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Rebuilding NYC - Testimonies From The Memorial Hearing
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Citizens Union

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Rebuilding NYC






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If It Wasn't for Them, You Would Need Twice As Much Space for a Memorial


Chris Ganci

My father was Pete Ganci, he was a fireman, and if you asked him what he did, he would say he was a fireman, like all these guys. Not to mention, he was the chief of the department, but he would say he was a fireman, because that is what these guys do, it's their lives.

I'd like to address the jury. I read through your biographies, and as impressive as they are, I didn't see any relationship to fire departments or police departments. It's not a slight, I just want to address what it is like to live in that culture, because that is what it is, it's a culture.

Iım 26 years old. For the majority of my life, I wondered whether or not my father would come home from work every single night. And at the least possible moment, he didn't come home from work. And, for those reasons, it is hard for some people to maybe realize that these men don't do it for money, they don't do it for fame, what they do it for is for each other, and for strangers, for the chance that if their family was in trouble, someone would come to their rescue.

And that's what happened on September 11, 25,000 people were saved because of the efforts of men like this. And it should be noted for historical record, by their names, or at least the Maltese cross, something that says, these men, these men willingly gave their lives to help other people. Because they didn't do it for money, they don't get paid a lot. They do it for each other, they do it for everybody in this room. And if it wasn't for them, you would need twice as much space for a memorial because there would be twice as many victims.

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