[Vfw-times] Dreadful Silence

[COkane8116 at aol.com]

  I still find it hard to believe what happened. A lot of good people died 
yesterday - some of them friends, some strangers - all died at the hands of 
monsters. This is my small attempt to honor and cope with the shock.

  Christian Okane

******************

12 September 2001

                        That terrible silence
                        ---------------------------

  It is a simple structure that stood across the street from my apartment. 
Two stories tall and made of deep, red brick and gray stone. Two wide roll up 
garage doors stood below a sign that proudly read "RESCUE COMPANY 1".

 Two engines had called that place home, polished and cleaned by proud 
firemen. I can still picture their faces now, smiling, laughing, talking, 
cleaning or repairing something. I even watched with amusement as a 
television crew filmed this company of New York's bravest. These firemen were 
famous, they always seemed to be rescuing people from crumbling buildings, 
collapsed scaffolding or swimming into a sunken boat to rescue a trapped 
crewman. They were called the bravest of the brave.

   I had long ago lost my amazement at what they did. All I knew was that I 
always seemed to be jolted awake at the most foul hours by screaming horns 
and wailing sirens as red and blue lights danced across my ceiling. Driving 
away all hopes of sleep. Now that it's gone I miss it so.

   Now I stand at my window looking at the people who lay flowers and wreaths 
where the engines once rested. Where I had stood countless times talking and 
chatting with the firemen. Brave souls who had gone out and will never come 
back.

   Sometimes even now I wake up in the middle of the night hoping, praying to 
hear the wail of sirens and the scream of the horns. Instead all I hear is 
that silence. 

   That dreadful silence.



    In memory of the men of Rescue Company 1 and to all the brave souls who 
died on September 11, 2001. 

   Rest in peace, you will not be forgotten.

   ***
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