ElleMichaels

September 11th, 2001 - A day that will never be forgotten. Part 2
          	
          	Not a day has passed since I learned the story of Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9, that I haven’t thought of these men or their families. I was fortunate to  have not lost anyone close to me on September 11th but I have many friends who have. This September 11th I will think of Al Feinberg, Dave Wooley, Jose Guadalupe, Ed Geraghty, Chris Santora, Joe Angelini, John Tipping, Carl Asaro, Mike Haub, Mike Brennan, Mike Lynch, Paul Gil, Len Ragaglia, Sam Oitice, Dan O’Callaghan, and the family they left behind. 
          		I will never forget feeling horrified and helpless as I watched the news on September 11, 2001. I will never forget where I was when I heard the news of the first plane hitting. But after standing before the photographs of 15 September 11th heroes, I will never forget the lives lost or the sacrifices made.

ElleMichaels

September 11th, 2001 - A day that will never be forgotten. Part 2
          
          Not a day has passed since I learned the story of Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9, that I haven’t thought of these men or their families. I was fortunate to  have not lost anyone close to me on September 11th but I have many friends who have. This September 11th I will think of Al Feinberg, Dave Wooley, Jose Guadalupe, Ed Geraghty, Chris Santora, Joe Angelini, John Tipping, Carl Asaro, Mike Haub, Mike Brennan, Mike Lynch, Paul Gil, Len Ragaglia, Sam Oitice, Dan O’Callaghan, and the family they left behind. 
          	I will never forget feeling horrified and helpless as I watched the news on September 11, 2001. I will never forget where I was when I heard the news of the first plane hitting. But after standing before the photographs of 15 September 11th heroes, I will never forget the lives lost or the sacrifices made.

ElleMichaels

September 11th, 2001 - A day that will never be forgotten. Part 1
          
          This past February I had the opportunity to visit New York City for the first time. The moment I stepped off the subway onto Broadway, I was completely in awe! Nothing you see on television or in the movies can prepare you for how incredibly amazing this larger-than-life, vibrant city is. 
          	It was love at first sight. 
          	But there was something else I wasn’t prepared for when I visited New York City...How profoundly the effects of 9/11 would touch me. 
          	While exploring the bustling streets of Midtown Manhattan one afternoon, we came across a firehouse at the end of the block we were walking along. A large, white 9/11 memorial on one of the giant red doors immediately caught my attention. But what stopped me in my tracks was the brick wall adjacent to the door.  A collection of small photographs—photographs with names of Firemen who lost their lives on September 11th, 2001—was proudly displayed. 
          	I was heartbroken.
          	These men were someone’s husbands, brothers and sons.
          	They were the men of Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9 - The Pride of Midtown. As I stood outside the Firehouse, I tried to imagine what it must have been like for them as the climbed into their trucks and quickly made their way toward the World Trade Centre, that fateful day.  Did they know what they were about to embark on? Did they know they wouldn’t be coming home?
          	At the time I wasn’t familiar with their story but, after doing some research, I learned that Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9 was the only Firehouse to have lost an entire shift. 
          	Fifteen lives. All lost. The greatest loss of any Firehouse on 9/11.
          	These brave men were some of the first responders to rush to the World Trade Centre after the planes hit the towers. And not a single man made it back home to their families. 
          	Seeing the names and faces of these brave men—who sacrificed everything to save the lives of others—hit me like a ton of bricks.