EXCELLENT PRESENTATION TO SEAL TEAM 6 ON 9-11-18....September 11th 2018,
Naval Special Warfare,
DEVGRU
I thought about what a retired lieutenant from a NYC Rescue Company might say to a group of young United States Navy Seals, on this the 17th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on our department, New York City and the United States of America.
I thought I might begin by telling you a little of what the experience was like all those years ago as the events of the day unfolded. I often wondered how many other people?s day started with a phone call saying ?turn the tv on?. How the news of the day continued to get worse and worse, as the day went on.
I could talk of how the day of the 11th turned into night, and then into the next morning, as we began to realize the magnitude of the destruction. The tremendous loss of life.
I remember working that first night to extricate a Lieutenant whose men had located him, buried under a huge piece of exterior steel from the North tower on West Street. We had nothing but hand tools, a small torch and we weren?t making much progress.
A chief was on the scene, and said ?hey guys, we?re not going to get him tonight, lets mark the spot and come back when the heavy equipment gets here?. A friend of mine from 238, Billy Romaka said ?okay Chief, but respectfully, I?m not leaving my lieutenant.? He took his helmet and turnout coat off, and sat down on the steel next to what was left of him?I?ll remember that until the day I die.
So, we continued to do what we could, and then the ironworkers showed up like the cavalry, and we really went to work. They already had American flags all over their helmets.
A few hours into the op, I saw a younger guy from 238, who?d been there since the morning. I saw he was upset, crying, so I tried to talk to him, ?I said hey bro what?s your Lieutenants name?? He said Lt. Glen Wilkinson. Glen was a friend of mine?I graduated high school with his sister, I knew his dad from the gym?.my wife and I had just seen him a couple days earlier, the school year had just started, our kids back in school, and we ran into him out for a bike ride.
I might tell you about some of the great men we lost that day, guys we stood next to in the fire academy, guys we worked with, went to fires with, guys who?s kids our kids grew up with. Or what it was like as we found out the number of those men we lost went up with each passing hour of the first days, until the number 343 was forever etched in our memories, and now FDNY lore.
I might tell of the immediate days, and weeks, working at what became known as ?The pile?, ?the site?, or ?Ground Zero?, as we recovered our brother firefighters, and fellow Americans killed that day. People who were guilty of nothing other than waking up, and going to work. Watching people have to choose between burning alive, or jumping to their death, 1000 feet below?. Women?.. young people.
I could talk about digging at the site, recovering victims, days spent sitting with our lost brother?s families waiting for word, or working in the firehouse, and attending the first few funerals for those recovered.
How the days turned to weeks, the weeks into months, hope for survival turned into prayers for recovery, and then the memorials for those who would never be found.
But a lot of the darker memories have begun to fade. The images and the sights not so clear anymore.
So, I thought I?d rather talk to you about how we were able to survive the unbearable losses. How we were able to move forward, rebuilding the FDNY Special Operations Division, the FDNY, lower Manhattan and our own lives. These are some of the things I remember well, things I?ll never forget. The good things.
I?d like to tell you how the people of the city came together, they opened their homes to strangers, supported the police and firefighters. Donating their time, food, water, clothing, and most of all their support. People were in the streets talking to each other. Applauding police cars and firetrucks in the first few weeks, holding candles, making the sign of the cross as we headed down to the site.
It was the best of times in what was certainly our worst of times.
I?d like to talk of the bonds we formed with the military, realizing the commonalities our respective callings share, and the respect we have for each other. How proud we are to be part of something bigger than ourselves.
I remember the moment it hit me.
It was early afternoon of September 11th 2001, we heard another jet flying low over Manhattan. We still didn?t really know what was going on, or if the attacks were over. Then someone said, ?Hey, that?s one of ours?.
It was an American F-15, and that was the first time that I thought that we were going to be okay, the military was in control here, and that we were going to survive the day.
I would like to tell you of the day when President Bush stood on a pumper with a bullhorn, his arm around an old fireman, in the middle of all that destruction to talk to the FDNY, to tell us that our United States Military would take the fight over there to those that ?Knocked these buildings down?
How that bond has since become stronger and unbreakable.
I?d rather talk about the trip we took to Virginia to sail into New York on the USS New York for the 10th anniversary of the attacks.
How we firemen stood in uniform, shoulder to shoulder with the NYPD, United States Marines and The United States Navy, as we ?manned the rails? to sail into New York Harbor, on the ship that has 7 tons of World Trade Center steel in its bow. How the rain turned into sunshine as we stopped to salute the World Trade Center site. And then started raining again when we sailed away from the site. I remember how proud I was to be an American at that moment. In New York in 1776, the patriots pulled down the statue of King George lll, and made 42,088 American bullets out of it. I felt like our response to the attack was to take the steel from the wreckage and make a weapon out of it, and point it right back at them. I felt like we were collectively giving the finger to those who attacked us.
I?d like to talk to you about some of the things, and people I will never forget. About some of our true heroes of 9/11.
