9:11

Terry was a volunteer firefighter in the volunteer state of Tennessee on Sept. 11, 2001.

At 07:30 he was in his mechanic’s overalls, working alongside a fellow firefighter, changing the oil, checking fluids, testing the turn signals, and doing all the required routine maintenance on the fire trucks. The fire station consisted of a small unit of volunteer firefighters who enjoyed serving their community; a passion for service is why they do what they do. Terry retired from being a full-time firefighter in Ohio, and he and his wife moved south, to enjoy the weather, the mountains, and hiking and camping in the great outdoors.

At 08:15 a firefighter heard the news, and as they ran to the TV they were speechless and in shock as they saw smoke fuming out of the World Trade Center. They were completely overwhelmed as towers fell and their firefighter brothers perished. There was silence in that community all day long. Terry said he normally likes to make jokes and make people laugh, but on that day of 9/11/01, he went into a five-day comatose zombie-like state. Both towers, Shanksville, and the Pentagon, were all hit. Military jets scrambled as the country went on high alert and 343 fellow brothers lost in a matter of hours. He could hardly move for five days as complete sadness and darkness filled him.

Terry was a combat medic in Viet Nam, and that experience had prepared him to become a firefighter. 9/11 means brotherhood to Terry. Brotherhood is family. When Terry sees 9:11 on a clock he sees the word “brotherhood,” an unbreakable bond between a station of individuals working to help others.

Joe is a volunteer firefighter from Clermont County. At age 13, Joe became a young cadet at his local fire station. His dad was a firefighter and Joe had hopped on firetrucks and climbed up ladders as a kid. He loved everything about fire stations and he wanted to be a part of something bigger than himself and be of service. So Joe became a business owner and a volunteer firefighter. The morning of 9/11 he was working at his Marina and received a phone call about the attack on American soil. Helpless and frightened he was worried sick about his brothers and sisters in New York. Joe is a firefighter for one reason, and one reason only, “to save lives.” Firefighters are a tight-knit group of individuals, one big family whose purpose is to save lives and save property. Joe was raised to think of others first and himself second, and that is why his brothers are also firefighters. Twenty-three years later and still not a day goes by that he doesn’t think of his fallen firefighter brothers and sisters.

Tim was a volunteer firefighter and 21 years old at the time that the plane hit the World Trade Center. At the time he was working for a local utility company in New Richmond, repairing a pipe, when the first tower went down. Initially, when he heard the tower was hit, he assumed it was a small Cessna plane that had gotten off course and ran into the tower. Then when he heard the tower went down and the second tower was struck his heart began racing, and adrenaline flowing, knowing that America was under attack. The community was instantly put on high alert because they have two major power plants and a dam. All the volunteer firefighters were ready.

As a fourth-generation firefighter, Tim says it’s an amazing lifestyle, a rewarding vocation, and a most fulfilling job. Whenever he hears 9/11 or sees the time 9:11 he has a vision of his fellow firefighters running in and climbing up the stairs. Knowing the extreme danger of the flames, the intense heat, and the building being in shambles, the firefighters took the risks, thereby saying to the world, we are here to help save lives. In 2006 Tim accepted the honor of becoming Fire Chief. Tim says it is so special to him and now, his oldest son is also a firefighter, and his youngest one is a cadet. The torch has been passed down to the fifth generation and maybe one day there will be a sixth generation firefighter. Tim says “911 is in my heart forever.”

Ryan was 16 years old on 9/11 2001 attending school at a vocational career campus studying to become a firefighter/ emergency medical technician. As a kid, he rode bikes with an older friend who was enlisted in a cadet program at the local firehouse. Ryan thought that was so cool and they would frequently ride their bikes to the fire station, where they were always welcomed. Ryan wanted that feeling of being of service and being part of something interesting and exciting. So here he was attending school to be a cadet He was walking from one class to another when he saw the TV on and all eyes were watching the planes as they crashed into the towers. Total silence ensued; Ryan, sick and weakened, had no context of what was happening. Right after school he headed over to the fire station where he was a cadet and it was locked down. 9/11 heightened his desire to be a fire firefighter for life. Now at 39 years old he has a beautiful family and is part of an amazing fire community. He wants to do everything in his power to protect all of them.

