Last of the fallen bravest: FDNY mourns at 343rd memorial
NEW YORK (AP) -- A vial holding the blood of a firefighter was placed in a coffin alongside his uniform Monday, marking the final memorial service for the 343 firefighters killed at the World Trade Center.
The family of Michael Paul Ragusa, 29, had put off any funeral for two years in the hope that his remains might be identified. But they never were.
However, the family had blood that Ragusa had donated to a bone marrow center in the months before Sept. 11.
Ragusa's family said the donation represented his lifelong dedication to helping others.
"He had such a generous spirit," Monsignor John Delendick told mourners at the Church of St. Bernard in Brooklyn. "Friends always called him when they needed help. They knew Michael would take care of the problem. Always."
About 500 people sat or stood shoulder-to-shoulder inside the church's small sanctuary. Thousands more firefighters -- including many who never knew Ragusa and others who came from other states -- listened via loudpeakers outside.
The Mass was punctuated by sorrowful rituals that have become too familiar to the Fire Department in the past two years -- bagpipes wailing "Amazing Grace," the somber beat of a drumline, a silent firetruck carrying the coffin.
Of the 2,792 people who died in the attack, the medical examiner has identified remains of just over half. Many families have held memorial services without their loved ones' remains.
Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani received a loud ovation when he approached the altar, then lauded the Fire Department for struggling through what once seemed an endless procession of funerals and memorials.
"I remember them in the rain, in the snow, sometimes 12 funerals a day," he said. "Each individual life was very important."
In a written remembrance, his family said Ragusa was an indispensable source of help and advice. When friends found themselves in a bind, they often made decisions by thinking of the code letters WWMD -- "What would Mikey do?"
On Sept. 11, "he didn't flinch. He didn't hesitate," Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta said at the service. "He saw those two towers with thousands of people in need, and he rushed in."
Replicas of the black No. 3 car driven by late NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt and of the logo for Foster's beer -- both favorites of the young firefighter -- were placed on the altar.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg reflected on the number of funerals firefighters have endured. "One is too many," he said. "Three hundred forty-three is almost too much to bear."
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As we approach the 2nd anniversary of 9/11, please don't ever forget what those firefighters, police officers, and other emergency workers did that morning. Their bravery resulted in the safe escape of over 25,000 people from the World Trade Center.
May the 343 firefighters rest in piece, and god bless each and everyone of them.
NEW YORK (AP) -- A vial holding the blood of a firefighter was placed in a coffin alongside his uniform Monday, marking the final memorial service for the 343 firefighters killed at the World Trade Center.
The family of Michael Paul Ragusa, 29, had put off any funeral for two years in the hope that his remains might be identified. But they never were.
However, the family had blood that Ragusa had donated to a bone marrow center in the months before Sept. 11.
Ragusa's family said the donation represented his lifelong dedication to helping others.
"He had such a generous spirit," Monsignor John Delendick told mourners at the Church of St. Bernard in Brooklyn. "Friends always called him when they needed help. They knew Michael would take care of the problem. Always."
About 500 people sat or stood shoulder-to-shoulder inside the church's small sanctuary. Thousands more firefighters -- including many who never knew Ragusa and others who came from other states -- listened via loudpeakers outside.
The Mass was punctuated by sorrowful rituals that have become too familiar to the Fire Department in the past two years -- bagpipes wailing "Amazing Grace," the somber beat of a drumline, a silent firetruck carrying the coffin.
Of the 2,792 people who died in the attack, the medical examiner has identified remains of just over half. Many families have held memorial services without their loved ones' remains.
Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani received a loud ovation when he approached the altar, then lauded the Fire Department for struggling through what once seemed an endless procession of funerals and memorials.
"I remember them in the rain, in the snow, sometimes 12 funerals a day," he said. "Each individual life was very important."
In a written remembrance, his family said Ragusa was an indispensable source of help and advice. When friends found themselves in a bind, they often made decisions by thinking of the code letters WWMD -- "What would Mikey do?"
On Sept. 11, "he didn't flinch. He didn't hesitate," Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta said at the service. "He saw those two towers with thousands of people in need, and he rushed in."
Replicas of the black No. 3 car driven by late NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt and of the logo for Foster's beer -- both favorites of the young firefighter -- were placed on the altar.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg reflected on the number of funerals firefighters have endured. "One is too many," he said. "Three hundred forty-three is almost too much to bear."
=
As we approach the 2nd anniversary of 9/11, please don't ever forget what those firefighters, police officers, and other emergency workers did that morning. Their bravery resulted in the safe escape of over 25,000 people from the World Trade Center.
May the 343 firefighters rest in piece, and god bless each and everyone of them.
