Devildogg4ever
09-09-03, 02:31 AM
Tuesday, September 09, 2003
BY LUKAS I. ALPERT
Associated Press
NEW YORK -- A vial of Michael Ragusa's blood was placed in a coffin and taken to his funeral on a firetruck yesterday as the fallen hero became the last World Trade Center firefighter to be memorialized.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta, former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and thousands of firefighters in dress uniform saluted the firetruck as it made its way to the Church of St. Bernard, in the Bergen Beach neighborhood of Brooklyn where Ragusa was born and raised.
The truck was followed by a limousine with members of Ragusa's family: father Vincent, mother Dee, two brothers, one sister and fiancée Jennifer Trapani.
The 29-year-old's remains have never been identified, so his family decided to bury a vial of blood that Ragusa had donated to a bone marrow center.
Inside the packed 500-seat sanctuary, Bloomberg referred to Ragusa's funeral as being the last memorial for any of the 343 firefighters who perished in the terrorist attack.
"One is too many -- 343 is almost too much to bear," he said.
Giuliani, who received loud applause as he got up to speak, reflected on the number of funerals he attended for firefighters when he was mayor.
"I remember them in the rain, in the snow, sometimes 12 funerals a day, but (the fire department) gave each member a service and the honor they deserved," he said.
Scoppetta spoke directly to the Ragusa family, saying: "It's not in the natural order of things for a child to predecease his parents, and so we know that our grief doesn't measure against yours."
On Sunday, hundreds of family members, friends and colleagues gathered at a funeral home to pay their respects at Ragusa's wake.
Many families of the firefighters killed Sept. 11, 2001, held services even when remains of their loved ones were not found, but Ragusa's family delayed an official ceremony until now.
"It was a very personal decision for the family," said Gerry Sweeney of Ladder Company 131, who was the fire department's liaison with the family. "They really didn't want to go through a memorial service and then hear that a piece of Michael had been recovered and have to go through it again, but I guess they'd figured enough time had passed."
Of the 2,792 people who died in the attack, the medical examiner has identified remains of just over half.
Ragusa was a firefighter with Engine Company 279 in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn.
He was described by many as a fun-loving guy who loved work and had a penchant for cars and softball. Photos around the viewing room at a funeral home in the Flatlands section of Brooklyn showed Ragusa in many lights -- smiling as a child, hugging his girlfriend, driving his car and fighting a fire.
Dozens of firefighters in formal dress and others in work attire who had taken a break from their shifts passed through to offer the family their condolences and pay their respects.
Sweeney said the service provided some sense of relief to many firefighters who had attended scores of funerals and memorials for their friends and co-workers.
"For a lot of us who have dealt with all these wakes and the funerals, this closes some sort of a chapter, for the whole department," he said.
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-10/106308682112750.xml
BY LUKAS I. ALPERT
Associated Press
NEW YORK -- A vial of Michael Ragusa's blood was placed in a coffin and taken to his funeral on a firetruck yesterday as the fallen hero became the last World Trade Center firefighter to be memorialized.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta, former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and thousands of firefighters in dress uniform saluted the firetruck as it made its way to the Church of St. Bernard, in the Bergen Beach neighborhood of Brooklyn where Ragusa was born and raised.
The truck was followed by a limousine with members of Ragusa's family: father Vincent, mother Dee, two brothers, one sister and fiancée Jennifer Trapani.
The 29-year-old's remains have never been identified, so his family decided to bury a vial of blood that Ragusa had donated to a bone marrow center.
Inside the packed 500-seat sanctuary, Bloomberg referred to Ragusa's funeral as being the last memorial for any of the 343 firefighters who perished in the terrorist attack.
"One is too many -- 343 is almost too much to bear," he said.
Giuliani, who received loud applause as he got up to speak, reflected on the number of funerals he attended for firefighters when he was mayor.
"I remember them in the rain, in the snow, sometimes 12 funerals a day, but (the fire department) gave each member a service and the honor they deserved," he said.
Scoppetta spoke directly to the Ragusa family, saying: "It's not in the natural order of things for a child to predecease his parents, and so we know that our grief doesn't measure against yours."
On Sunday, hundreds of family members, friends and colleagues gathered at a funeral home to pay their respects at Ragusa's wake.
Many families of the firefighters killed Sept. 11, 2001, held services even when remains of their loved ones were not found, but Ragusa's family delayed an official ceremony until now.
"It was a very personal decision for the family," said Gerry Sweeney of Ladder Company 131, who was the fire department's liaison with the family. "They really didn't want to go through a memorial service and then hear that a piece of Michael had been recovered and have to go through it again, but I guess they'd figured enough time had passed."
Of the 2,792 people who died in the attack, the medical examiner has identified remains of just over half.
Ragusa was a firefighter with Engine Company 279 in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn.
He was described by many as a fun-loving guy who loved work and had a penchant for cars and softball. Photos around the viewing room at a funeral home in the Flatlands section of Brooklyn showed Ragusa in many lights -- smiling as a child, hugging his girlfriend, driving his car and fighting a fire.
Dozens of firefighters in formal dress and others in work attire who had taken a break from their shifts passed through to offer the family their condolences and pay their respects.
Sweeney said the service provided some sense of relief to many firefighters who had attended scores of funerals and memorials for their friends and co-workers.
"For a lot of us who have dealt with all these wakes and the funerals, this closes some sort of a chapter, for the whole department," he said.
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-10/106308682112750.xml