Each and every morning when I arrive at the OEM Command Center, I have to drive past a wall containing thousands of pictures and flyers depicting those people that are missing since the Trade Center’s destruction and now – presumed dead. Each and every time I pass that wall – which is the length of a City block – I am astounded at the amount of people pictured on that wall that lost their lives in a moment of hate.

From the people we lost in the Towers, to those we lost in the planes – to our brothers and sisters that lost their lives in the Pentagon – over six thousand people were killed in less then one hour. Over six thousand voices silenced. Over six thousand lives ended – and over six thousand families ruined.

That is who the real victims of this atrocity are – the families. While the innocent victims of September 11th may have lost their lives – the true victims of that day of infamy are the loved ones of the over six thousand people that now have to go on without the ones they loved. There are people living today that lost fathers, mothers, children, husbands, wives, grandchildren – or best friends. And those people will never have the opportunity to find a logical reason for their loss, punish those responsible – or say goodbye to their lost loved ones. And to me – that was the goal of these monsters – to ruin people’s lives and forever scar the face of this country and it’s people – and I fear to say that they might have accomplished that goal.

I know that I am devastated at the fact that Doug is gone – and after speaking to Doug’s mother the other day – I know that she will never get over having to bury her baby boy. And poor Amy – becoming a twenty-eight year old widow just thirteen days before her one-year wedding anniversary. And Doug is only one of the over six thousand people that are gone – so you can imagine how many other people besides Doug’s mother, Amy and myself that have been affected by this horror.

It seems that no matter where you turn in this City, you see a poster, a home – or a person displaying evidence of their own personal loss. And for those that were lucky enough to have not had a direct loss from the 11th – they still feel the pain that we all do – because our national family lost over six thousand brothers and sisters.

May they all rest in peace.