There is a line from the movie Renascence Man that sticks with me. When Danny DiVito's character says he carried a sign with the name of a Vietnam Vet during a march, the officer asks him, "And what was the name of that solider?" Danny DiVito's character couldn't answer.
After the attacks on our country in 2001 my husband bought me a bracelet with the name of a victim. I went in search of this person, because I was not going to be like the character in that movie. I wanted to know the person was whose name I wore.
Joseph Mistrulli lost his life that day when terrorists attacked the USA. He was a carpenter who was working a job in the Windows of the World restaurant. He left a wife and three children.
I wore that bracelet and so did my son (who was only 3 at the time of the attacks, but when he grew older he too wore the bracelet) until the metal gave away and broke. But the memory never did.
Joseph Mistrulli was only one of 2,995 people who lost their lives that day. Each and every one of those souls had a story. Thousands more live without loved ones, and you can guarantee they will never forget.
We all know where we were that day. Perhaps we weren't effected more than the media on TV, but it effected us all in some way. Some part of our daily lives was changed that day.
That was the day that I sent my almost 2 year old son to his first day of a preschool program. I nearly sat in the parking lot for the entire 2 hours he was gone from me. I spent the rest of the day locked in my room and watched as all the events unfolded. I kept it as far away from my children, but as the have grown they have learned about that day.
No matter you opinion on 9/11 please don't forget those who were lost that day and those who have been lost fighting for our freedom and to keep our country safe. Thank a solider, a police officer, a firefighter. Hug your family and tell them you love them. 9/11 is now a day of remembrance. But daily, I will never forget.
Please share with us your memories of 9/11. But before you share... go find a name of someone who lost their life that day, find out who they were.
Bernadette Marie
September 11, 2001
ReplyDeleteI was home on leave in Colorado from the US Army after just completing a very rigorous two month training course. I woke up to my mother in a total panic and turned on the TV to see the events unfolding. I called my husband who was five hours behind me and told him to turn on the TV. The only thing I heard him say was "I gotta get to work" and he hung up. I did not talk to him for almost a week as he was locked in his office building monitoring intelligence traffic for any other potential threats to our country.
I did not get back home until September 18th and I then found out that my commanding officer, Michael, had lost his brother, Christopher Blackwell, along with 343 other first responders.
For myself serving many years as a first responder and even though I did not know Chris, he will always hold a special spot in my heart.
http://www.fdnyrescue3.com/911/blackwell.html
Thank you Bernadette for opening your blog for remembrance.
Janohn Crow-Cox
Thank you, Janohn, for sharing and for and for serving our country.
ReplyDeleteJoseph Mistrulli was my father and an amazing man thank you for letting him live one forever
ReplyDeleteThank you, thank you, thank you for posting here! You have no idea what an honor it is to have had you stop by and to have read my blog and posted. Every year I post about your father and every year I search out what your family has added to his remembrance online. I know that he's become a grandfather and all of you have grown up and moved on, I see this when you share your lives with the world and speak to him through letters online. You keep his memory alive. I don't know if you would ever be up for it, but I would LOVE to have you guest here and blog about your father someday. It would be a huge honor for me and a great tribute to him. My email is info@bernadettemarie.com. If you or your family would like to do that, I'd be honored to have you. Thank you again for sharing with me, I am touched.
ReplyDeleteI would love to share some more about him and how the past 11 years have been without him, my email is mistrullia@yahoo.com. Feel free to email me anytime.
ReplyDeleteAngela Mistrulli