Ann is a firefighter and paramedic. She was at the firehouse on a beautiful Ohio fall day painting the firehouse along with the other firefighters. Then the news of 9/11 spread as they ran to the TVs witnessing what all of America and the world had now seen. Outside she heard several very loud noises and in retrospect, being close to a military base, it most probably was sonic booms. Ann had attended college to become a doctor. She discovered she did not like biology at all; so she enrolled in an EMT course she loved, worked nights, and fell in love with the fire school that she was sent to. She has been part of the Hazmat team and involved in fire investigations. She says there are unending challenges and new opportunities that she thoroughly enjoys. She loves the firefighters’ bond of camaraderie and loves helping others. She said 9/11 united people across our country for a very long time.

Ann has done the 110-story climb, in full gear, as an outlet to keep alive the names of the 343 firefighters who climbed the stairs that day to save lives and lost theirs. Firefighting is an industry of unselfishness, a bond of folks doing what they love most; assisting and helping others. “It is what we do, we are in it for you.”

Dick is a retired fire chief and he remembers that morning of 9/11 saying to his friends, “We are under attack!”

Every morning, Monday through Friday, he would go to the local restaurant and meet with a group of friends for coffee and chit-chat. The group was called the Liars Club. The members would shoot the breeze and offer opinions on anything and everything, always knowing they had all the answers to world problems. Dick was the fire chief at that time in his community, a small quaint little Ohio River town where everybody knew everybody. His dad was the fire lieutenant, and his grandpa had been a firefighter.

“We thought about our town’s vulnerability with its power plants, schools, water plants, and dam.”

They had a 30-person volunteer team and Dick assembled eight firefighters for immediate readiness, and 22 were bustling around postponing normal duties and obligations for the day, getting ready for anything they would be called upon to do. Events and strategies had been rehearsed over the years, but now the devastation was actually in motion in Manhattan, at the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania. The firefighters were in anguish for their fellow brothers and sisters. Dick knew on that day how much he loved America and knew to the depths of his soul that he had chosen the right line of work.

“I am in the life safety business and that’s why I chose to be a firefighter. It’s not about me, it’s about you and how can we help.”

Half a century, 50 years of service helping people, and even though he is now retired, Dick knows if anything threatening ever took place again, he could be counted on to help in any way.

I’m a firefighter and I am a lifesaver.”

Steve is a retired captain/firefighter/EMT. Steve was on his way home after a 24-hour shift at the firehouse. Listening to the radio he heard about the hit to the first tower and by the time he arrived home, the second tower was hit. He immediately called his chief and told him he had to go and help his brothers and sisters. He was told to head up to Manhattan on 9/17 and to help with the recovery. When he arrived the smoke was so thick, that the command station had to be moved, and what followed, was digging through rubble for days on end, by firefighters from all over the country.

Lifetime bonds are formed amongst firefighters and Steve says, It is truly an amazing and rewarding vocation”.

Austin, now a fire chief, was in the eighth grade when the towers got hit. He can instantly remember his classmates and a teacher coming in and telling his instructor that something was going on in Manhattan, 637 miles away from his school in Ohio. His school remained in session until the last bell, and then they all watched the horrific scenes on the school TV. On the bus ride home, everybody was talking to everybody. The word firefighter really stood out during the following days. Words like patriotism, heroism, and selflessness, were in the papers, on TV and radio, and echoed amongst each other. Flags were flying everywhere. Austin began to see a vision for himself unfold before his very eyes. Austin’s baseball coach was a firefighter and someone who Austin looked up to, as a hero. Austin loved team sports; the unity, the friendships, and the togetherness.

That same year there was another defining moment in Austin’s life. A neighbor had lost her dad, who was a firefighter, while he was in the line of duty. Austin went to the funeral with his family and his coach and could feel the love across the community. After high school, Austin went to a Big Ten school but experienced an empty feeling. Feeling lost he ended up transferring to the local community college and enrolled in an EMT, firefighter curriculum. From the first day, it felt right. He had found his team. He was a part of something that resonated with him.

He attends the Fire Department Instructors Conference, where firefighters from all over the USA attend to learn, listen to speakers, and educate themselves to be better firefighters. The FDIC is the largest conference and trade show for the Fire and Rescue Industry, held every year in Indiana, with an average of 36,000 attendees and 800 exhibitors. It is the largest convention held yearly in Indianapolis.

