Many medals can be awarded posthumously, but the 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor sadly did not have any living recipients. Created to honor the 442 first responders who were killed in the line of duty during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Instead, the medals, which intentionally resemble the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor and the military’s Medal of Honor, were presented by President George W. Bush to the families of the fallen officers at the White House on September 9, 2005.
The 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor and Its Ceremony
During the ceremony nearly 4 years after the devastating terrorist attacks, President Bush would honor the lives of the public safety officers who died in the line of duty as well as comfort the families who were left behind and accepted the medals in remembrance of their deceased relatives. Around 1,200 family members and friends showed up at the ceremony to honor their friends and relatives who died on September 11.
Although not every name could be listed in President Bush’s brief speech, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales read all 442 names out loud so that all who gathered could honor every individual who gave his or her life on one of the most tragic days in American history.
The 442 public service officers included 343 New York City Fire Department members, 50 Port Authority police officers and assistants, 23 NYPD officers, 3 state court officers, and members of the Secret Service, FBI, and private ambulance workers.
At the conclusion of the last name, Gonzales began clapping, as a civilian salute to the sacrifice of the public safety officers and their families. After a loud ovation, a Marine Corps band called the “President’s Own” presented an emotional rendition of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” before President Bush began to speak.
President Bush sadly could not take the time to tell the stories of every single one of those 442 men, but he did mention several.
Firefighter Donny Regan of Rescue Company 3 in Bronx had served for 17 years with the New York City Fire Department and was cited six times for bravery. Even though his son Peter lost his father on September 11, he still carried on his father’s legacy, serving in the Fire Department and later as a Marine reservist in Iraq.
Firefighter Ronnie Gies of Squad 288 in Queens had been with the New York Fire Department since 1988, and he rushed into the Twin Towers to save lives, as a video caught on that day illustrated. According to his wife, “You see him straight on, carrying equipment, with such a look of determination.”
Senior Court Officer Thomas Jurgens was one of roughly 25 New York State Court officers who responded after the plane hit the first tower. Even though he had been told to leave because the danger was too grave, Jurgens would not leave his post. He sent his last radio transmission from inside the burning tower with a simple, yet profound sentence: “There are people here who need our help.”
New York City Police Officer Moira Smith was known for not being afraid of danger. She even ran with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. In 1991, she ran into a subway tunnel to save dozens of people who were trapped in what ended up being one of the worst subway accidents in New York history. That same fighting spirit shone on September 11, 2001 when she rushed into the burning towers of the World Trade Center. According to one person she helped to safety, he remembered Smith’s steady blue eyes and even voice despite the chaos and destruction around her. She was captured in the September 12 papers, an image of Smith assisting an injured man from the tower just before she rushed back in to save others. Unfortunately, she was not able to save anyone else, as the tower collapsed around her. Even though as one of Smith’s colleagues noted that she could have not rushed in and saved herself, “nothing would have stopped her saving one more person.”
And these individuals that President Bush listed were only 4 of the incredible 442 men and women who put their lives on the line while on duty. Incredibly grateful for their sacrifice, President Bush ended his speech in a more hopeful tone:
And the legacy of peace and freedom we leave behind will be the greatest memorial to your fallen family members and friends.
The heroes of September the 11th will not be here to see that day. But their moms and dads and children and grandchildren can know a proud America will always stand in the long shadow of their service and sacrifice, and a proud nation will always remember them.
After President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush departed, families were lined up alphabetically in order to receive the medals from military officers spread out on the South Lawn of the White House.
Statement from FBI Director Robert Mueller
Later that day, FBI Director Robert Mueller would issued a statement noting the sacrifice of all of those who demonstrated “incomparable courage,” mentioning specifically Special Agent Leonard “Lenny” W. Hatton who had assisted with the evacuation of the World Trade Center. As Mueller noted, Hatton was last seen helping a victim escape one of the buildings before rushing back in to save more people.
The end of Mueller’s statement was a fitting honor not only to Hatton but also to the 441 other public safety officers who died on September 11, 2001 either at the World Trade Center or at the Pentagon.
This is a fitting tribute to those whose ultimate sacrifice saved so many. The impact of their courage is not limited to September 11. In truth, it will be felt for years to come—both in the lives of those they rescued from dire situations, and in the hearts of those who witnessed their bravery.
Lenny Hatton’s actions on September 11, 2001, exemplify the best of our nation. As his family receives his 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor today, let us again pay tribute to his courage and honor his remarkable example of service and sacrifice.
Concluding Thoughts
As Sam Cannizzaro, who lost his son Brian, a firefighter, on September 11, stated, “Four years doesn’t make it easier—the pain doesn’t go away.” Even though it’s now been almost 18 years since 9/11, the pain is still there for those families and friends who lost loved ones.
And as September 11 becomes increasingly more an event of the past and of history, we as Americans have a greater honor and responsibility to remember those who gave their lives on that day.
Sources
- https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/news/pressrel/press-releases/heroes-medal-of-valor-to-the-families-of-special-agent-leonard-w.-hatton
- https://www.firehouse.com/home/news/10501570/911-heroes-awarded-precious-medal
- https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2005/09/20050909-1.html
- https://nypost.com/2005/09/10/a-salute-to-911-heroes-prez-gives-medals-of-valor-to-kin/
Guest Contributor: Rachel Basinger is a former history teacher turned freelance writer and editor. She loves studying military history, especially the World Wars, and of course military medals. She has authored three history books for young adults and transcribed interviews of World War II veterans. In her free time, Rachel is a voracious reader and is a runner who completed her first half marathon in May 2019.
