Today is a day of remembrance in the United States, so this post is going to be a little different than usual. When hijacked planes crashed into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, hundreds of first responders, firefighters, paramedics, and police officers arrived on the scene of the disasters to help. Naturally, many of these responders were women, so I thought they deserved mentioning today, though I do include both men and women in this post. These responders extinguished flames, rescued people from precarious situations, administered life-saving medical aid, and provided direction and organization in the midst of chaos. They saw terrors we could never imagine, lost their friends and coworkers, worked hours on end with no sleep or rest, and struggled every minute to save just one more life. Many of our heroes gave their lives in service that day. Those that lived through the ordeal have to remember the devastation and injury they saw, the bodies recovered later through search efforts, the coworkers they lost. The families of those who didn’t come home that day are left with an ache that never stops. We owe a great, great debt to our women and men who serve in these jobs, not just in times like 9/11, but every single day. They put their lives on the line to protect and save our lives, and a little gratitude is a tiny thing in return. I don’t have an exhaustive list of all of the women who served during 9/11, but I’ve included a few below, just so you can have a few names to remind you of the very real, very courageous people that saved so many on that awful day. Look up a few of them to learn their individual stories.
Captain Kathy Mazza–Port Authority
Moira Smith–Police Officer
Yamel Marino—Paramedic
Lt. Brenda Berkman–Fire Department
Deputy Inspector Terri Tobin-NYPD
Officer Carey Policastro—Police Officer
Officer Carol Paukner–NYPD
Regina Wilson—Fire Department
See the entire list of those who died in service at respondersremembered.com
Today, be inspired to…Take a moment to be grateful and remember the sacrifices of the police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and other first responders who take care of us every single day.
Photo credit: trendsphoto.net
She Made A Difference 