Remembering that day

Do you remember where you were that fateful September morning seven years ago? Yesterday the nation, including local citizens, took time to reflect where they were, who they were with and what they felt after they heard the news and saw the almost inconceivable footage of passenger airplanes flying into the twin towers in New York City.

“My cousin died when the second tower came down,” recalled Capt. John Presten of Glendale Fire Department Station 29 on Honolulu Avenue.

Presten’s cousin, Capt. Patrick “Paddy” Brown, served as a firefighter with the New York City Fire Department Ladder Company No. 3. According to reports days after the 9/11 attack, Brown was last seen with his men racing into the south tower to rescue those inside.

Seven years ago, on the morning of Sept. 11, the world watched in horror as American Airlines Flight 11 flew into the World Trade Center north tower in New York, followed by United Airlines Flight 175 that flew into the south tower. Moments later, American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon and the south tower collapsed. Then United Flight 93 crashed into a Pennsylvania field, and the north tower came crashing down.

Presten said it was important to remember the attacks of that day and what the country lost.

“[That day] our whole nation changed,” he said.

Firefighter Jim Kaufman agreed with Presten. “I think we should still remember Pearl Harbor,” he said. “I don’t think they are even teaching that in school anymore.”

Thursday was Kaufman’s last day as a Glendale firefighter. He retired after 30 years of service. He reminisced about his years as a firefighter, how the equipment has advanced but the duty remained the same, and about the firefighters and the fires that bonded them as a family.

Remembering was what Thursday was about as firefighters walked out to the front of the station’s driveway and faced the American flag.

“It’s a reminder of that horrible, horrible day in history,” said firefighter Dan Claridge.

He added that going into the towers was the firefighters’ duty, despite the risks. “It is the job.”