So many heroes
— so much pain
Two weeks after the terrible events of Sept. 11, most people are still trying to come to grips with what happened.
Can those ugly piles of rubble at ground zero really be all that’s left of the once-proud World Trade Center twin towers — symbols of America’s economic power?
Can we really have lost almost 6,500 people — the population of a small town?
That number includes over 300 rescue workers, men and women who gave their lives while trying save others.
That number includes more than 30 residents of Middletown alone, many of whom worked for Cantor Fitzgerald, the bond trading company whose workforce was all but wiped out by the forces of evil that devastated our country Sept. 11.
That number includes residents of most of our towns, plus many who live or lived elsewhere but grew up, went to school and established deep roots in our towns.
That number includes Kenneth Tietjen Jr., a 31-year-old Port Authority police officer who lived in Middletown and is the brother of a former Independent reporter who at various times covered Hazlet, Holmdel and Keyport. He was a member of St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Middletown, where, unbelievably, more than 20 parishioners are among the missing or dead.
We mourn for the family of Kenneth Tietjen Jr. and for the families and friends of all those missing and dead. For them, the recovery process will be excruciatingly painful, for their lives have been forever scarred by the barbaric events of Sept. 11.
All of us who live in America and value our freedom were shaken to the depths of our souls, and we, too, will have long-lasting memories of the day life as we knew it came to a horrible halt.
At the same time, we can take pride in our connectivity, pride in the thousands and thousands of people across America and beyond who stepped forward to donate their time, their blood, their money and their prayers for the missing and for the future of our great young nation.
We will never forget the fire fighters, police officers and emergency workers who so selflessly rushed to aid victims and lost their lives as the towers, in one terrifying half hour, crumbled to the ground.
Americans who hold dear the values that make our country great will never be able to fully comprehend the madness that drives the shadowy terrorist cells hidden around the world to wreak such horror on the innocent.
But every American flag, large and small, that graces homes, businesses, clothing, vehicles and houses of worship sends a message that we will never again tolerate such acts.
As we prepare for our nation’s response and await a call to aid the new Office of Homeland Security, we will stand tall.
Tears will continue to flow as they have all across America and around the world since 8:48 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, the day cowardly terrorists dared to test the resilience and resolve of America.
But the common man and woman of America will triumph once again, as they did in World World II.