Kanter / AFP
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343
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Ten years after, the number continues to defy believability in its astounding size.
Never before had the profession of firefighting experienced such an extraordinary cataclysm. It was beyond the realm of imagination, contemplation or nightmare.
Today that same sentiment or feeling remains. It is true that life has gone on and they say that the Fire Department has been re-built but the stunning magnitude of the loss will stay with us always, immune to the passage of time.
Those numbers, three-four-three, define the before and after of our profession, a gigantic breach eluding comprehension.
In our minds and indeed in the minds of most Americans, firefighting has always been associated with a degree of selfless service which extends beyond the notions of job, work and profession. Those 343, in their collective sacrifice, transcended the expectations of mortals, even of the heroic men.
On this tenth anniversary we can struggle to do them justice by remembering their individual uniqueness while at the same we will forever marvel at their sense of duty and commitment on a day that both defined our greatest loss as well as the bravery and courage of firefighters, for all time.
………. Eric Lamar
