After
10 years of trying, and numerous false starts, I have finally been
able to compile my experiences on 9/11 in one complete text.
It is a bit long winded, but I knew of no other way to convey what
I saw and did. Over the last decade I have been called a
'hero' more times than I care to remember. I recently came
across a quote by a WWII vet that sums up my feelings on that
assessment of me. My bastardized version of it is that I was
not a hero, but I did serve in the company of heroes.
I am
sending this to you all of you to not only help keep the memories
of 9/11 and those who made the ultimate sacrifice alive, but to
also give you a glimpse into what has helped to shape into who I am
now. Perhaps for some of you it may help to explain a
lot! I have found over the years that by talking and
being open about my experiences have helped me to bounce back from
them in a way that I would not have been able to earlier in my
life.
I was
very fortunate to have had the support system that I had in my
wife, and a police peer organization (POPPA) with whom I
volunteered pre-9/11. That work allowed me to gain invaluable
training which in turn allowed me to recognize the ill effects
of my 9/11 experiences much sooner than I would have been able
to otherwise. If this email prods even one person to do the
same then it will have been worth it.
If you
are interested, please have a good read, and feel free to pass it
along. If not, then feel free to hit the delete button and
accept my apologies for this email. The only disclaimer
that I would add is that these are the events as I saw them and as
I remember them. Some of you may be able to correct me on
timelines or other details, but I think I still have enough of my
marbles that I have remembered pretty accurately.
Thanks
to all,
Jimmy
About the Podcast
God Stories Radio was established to bring hope, comfort, and encouragement, through the power of the Christian testimony.