APA Appreciation BBQ for Firefighters, Police Officers, Paramedics, and Emergency Medical Technicians on September 9

GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME. AS PRESIDENT OF THE ALLIED PILOTS ASSOCIATION, IT IS MY HONOR TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE APA AND ALL 13,500 AMERICAN AIRLINES PILOTS. WE WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND OUR DEEPEST GRATITUDE TO NEW YORK CITY’S FIREFIGHTERS, POLICE OFFICERS, PARAMEDICS AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS.

I TRUST MY BRIEF REMARKS WILL NOT DETRACT FROM OUR PRIMARY PURPOSE HERE THIS EVENING, WHICH IS TO THANK YOU AND SHOW EACH OF YOU A GOOD TIME.

WE THANK YOU FOR DOING EVERYTHING YOU COULD TO SAVE LIVES IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS.

WE THANK YOU FOR A DEMONSTRATION OF BRAVERY AND SELF SACRIFICE THAT WAS AND IS TRULY BEYOND COMPREHENSION.

AND WE THANK YOU FOR PROVING THE BASIC GOODNESS OF MANKIND IN THE FACE OF SUCH EVIL.

TWO OF OUR FELLOW PILOTS—CAPTAIN JOHN OGONOWSKI AND FIRST OFFICER TOM MCGUINNESS—DIED IN THE LINE OF DUTY THAT DAY IN NEW YORK WHEN THEIR HIJACKED JET HIT THE NORTH TOWER OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. NINE AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT ATTENDANTS ALSO LOST THEIR LIVES, ALONG WITH THE 81 PASSENGERS ABOARD FLIGHT 11. WE GRIEVE FOR THESE SENSELESS DEATHS, AND FOR THE MANY, MANY OTHERS WHOSE LIVES WERE LOST AND SHATTERED THAT DAY.

THE DEVASTATION YOU EXPERIENCED IN YOUR OWN RANKS HAS MADE AN INDELIBLE IMPRESSION ON THE ENTIRE CIVILIZED WORLD. WE CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE EXTENT OF YOUR GRIEF OVER THE LOSS OF SO MANY FRIENDS AND CO-WORKERS. AS A UNION REPRESENTATIVE, I UNDERSTAND SOMETHING ABOUT BROTHERHOOD. IF IT IS ANY CONSOLATION, PLEASE KNOW THAT WE CONSIDER EACH OF YOU—AS WELL AS YOUR FALLEN COMRADES—TO BE BROTHERS IN ARMS.

THE WORD “HERO” IS OFTEN MISUSED IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY. IF THERE IS ANYTHING POSITIVE THAT CAME OUT OF THE HORRIFIC EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11, IT IS THE RENEWED APPRECIATION WE ALL HAVE FOR WHAT YOU DO ON A DAILY BASIS, AND FOR WHAT CONSTITUTES GENUINE HEROISM. RUNNING INTO A BLAZING SKYSCRAPER THAT EVERYONE ELSE IS DESPERATE TO ESCAPE IS HEROIC. RETURNING TIME AND AGAIN TO THAT SAME BURNING BUILDING IS HEROIC. IGNORING YOUR OWN WELL BEING WHILE RENDERING AID TO SOMEONE WHO IS GREVIOUSLY INJURED IS HEROIC.

IT’S DIFFICULT FOR US TO ACCEPT THAT JETLINERS FOR TWO OF THE MOST STORIED AIRLINES IN AVIATION HISTORY WERE COMMANDEERED AND USED AS WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. AS PILOTS, WE HAVE A PROPRIETARY ATTITUDE WHEN IT COMES TO OUR AIRCRAFT. WE WOULD GREATLY PREFER THAT THE WORLD SEE THEM FOR WHAT THEY ARE—THE MAGNIFICENT PRODUCT OF MAN’S REMARKABLE INGENUITY AND QUEST FOR ADVENTURE—RATHER THAN WHAT THEY WERE FOR A BRIEF, DARK MOMENT IN HISTORY.

WITH THAT IN MIND, I HOPE THAT THE FOLLOWING WILL ACCEPT THE SCALE MODEL BOEING 767 AIRCRAFT WE ARE PRESENTING THIS EVENING AS TOKENS OF OUR PROFOUND GRATITUDE:

JOHN FLYNN, TRUSTEE, MANHATTAN SOUTH, PATROLMEN’S BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION;

CAROLINE HENNESSY, DIRECTOR OF CHARITABLE DEVELOPMENT, THE PORT AUTHORITY POLICE BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION;

CAPTAIN JOHN DUNNE, FINANCIAL SECRETARY OF THE UNIFORMED FIRE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION, LOCAL 854, IAFF;

CAPTAIN STEPHEN CASSIDY, PRESIDENT OF THE UNIFORMED FIREFIGHTER’S ASSOCIATION, LOCAL 94, IAFF; AND FRANCES CURTIS, PROGRAM DIRECTOR, AFSCME D.C. 37.

I HOPE EACH WILL DISPLAY THESE MODELS PROUDLY AS THE SYMBOLS OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY THEY ARE. OUR JETLINERS AND THOSE OF OUR COMPETITORS HELP BRING THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD CLOSER TOGETHER. NOW MORE THAN EVER, THAT IS A USEFUL SERVICE.

I’D LIKE TO CLOSE WITH AN OBSERVATION ABOUT OUR RESPECTIVE PROFESSIONS. IF THERE IS A COMMON THREAD ILLUSTRATED BY THE TRAGIC EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11, IT IS THIS: WE WILL NOT BE DETERRED IN THE DISCHARGE OF OUR DUTIES.

THANK YOU AGAIN, GOD BLESS AND ENJOY.