Monday, September 11, 2006

9/11

On September 11, 2001, 71 law enforcement officers, 343 members of the NYC Fire Department and over 2,800 civilians died at the World Trade Center. Due to the quick actions of law enforcement officers, fire and EMS personnel, it is estimated over 25,000 people were saved.

A Tribute to Officer Thomas Michael Langone

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends...
John 15:13 KJV

This is my tribute to a true American hero. A man who was devoted to his family, his community, helping others, saving lives. A man who placed the welfare of others before his own. This was a man, as many noted, who never waited to be asked to do anything. If there was a need, he was there.

So it was on 9/11 when he received the call about the World Trade Center. He headed to the scene, suited up and went in to rescue survivors. He was last seen in a stairwell in the South Tower on the 20th floor, leading people out of the tangle of smoke and destruction.

Police Officer Thomas Michael Langone
Shield Number: 14356
End of Watch: 09-11-2001
Cause of Death: World Trade Center Attack

Thomas Langone came from a family and tradition of heroes. His father, Paul, who died in 1985, had been a volunteer firefighter with Roslyn Rescue for 33 years. Paul's uncle had been a volunteer firefighter for many years before him. From as early as they could remember, both Thomas and his brother Peter had wanted to follow in their footsteps. They dreamed of saving lives and serving others.

Their dreams became a reality. At first, Peter became a police officer and Thomas a firefighter. Through the years, they switched. Both were highly skilled rescue specialists. The two brothers often worked together. They were at the 1990 crash of Avianca Flight 52 in Cove Neck. They were at the World Trade Center bombing in 1993. And they worked together on their last call on 9/11/2001 at the World Trade Center, arriving separately not long before the collapse of the towers.

Thomas Michael Langone is survived by his wife, JoAnn; daughter Caitlin; son Brian; mother Sheila; sisters Joann and Rosemarie.


And He will raise you up on eagles wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand
.....from "On Eagles Wings" by Michael Joncas

Click on the links below for information on the life of this remarkable man:

11 comments:

Emma's Kat said...

Beautiful...

The Meezers or Billy said...

ML - a truly beautiful tribute. I am sitting here at work with my NYPD and NYFD beanie bears and tears are rolling down my face. Thank you for such a moving tribute to a true hero. My tribute is up at the Meezers blog. - Meezers Mom Mary

Rascal said...

Meezers Mom Mary is right, it's hard reading all these beautiful tributes. But that's the idea, right? If our hearts grow cold, then we will forget. But we want to remember.

Hot(M)BC said...

Lovely tribute, ML. Wonderful :)

I had trouble finding Kim's tribute, though, because the link is messed up. I found it, though at http://kim-meandmyblog.blogspot.com/
(The link in your post has two http's, oops, typonese strikes again!)

Many Blessings!
Robyn

KC and the Giggleman Kitties said...

(Robyn, thanks a bunch, it's fixed now!)

Oscar the Puppy Cat said...

ML, I've had to come back to your site quite a few times. Of all the pictures out there, Officer Langone is the most shocking. I don't know what it is but upon first looking at his picture, my heart breaks. His eyes are haunting. Your tribute is very good and the pictures make me cry. Everyone has done such a fantastic job on their tribute and the more I read the sadder I get.

Anonymous said...

A tragic loss of a true hero. What a beautiful tribute to a wonderful man. My eyes are leaking again.
Karen

Meowmepurr's Mumma said...

Thank you, ML... just beautiful

Memories of Eric and Flynn said...

Thank you. He was a true hero
Jackie

Motherkitty said...

Thank you for posting such a wonderful tribute to a true hero. And, thank you for your lovely comment on my post. So many lives were lost that awful day. We may ask why, and we can go crazy. For the sake of the survivers -- those who knew and loved the victims -- America must remain strong and never forget.

Thank you for being part of this wonderful tribute project.

I invite your readers to view my special tribute to Cynthia Motus Wilson who died when the WTC Tower 1 fell.

KC and the Giggleman Kitties said...

Thanks, MotherKitty. Here is her tribute to
Cynthia Wilson WTC Hero. Be sure and read it, it is very good.