Austin says the bond there is absolutely amazing as they grow in learning as a family. Some 343 firefighters were lost 23 years ago.

“On September 11, I watch documentaries and give thanks to those who gave so much. I’ll never forget the firefighters hoisting the American flag. We are a family of one.”

Firefighters were shoulder to shoulder digging in the rubble of remains at Ground Zero, 24 hours on, 24 hours off, for eight months. They were shoulder to shoulder attending funerals. On some days there were as many as 25 funerals. They were there for each other and for the families.

The common themes amongst the firefighters are words like family, service, brotherhood, bonding, love of job, and love of country.

New Richmond author, Jim Serger interviewed 62 firefighters for his book, with six of them being from Clermont County. Serger knew a group of firefighters locally, and after interviewing them, he was given names of other firefighters to call upon. They in turn would tell him he needed to contact so and so and thus it went across the USA. He spoke with firefighters from all corners of our great country. Serger wanted to focus on the generous spirit of our first responders.

There are two pages for each firefighter interviewed; a page with their individual story of 9/11 and a picture of a clock set at 9:11. The clock generally holds some significance to the pictured firefighter. The time 9:11 shows itself twice a day or 730 times a year. Serger tells us the clock can remind us of the bonding that took place on that day, and the weeks and months following. Folks from coast to coast were involved in contributing their services, patriotism was strong and the outpouring of care and love towards one another and our country was flowing. That is what Serger wants us to remember.

The book is a tribute book to our firefighters. Each of the 62 firefighters tells a short story of their 9/11 experience. It is a book that can be picked up and read for five minutes at a time, as each story brings a sense of inspiration, awe, compassion, and gratefulness for the service of our selfless firefighters. It is a book to slowly absorb and remind us of the goodness of others. That is something we can all use in the sometimes divisive culture we find ourselves in. As evidenced on 911, there is much more that unites us, than what divides us. Serger seeks to highlight what unites us as a nation.

The common theme in the firefighters’ stories is their bond of brotherhood and sisterhood, which says, “We are family for life.” They are there for each other, whether it is lending equipment or sending firefighters all around the country, wherever there is a need. They are there to help. It’s an unbreakable bond, of huge hearts. They love what they do. They are the backbone of what makes this country strong; great folks who are willing to do whatever it takes to protect us. Serger wants to keep alive the memory of The 343.

The firefighters train together, go to classes together, work together, study together, cook together, eat meals together, work together to maintain every aspect of the firehouses, trucks, and equipment, attend conferences together, and attend each others’ family events and celebrations.

Serger tells the story of a firefighter and his banker wife on vacation. The firefighter suggests they visit a local firehouse, say hello, take a tour and then they can go visit one of his wife’s branch banks. She said while they would be welcome at the fire station, nobody at a bank would do the same, never mind giving them a tour of their vault!

On 9/11 the firefighters ran up while folks were running down; 343 firefighters died within a few hours trying to save strangers. They were not seen as strangers to the firefighters; they were fellow human beings in dire need and the firefighters were there to rescue them. Many firetrucks now have the number 343 somewhere on their firetrucks. Some have a bumper decal with the phrase, “Keep Back 343 Feet.” The safety distance behind a firetruck is considered to be between 200 and 500 feet, so some departments have used 343 Feet, as a way to honor the 9/11 fallen firefighters. Some have engines that are numbered 343, and some have ladder trucks with all 343 names etched into the truck.

Serger says he is acutely aware of the numbers 9:11 when he sees it on a clock, watch, or cell phone. His beautiful hardback book is not only filled with many photos of 9:11 clocks, but also many black and white photos commemorating firefighters. The book is artfully done and each picture elicits a thought, a feeling, a vision. The book is a coffee table book in the sense that it is not one story, but 62 personal, heartfelt accounts that best are read slowly and thoughtfully over time. Serger included only first names with the stories.

“No last names for they are all a team, just like Naval Academy football. No individual is greater than the other.”