I?d like for you to know about men like Ray Downey, United States Marine Corp veteran, and my Captain in Rescue 2, when I went there as fireman back in 1991. Ray was the Chief in charge of the FDNY Special Operations that day. Old school tough guy.
Ray was last seen after the first tower came down. Two off duty members reported into him and asked him what they could do. He grabbed one of them by the shoulders, spun him around and pushed him away, saying ?get the hell out of here?. He died there when the second tower came down about 10 minutes later, along with about 90 of his men, out of the 270 guys assigned to the Special Ops command.
Those of us who knew and loved him say that Downey went down with the ship. He defined the word leader.
I?d like to tell you about John Vigiano, also USMC, and a retired FDNY captain who lost his only 2 sons that day, Joe in the PD, John in the FD. My first Captain when I got promoted to Lt.
He didn?t let the loss defeat him. He didn?t let it define him.
He took this tragedy and made something good from it. He started visiting the wounded troops at Walter Reed and Bethesda, drafting many of us, and organized countless trips down there.
He talked someone into letting him go to Iraq to visit the troops. Just to thank them.
John showed us the meaning of the word courage, right up until his death last July, when he lost his third and final battle with Cancer. When he was told his battle was over, he absorbed it, he was silent for a minute or two. When he spoke, his thoughts were not of himself, but for his wife, and his family, He said ?I?m ready, it?s time for me to be with my sons?
Men like Lt. Michael Murphy, US Navy Seal, who died fighting for us, proudly wearing his FDNY 53 Engine, 43 Truck, ? El Barrios Bravest? patch.
The military influence on the FDNY is a long one. I?d like to tell you about men like my father, and my Uncle Rodger, who both fought in World War ll. My dad was in the army, my Uncle Rodger in the marines. After his death, my cousin did some research on her dad. She said my uncle Rodger fought on Iwo Jima, or the battle of Saipan, or Guadalcanal?. She?s not really sure. My Dad was in Germany, other than that? We have no idea, because they never told a story, they never spoke about it.
I know Mickey near 20 years, and until this week, I never heard how he spent that day.
I wish you could have met these guys. Real heroes, real men. The men who made me and so many of us who came after them the men we are today. The guys who served in World War 2, Korea, and the Vietnam guys who broke guys like me and Mick in. Men who taught us and inspired us to carry on here to honor the memory of those who are no longer.
In the Fire Department we like to say we share our stories. We only share them with each other, with fellow firefighters, our close friends. My wife hasn?t heard most of them. We share them with you today, so you get a sense of the privilege it was for us to have known these men.
I?d like to pass them on to you here today. I?m sure you have your own Ray Downey?s, John Vigiano?s, Uncle Rodgers, dad?s, and mentors. Those that taught you. The guys that you look up to and draw strength from, when you face the difficult days and situations that you have, and certainly will. That they?re right there with you when you find yourself in a tough spot, to guide you, and help you make the right decisions. I hope you know that we in the FDNY are also there with you.
My dad?s dead 35 years. My uncle Rodger 30, and now 17 for the others. But they?re still teaching me things, life lessons I try to pass on to those younger than me when we remember them by telling their stories. I feel them here with me today, I draw strength from them.
We had some difficult times when we were operating at the Trade Center. Some long days and nights, and I can tell you there were times when I felt that support of my mentors, my friends and my family, the people in the streets saying ?God Bless you?, when we were passing them. Contributions large, and small, but all felt and deeply appreciated. And It got me through. It will get you through too.
Men like that and so many others, who were forged in the military and the FDNY taught us to never let the situation overwhelm you. That no matter how bad things get, that if we work together, stay cool, and persevere, we can handle anything that comes our way.
That there?s always something positive we can take from our losses. They taught us that good will always triumph over evil. They taught us to be strong, like you men in the Military, because there?s people who need us to be.
I wish they could have been here today to meet you fellas.
I wish we had more time with them.
I wish we had taken more pictures.
I pray their souls are at peace.
I live my life with the belief that we?ll see them again one day, and I hope I didn?t let them down.
That?s what I took from the experience of 9/11. That?s what I?d like to pass on to you today, 17 years to the day.
So, it has been one of the greatest honors of my life to have this journey come full circle, and be here to talk to you today. I?m truly humbled.
I know how proud we Americans are knowing that there are men like you between us and them. I can only imagine how proud your families and friends are. I want you to know that when you?re carrying out your missions, wherever in the world they might take you, that we New York City firefighters will always be there with you in spirit, and I hope you can draw strength and inspiration from that support.
I pray that you always return home to your families safely, and I want to express my eternal gratitude to you men for taking the fight to those over there that us firefighters, us New Yorkers, only wish that we could.
A friend of ours, Tim Higgins was killed in the attacks, at right about this moment 17 years ago. He and his brothers, on occasion when we would raise a glass used to say ?here?s to us, and guys like us?. So, I would say to you men, ?here?s to you, and guys like you?
Daniel Murphy
Lieutenant Rescue 2 (ret)
