- Joined
- Feb 3, 2001
- Messages
- 32,359
Not too many people have heard the story of James A. Romito, he was the Chief of Police for the Port Authority Police Department.
He was scheduled to be off on the morning of 9-11-01, and yet as the news reports started comming in about the planes slamming into the WTC, he left my friend Mary, his fiance at home, and told her he had to go to work they were going to need him.
He stayed in constant contact with Mary, and reassured her everything would be alright and he would be home late.
Throughout the course of the morning Jim directed the removal of, and helped remove many people himself, from the burning ,collapsing building.
Many times he could have stayed out of the building as it became apparent the building was becomeing increasingly unsafe, but that was not Jim's style. After 30 years on the job nothing was going to stop Jim from performing his job.
Mary called to check in with him as he had gone back once again and was helping a disabled person down from around the 80th floor.
That was the last time she spoke with him, there were reports that he was seen in the stair well with a diabled person headind down and out.
There were reports that he was seen on the mezzanine almost out when the building collapsed.
Mary held out hope and called his cell phone and, paged him several times everyday.
She eventually had a memorial service and buried his policeman's dress hat and gloves,,(this by far was the saddest thing I had experienced). The days dragged on into weeks, the weeks into months, and she still called and paged him holding onto a false hope he was still alive.
Finally as the end of the clean up began to near, the last of the bodies were found, and Jim's body was retieved with the body of a coworker within reach of what would have been the doors out, had the building not collapsed, protecting the disabled person they were rescuing.
I know this is probably not the best place to post this, but as 9-11 approaches again, and i see how Mary is trying to cope with the anniversary of the death of Jim I feel compeled to tell the story. Also I would like to present to her, and her son Bobby, a memento of some type, actually a knife.
I'm not rich and I don't have much, if any money, but I would be willing to buy/supply the materials needed if some one could make a memorial knife, and perhaps donate some of their time.
I live in North Eastern PA on the PA Jersey border, if anyone can help that would be great, if not, I at least feel better for telling Jims story.
Always Remember Never Forget, don't let September 11 fade into obscurity.
He was scheduled to be off on the morning of 9-11-01, and yet as the news reports started comming in about the planes slamming into the WTC, he left my friend Mary, his fiance at home, and told her he had to go to work they were going to need him.
He stayed in constant contact with Mary, and reassured her everything would be alright and he would be home late.
Throughout the course of the morning Jim directed the removal of, and helped remove many people himself, from the burning ,collapsing building.
Many times he could have stayed out of the building as it became apparent the building was becomeing increasingly unsafe, but that was not Jim's style. After 30 years on the job nothing was going to stop Jim from performing his job.
Mary called to check in with him as he had gone back once again and was helping a disabled person down from around the 80th floor.
That was the last time she spoke with him, there were reports that he was seen in the stair well with a diabled person headind down and out.
There were reports that he was seen on the mezzanine almost out when the building collapsed.
Mary held out hope and called his cell phone and, paged him several times everyday.
She eventually had a memorial service and buried his policeman's dress hat and gloves,,(this by far was the saddest thing I had experienced). The days dragged on into weeks, the weeks into months, and she still called and paged him holding onto a false hope he was still alive.
Finally as the end of the clean up began to near, the last of the bodies were found, and Jim's body was retieved with the body of a coworker within reach of what would have been the doors out, had the building not collapsed, protecting the disabled person they were rescuing.
I know this is probably not the best place to post this, but as 9-11 approaches again, and i see how Mary is trying to cope with the anniversary of the death of Jim I feel compeled to tell the story. Also I would like to present to her, and her son Bobby, a memento of some type, actually a knife.
I'm not rich and I don't have much, if any money, but I would be willing to buy/supply the materials needed if some one could make a memorial knife, and perhaps donate some of their time.
I live in North Eastern PA on the PA Jersey border, if anyone can help that would be great, if not, I at least feel better for telling Jims story.
Always Remember Never Forget, don't let September 11 fade into obscurity.
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