Commentary; Posted: 9/4/02

Reflections on 911 by New Yorkers

Marguerite Rheinberger
Guest Columnist

On September 11, ceremonies will take place throughout the world, which will reflect upon the devastation we witnessed a year ago. Every day since 9/11, however, has been a day of reflection for Father John Delendick (ìFr. Johnî), one of six chaplains for the Fire Department of New York, and for Danny Prince, a New York City firefighter.

In July, Washington County Commissioner Dennis Hegberg and I spent three days with them during their visit to Minnesota to participate in a July 4th celebration in Stillwater. We have remained in contact. A one-hour interview with them will air on cable television later this month.

Fr. John, often referred to as ìThe Ground Zero Chaplain,î ran to the World Trade Center after the planes hit. A priest of 25 years and a chaplain since 1997, he quickly studied the face of Fire Chief Peter Gancy, the highest ranking uniform officer in the fire department.

ìAt any fire, Peter either had a relaxed face where you knew the fire was going to be under control, or he had a look of defiance like ëIíve got you. You wonít get us,íî said Fr. John. ìThat morning he had the look of defiance and something I had never seen before, a look of fear.î

Chief Gancy died in the collapse of the second tower. Ever since 9/11, this image and others like have haunted Fr. John. He recalls making a comment to a firefighter standing next to him about the people who they saw jumping. Years before, the firefighter had been seriously injured in a fire and had recently worked his way back to full duty instead of taking disability.

He told Fr. John that he understood why they were jumping. When given a choice between dying in a fire and dying from jumping, no one would want to choose the former he said. Minutes later, the firefighter entered the building. His burned body was found later that week.

While Fr. John was at the scene, his friend, Danny, was in Minnesota on 9/11. Ironically, while visiting his terminally ill father and brother, his life had been spared. As part of the Safety Battalion, Danny would have been in one of the buildings.

He experienced deep guilt for not being there and for not being able to get back. Once the airports opened, he went back to New York and immediately down to Ground Zero to help with recovery efforts. He and the other firefighters did not want to leave after working twelve-hour shifts because they were convinced they would find people alive.

Despair soon became evident. Even the canine dogs that are trained to find live bodies became depressed and veterinarians were called in to give the dogs therapy. The firefighters soon came to the realization that people would be found dead, if at all, and their focus turned to recovering bodies and body parts.

They were assisted by current and former firefighters who were there to specifically locate the bodies of their sons who were firefighters. Some actually found them. After funerals were held, they went back to help other fathers find their sons.

Death certificates of all who died on 9/11 in the attacks have ìhomicideî listed as the cause of death.

Fr. John affectionately refers to the 343 firefighters who were murdered that day as ìmy guys.î Many of these firefighters were young and engaged to be married. At their funerals, the unworn wedding gowns that sat on the pews next to their grieving fiances were constant reminders of shattered dreams.

When Fr. John was not officiating at or attending these and other funeral and memorial services, he spent the next three months escorting family members to the site. Unlike the firefighters who were working in the recovery efforts, families held out hope for months that their loved ones would be found alive.

Fr. John remembers a November visit he made with families to Ground Zero. A wife of a firefighter kept screaming her husbandís name.

ìI asked her what she was doing, and she said that if she screamed loud enough he would hear her and come out. Two days later they recovered his body.î While it was not the way she expected her husband to be found, there were many who were grateful to have remains found.

This became evident to Fr. John and Danny on Thanksgiving, which started out as a somber day with people wondering what they had to be grateful for. In the afternoon, they were informed that the body of a firefighter had been found.

They took on the unenviable task of going to the home of his widow that evening to inform her. To their surprise, she was elated and declared it to be one of the nicest Thanksgivings her family had ever had because they could now find peace knowing he had been found.

When reflecting upon 9/11 and its aftermath, mixed emotions are evident and lessons have been learned.

ìPrior to 9/11, we never felt we needed anyoneís help in New York. We felt people needed us. It was a humbling experience to learn how wrong we were,î said Fr. John. ìYou think that only New Yorkers experienced it but we were soon overwhelmed by the love and support that those who lived outside of New York showed us,î added Danny.

ìChildren from all over the world sent thousands of letters to the firefighters who were involved in the recovery efforts. They kept referring to us as ëheroes,í but they were the real heroes because they saved us from total despair.î

Not surprisingly, life has changed for both men. ìI cherish everything more to the point that I start crying at events I never cried at,î said Danny.

Fr. John spends all of his free time now with his firefighter friends. Thoughts of 9/11 are never far away. ìMy life is centered around what happened at the World Trade Center. You get up in the morning and you immediately think about it. Everything you do during the day somehow seems connected to it. And then at night, you donít want to go to bed so you stay up as late as you can because you fear youíll dream about it as well.î

He was, however, able to escape these thoughts during his visit to Forest Lake when he, Dennis, and Dennis' dog went jet skiing for several hours. He called his first jet skiing experience "a highlight of his trip to Minnesota."Ý

On September 11 of this year, Danny will be back in Minnesota. He was asked by the Minnesota Twins to throw out the first ball at their September 11 game.

Fr. John will stay in New York to be with those who like him experienced the nightmare first-hand. In the morning, he along with other dignitaries will be attending a ceremony at Ground Zero.

They will be reading aloud the names of all those who died. He will then lead two prayer services in the afternoon, be part of the fire department's dedication ceremony, and later officiate at a Mass, which will include a candle light procession. In spite of his hectic life, he has made time to reach out to the survivors. It has not been easy.

Father Johnís courage and ability to help others cope while he was grieving the loss of many friends is inspirational. A year later, he is still consoling and still grieving.Ý

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