Maybe a good way to pay tribute to our firefighters who sacrificed their lives trying to save others could be to remind ourselves when we see the time 9:11, that maybe we could do something for someone in need. Maybe a word of comfort, a smile, a service, a contribution, a compliment, a thank you, a hug, or a million other things we could do to help a neighbor, a friend, a family member, or a stranger. As Serger says 9:11 pops up 730 times a year. What better way to honor the 343 than by undertaking our own daily rescue mission by offering a giving spirit?

Stephen Gerard Siller was a Brooklyn firefighter who had just finished his shift and was on his way to meet two of his brothers for a round of golf. On the way, he heard over the radio that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. He turned his truck back to the firehouse, grabbed his gear, and drove to the Brooklyn battery tunnel. The tunnel had shut down to traffic for security reasons so Siller jumped out of his car, strapped on the 60 pounds of gear, and ran the two miles through the tunnel to the towers. He went up West Street and is believed to have gone up the south tower where he met with members of Squad 1. He never returned.

Stephen left behind five children, a loving wife, and a large devoted extended family. The family was devastated on learning he was among the missing from Squad 1. In the aftermath, Stephen’s brother Frank suggested a foundation in honor of the 3,000 people who perished on 9/11, the many more who died from World Trade Center-related illnesses, and in honor of those who died in the War on Terror.

Tunnel to Towers was created with the start of a 5K Run and Walk. It has become the signature event of T2T, and one of the top 5K events in the US, with more than 40,000 participants. The Never Forget Walk is a 500-mile walk that begins at the Pentagon and ends at Ground Zero. The foundation hosts international walk, run, and climb (stairs) events in more than 70 cities, and in New York, the event follows the same footsteps Stephen Siller took through the tunnel.

The events are part of their mission to “do good” and honor the heroes and families of 9/11.

T2T has raised more than $250 million for American heroes by providing homes to Gold Star families and to families of perished first responders. T2T also builds smart homes specially adapted for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. As of last year, 1,500 families have been helped and 250 specially adapted smart homes built. T2T is also committed to eradicating veteran homelessness and helping Americans never forget 9/11.

For the past five years, the General Motors Corporation has supported the T2T foundation as its foundation of choice. It has helped the foundation raise more than $10 million. The GMC Corvette 2019 ZR 1 was the highest auctioned vehicle, for a charity, selling for $925,000, at a Barrett Jackson Scottsdale auction. The money was donated to the T2T foundation by the buyer, Rick Hendrick, Nascar team owner.

GMC, Vice President of Marketing, Steve Hill, says he is proud that GMC has supported the military and veterans for more than 100 years. He is thrilled that the highest bid charity auction vehicle proceeds is the GMC iconic Corvette, with the proceeds going to T2T. GMC has a current, and retired workforce of 60,000 veterans, with a commitment to those who have served our country.

Steven Gerrard Siller was the youngest of seven children. At age eight, he lost his Dad and a year and a half later he lost his Mom. He was raised by his older siblings and for a while, he went through some struggles. But with the love and care of his siblings and the values instilled in him, he became a dedicated firefighter. His parents were lay Franciscans and he grew up under the guiding philosophy of Saint Francis of Assisi’s inspirational phrase “While we have time let us do good.” Those were the words Stephen lived by and his legacy and his death is a reminder to all of us to do good while we are on earth.

All of Serger’s royalties on his book, “9:11 A Time to Always Remember: Bond of Firefighters” are all being donated to the T2T foundation. T2T is a nonprofit public charity.

To learn more about the foundation visit T2T.ORG

Why do we need crisis or tragedy to bring a country together? Maybe because we are more in need of one another when we have a shared national vulnerability. Maybe that vulnerability inspires connection, kindness, helping, and supporting one another. On the other hand, if a nation has a positive national goal, does that not also help bind a nation together? John F. Kennedy had a goal to go to the moon and that goal brought our country together. It united us. We were proud of our country, our space program, our astronauts, and all the super achievements of the multiple teams of people involved in getting to the moon and back. Maybe we can remind ourselves from time to time to focus on our country’s positives.

Serger has reminded us that folks in general have a spirit of coming together in service. The 343 firefighters exemplified the meaning of the words, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Thank you Jim Serger for reminding us of the big hearts of our heroes and letting us remind ourselves to pay their spirit of giving goodness forward.