If you know me then you knew them

At the time of 9/11 I was a cop and had been one for many years. What follows is something I wrote very soon after 9/11 to help me cope with the horrors of that day:

If you know me then you knew them.

As I contemplate the horror of this attack on our great country I tend to
think, I can’t imagine. Yet as I contemplate further I realize that, in a
small way, I really can imagine.

I can’t imagine what it was like at the end for the poor souls on the
airliner. I can’t imagine what it was like for the innocent people in the
buildings that were attacked. But I can imagine what it was like for the
officers who died in their valiant efforts to save total strangers.

I can imagine this because I am a cop. Being a cop is a strange thing. We
are all, for the most part, the same exact thing. Just as a McDonalds
cheeseburger is the same either in your town of three thousand miles away-
the same can be said for cops. We all tend to be very much like each other.

As such I know what it was like for these men and women in law enforcement
as they faced their death. Their response was no different than mine would
have been, no different from those of the cops who work for me. No different
than that of cops if it had happened three thousand miles away.

These cops saw danger that others ran from. These cops ran towards it.
Others ran out to save themselves. These cops ran in to save others. These
cops, who through their careers have been vilified and mocked by the general
population tried, heroically, to save those who may well have been their
detractors.

These brave officers were under no obligation to enter these buildings.
The credo that “Cops fight crime and firefighters fight fires” didn’t occur
to them. They knew that people needed help and they didn’t hesitate. Just
like I wouldn’t hesitate and just like the cop three thousand miles away
wouldn’t hesitate.

These brave men and women of law enforcement had husbands, wives, children
and other family and friends that cared for them greatly. Just as I do.
These brave men and women, unhesitatingly, sacrificed all that in the
service of total strangers. Just as I would have and just as the cop three
thousand miles away would have.

My prayer is that their experience of death was quick and
incomprehensible.

To my friends and family I boldly suggest this- If you know me then you
knew them. They are no different than me, no different from the cop three
thousand miles away. We are no different. We are one.

Oh yeah… more Nikki and Mark Wedding pics!

More Nikki and Mark Wedding Pictures

Nikki & Mark’s Wedding May 24, 2009

Tonight

My deepest times of introspection usually present themselves in a dark living room with just the glow of the monitor before me. Tonight is no different. A sudden onset of summer has burst upon New Hampshire bringing with it warmth and through the open window the discordant cacophony of peepers from down in the swamp.

As I sit here I come to a full understanding of the fact that I indeed understand very little. As a control freak I find myself controlling nothing. So much of my life is completely beyond my own understanding or explanation. In my mind, tonight, all of the failures are magnified and focused yet mitigated by God’s great mercy.

Tonight I don’t pretend to know or understand anything.

Nikki’s Bridal Shower – More Pictures

Nikki’s Bridal Shower

Pondering the Next Chapter

May 24^th at 4PM the next chapter starts. On that day and at that time I will walk by beautiful daughter down the aisle. At the end of that very short walk her hand will move from mine and go over to Mark’s. At that moment a chapter that was written over a twenty-six year period will end and a new one will begin.

For twenty-six years I have been the man primarily responsible for the care and protection of Nicole but at that moment that duty passes to Mark. In a somewhat different manner I have also turned over the care of Christian to the United States Army and Janni to the Marine Corp. All three will be scattered about the country like seeds on the wind to be planted wherever they may land.

On May 25^th Deb and I will open our eyes to a new world. The chapter that has been closed was a successful one indeed. Our children have brought us great joy and we are immensely proud of each of them.  But they no longer need us every day of their lives. That is the new reality that we must face.

Despite the sadness this time finds me immensely hopeful as well. While great change surrounds us at this moment Deb and I love each other dearly. No matter what befalls us positively or negatively we will face it together. Lord willing we will grow old together. We will grow old watching, with great adoration, the fruit of what our love has borne. I love Deb dearly and her hand will never pass from mine until my final breath.

While tears of thanksgiving are upon our cheeks let us look with joyful anticipation to the road before us. A road that I will walk with Deb’s hand in mine.

Merrimack Boy Scout Troop 15 – In service to Merrimack Soldiers

As many of you know I have two boys currently serving in the military. My son Christian is an Army Medic stationed in Texas and my son Janni is in the Marines currently serving in Iraq.

Through the Merrimack Mail call group I was put in touch with John Bristol who is the leader of Boy Scout Troop 15 in Merrimack. Mr. Bristol told me that his Troop would like to show support to Janni as well as a former troop member named Mike Deberadinis who is serving in the United States Army.

I was invited to a troop meeting on the 18th of March at St. John Neumann’s Church. I have to say that as a result of that meeting I came away very, very impressed with the adult leaders of that troop but most especially of the boys themselves!

Mike’s Mom and I were allowed to talk, with pride, about all three of our sons who are serving our country. The Scouts who range in age from 11 to 18 were attentive, respectful and sincerely interested in what we had to say. After that each boy wrote a letter to Mike and Janni expressing their appreciation for their service to our country.

In addition the scouts had collected items in order to mail care packages to Janni and Mike. I know that Janni now has two boxes on the way to Iraq from these complete- yet completely caring- strangers.

In the face of our daily struggles it is easy to lose sight of the good that is right before our eyes, John Bristol, his fellow adult leaders and these boys are shining examples of what is right about or society today.

The DuPont family owes a debt of gratitude to Troop 15.

Our Military – The Smaller Sacrifices

Any clear thinking American can recognize that the members of our military sacrifice a great deal in our name. It’s easy to see that someone stationed in a foreign land in an inhospitable climate gives up a lot for us. These men and women may experience the horrors of combat and forever bear the psychological wounds related to what they have seen.

Even less fortunate are those who are wounded in action that may forever suffer physical disabilities as a result of those injuries.  Most tragic of all is the loss of life of even one of our service members. This of course is the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf that forever leaves in its path both pride and anguish.

For the sake of this discussion I’d like us to consider for a moment the smaller sacrifices that are made each and every day by those serving in our military. While these sacrifices will never be remembered in history books or be written of in the local newspaper they are still sacrifices none the less. Sacrifices made for the sake of you and made for the sake of me.

In order to illustrate by means of an example I ask that you imagine this….

Imagine that the day dawns for you and you are at Fort Bliss Texas 2,400 miles from home.  You are an Army Medic and quite literally at that young age soldiers entrust their lives to your care. You love your country and you love your service to this country. You are surrounded by “a band of brothers” who would sacrifice their lives for you as you would do for them in return.

But today is a little bit different…

Today is your birthday. Today you turn 22 years old. Today- for the first time in your life you will be experiencing that birthday without your family. For the first time you won’t find yourself standing in front of a cake full of candles and hearing the ever dreadful family rendition of Happy Birthday echoing throughout your home.

On this birthday your buddies will treat you well indeed but it is still different- It is still less. You are away 2,400 miles away from the woman you love, your friends and your family. Today, once again and by choice, you sacrifice of yourself in the service of others. Even though you may not think it, or choose to accept the title, you once again are an American hero!

Today my so Christian turns 22 years of age at Fort Bliss in Texas. Today for the first time I will not see him on his birthday but today- like every day I am immensely proud of him  and proud of the man he has become!

Happy Birthday Christian!

For those of you who may be so inclined if you wish to send a note of well wishes to Christian on this day or any other day for that matter his personal email address is:

dupes315@yahoo.com