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September 11, 2007

The American Consciousness

I didn't know what to expect today, as an American, an Ex-Patriate, a citizen of the world; however, it never ceases to amazes me how in the culture of bigger, better, faster, more September 11th is slowly receding from the American Consciousness only six years young. I did my morning check of the news sites and as I made my way over to the American sites (CNN, MSNBC) I expected to see red, white and blue plastered everywhere, or at least pictures of the iconic towers or the Pentagon, but there was nothing. The top stories on the sites were regulated to the Iraq War and 9-11 got a brief mention in the sidebar. Is this really what it has come to? This soon? Over 3000 people lost their lives on that day and all we can muster is a sidebar, and reading some names at a construction site? How very, very sad.

No postings today, just a re-post of one I did last year. May they all rest in peace...

Lt. Kevin Christopher Dowdell

I never knew Kevin, but Mason had met him a few times at family functions. The only things I have ever heard about him have been extremely positive and heroic – he was a good man, husband and father.

I need to thank Charleen & Tim Dowdell, Mason’s sister and brother-in-law, Kevin’s brother and sister-in-law for helping me with Kevin’s memorial here at Life Without Borders. In addition, to their stories they lent me a book that Kevin’s family put together after 9-11 and was published by The American Tribute Center. It details his life and times and has excerpts written by his family & friends. Most of what I will be posting is from this book: “Respect Gets You Respect.”

Kevin was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY the fourth of seven children, he would always point out to his siblings that he was the “middle child.” As a child Kevin was always inquisitive, independent and wanted to explore the world around him. There are many stories of Kevin’s childhood where he struck out on his own to make his mark – from building his own secret fort in the backyard, to his summer adventures at the Longshore Beach Club in Breezy Point, Long Island.

Kevin went to St. Thomas Aquinas Elementary School, and eventually St. Albert’s Seminary in upstate New York for the priesthood, but after a year he returned to Nazereth High School in Brooklyn when he realized that was not the path he wanted to take in life. Eventually the family grew up and apart – his parents moved to Colorado with Kevin and some of his other siblings, but soon after getting there Kevin realized he wasn’t at home here. So for his 18th Birthday he got a one-way ticket back home to New York and his older sister Gloria.

Kevin got a job as a sandhog and found an apartment with his brother Brian (who sadly died a year later.) He eventually met and fell in love with his wife, RoseEllen, at St. Joseph’s College in Brooklyn. I had the pleasure of meeting RoseEllen at our nieces wedding last month and she really is a beautiful and delightful woman. They got engaged on October 2, 1979, an excerpt from the book:

“I had said, ‘Let’s get engaged for Christmas or Valentine’s Day,” says RoseEllen, “but he said, ‘I don’t want to do that. I want it to be a regular day, like a Tuesday. It shouldn’t be a holiday.’ And sure enough, it was a Tuesday.”

Kevin and RoseEllen had two boys – Patrick & James. Having never met them I only hear of the stories from my nieces and nephew about their cousins – it sounds like they are strong and independent young men, like their father. Patrick currently works for the New York Fire Department (NYFD) and James plans to join after college. Patrick recounts his father’s favorite quote in the book: “Respect gets you respect”

“My father always said, ‘Just do the right thing. Do what you know is right and everything will always work out,” he says. Patrick says he now values that. He also learned a work ethic from his father. “He worked like a madman all the time,“ says Patrick. “So I guess I learned that not everything comes easy, and you have to work hard no matter what you do. He didn’t mind working every day.”

Kevin joined the New York Police Department (NYPD) in 1980, and in 1981 was appointed to the FDNY. His brother-in-law Terry (Gloria’s husband) was a firefighter and Kevin had always looked up to him. He was first assigned to Engine 290 in Brooklyn where he stayed until 1984 and then transferred to Squad 1. In 1988 he joined rescue 2, was promoted to Lieutenant in 1995 covering different firehouses in lower Manhattan. In 1997 he was transferred to Special Operations Command (SOC) and in September 2000 he finally received his dream assignment of being in Rescue 4 – in Queens, near the Midtown Tunnel.

Kevin loved going to work and had numerous stories to share – good and bad. While in Rescue 2, Kevin was with FEMA and was called to assist with the recovery after the Oklahoma City Bombing. Kevin received medals for his heroic efforts in New York City.

On September 11, 2001 it began as an ordinary day – Kevin was working a 24-hour shift, Monday night to Tuesday night. RoseEllen was teaching third grade at PS312 in Brooklyn and was told by a paraprofessional that a plane had hit the World Trade Center (WTC). She couldn’t get away from the classroom until well-after the planes had hit the Pentagon, the second tower and the crash in Pennsylvania. She didn’t honestly think Kevin would be in danger since the towers were in Manhattan and his station was in Queens.

Patrick was away at college, and James was in school, only blocks away from the WTC – his school was on lock down and only a parent could sign him out. Being isolated with the bridges to Manhattan closed RoseEllen tried to see if Kevin could go and called the firehouse. She asked the person who answered the phone if Kevin was there and he said “No.” She then asked him if he was at the WTC and he said “Yes.” She told him that if he heard from Kevin, to have him call her. By now the towers had both collapsed – from the book:

“I wasn’t hearing from Kevin, and he called me all the time,” she says. “He called me every time he was at anything big. He would tell me, ‘Before you see it on the news, I’m okay.”

This time it wasn’t okay.

At 12:30am SOC called to let the family know that Kevin was missing. By the next morning it was evident that Kevin was not coming home. Days and weeks flew by. Eventually recovery turned to mourning and planning a memorial service. Most of the other members of Kevin’s company were found in late October and early November. Kevin and the probie who was with him were never found. A memorial service was finally held for Kevin on April 19, 2002 – a chance to remember and celebrate the life of a man who helped so many and loved to do his job and do it well.

To date Lt. Kevin Christopher Dowdell has never been found, but his spirit lives on in the hearts and minds of his friends, family, wife and children. He was the epitome of heroism on that fateful day. Please take a moment to pay respect to him and honor him, as hopefully I have done in this blog

Blessed Be, Kevin.

Posted by Nikolas on September 11, 2007 08:21 AM