIP Chief.
We've suffered a couple of big losses.
For future reference, although the cops are the NYPD, the firemen are always FDNY, never NYFD.
God bless and keep our brother and hero BCM.
I never meet the man but I am proud to say I knew him..
This just reminds us of the character of Freepers....
Aw, Pappy...now I'm crying even harder...
Heavenly Father, have mercy on this family. Be a Father to BCM's children, and forever protect them and his dear wife from all harm and suffering. Grant them all Your perfect peace and the assurance they will all meet again very soon. Provide for every need within this family, Dearest Lord. In Jesus' name...Amen!
I salute you BCM, you gave your all.
Our souls are sadden. Our spirit is strengthened.
Thank God we all have had the privilege to know these heroic American partiots.
Mustang sends..in tears.
My thoughts as well. I had read last night CHIEF Negotiator's thread about trying to get back to active duty in the Marines. May they both rest in peace.
These men and women go to work each and everyday not knowing if they will be returning to their physical home or their spiritual home at the end of their shift. May God looking favorably upon them and the families they may leave behind.
Thank you for the effort you made to determine this information. While I come from 3 generations of New York's Finest, many of my childhood friends became members of New York's Bravest.
Prayers for the Family are being offered today!
I am good friends with Bill Begley, a Wall Streeter who, along with former New York Met Rusty Staub and former New York Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President helped found a charity called the The New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Fund.
This organization has been helping the loved ones of NYC's fallen heroes for years. Bill (who retired to help run it) and the rest of the staff work on a volunteer basis - there is only one paid employee (a receptionist) and the fund has almost no overhead. Close to $0.97 of every $1 contributed goes directly to the families.
The families aren't just given cash and abandoned - financial advisers, attorneys, real estate professionals etc. volunteer their skills and time to help the families recover in the long-term.
If you're wondering where to send donations beside the Red Cross or the Salvation Army, this organization is as reputable and essential. If I'm not mistaken, Mayor Giuliani himself is a trustee.
I'm in touch with Bill to find out whether we FReepers can specifically assist our fallen brother's family in a special way. I know that FReepers from across the country would like to reach out in a personal way to his grieving family. I happily welcome any suggestions or ideas.
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