I grew up in Monmouth County, New Jersey. So I have chosen to honor people from that county in today's memorial to the victims of 9/11.
Today, I honor Stewart D. Harris of Malboro, NJ. Stewart was a chief credit officer at Cantor Fitzgerald. He was 52 years old when he perished in the Twin Towers.
From DowntownExpress.com:
Mourning for a son
Wanting to get off their feet, Mildred and R.J. Harris of Monroe Township, N.J., had grabbed a seat amid the reporters on the general press riser at ground zero last Thursday.
Each wore a silver memorial bracelet for their son, engraved with “Stewart D. Harris, 9-11-01, Rest in Peace” and a small American flag. Stewart Harris was a vice president and chief credit analyst at Cantor Fitzgerald, on the trade center’s 101st floor. Like other family members interviewed, the Harrises don’t want the “footprints” of the two towers built on, feeling the area is sacred. Their son’s remains were never recovered and they want the W.T.C. debris in the Staten Island landfill returned to ground zero.
“This is his burial ground,” said Mildred. “I know some of the residents won’t be happy about it…. Do the victims’ remains belong in a garbage dump? That’s where they are.”
“There’s no closure,” R.J. said. “This is becoming a political football. And I wish they’d stop it.”
At 8:46 a.m., a silver bell was rung to mark the first plane’s crashing into the north tower, the tower their son had worked in. Mildred burst into sobs.
When, some time later, one of the children reading the 2,792 names of those who died in the towers and on the two New York planes, uttered her son’s name, Mildred again was wracked by emotion.
“Let’s go,” her husband said, and with Mildred clutching flowers they’d been handed, they descended down the long ramp to the pit.
Lincoln Anderson
Click here for more on 2,996 - A Tribute to the Victims of 9/11
Resources for parents:
 Like this post? Subscribe to A Mama's Rant. |
