Michael Cawley FDNY RIP 9/11/01

[jonthepain]

Michael Cawley, FDNY, died at the World Trade Center on this date in 2001.

http://www.ffmichaeljcawley.org/bio.html

Please pray for his friends and family.
Thank you,
Jonathan Cawley
(jonthepain)

[Pebbles]

Jon, We are sorry for your loss. It is those who left this earth and entered into heaven who are the true hero's. I will pray for you, his family and friends.

[Monty]

Jon,
Prayers sent.
May peace be with you, family an friends.

[finchaser]

Prayers sent

[DarkSkies]

I thought this was too important not to try to C&P some of it for here. There are other links on that site, and I encourage our members to go there and check it out.

http://www.ffmichaeljcawley.org/bio.html

It is a well-written, heart breaking story of a guy who went above and beyond, in whatever he did.





The bio:


Biography of Firefighter Michael J. Cawley

Michael Joseph Cawley was born on April 6th, 1969 in Jackson Heights, Queens, to parents John and Margaret Cawley. When he was three years old, Michael’s family moved to Flushing, Queens and that is where he lived for 23 years with his parents, younger sister Kristin and younger brother Brendan.
From the fall of 1975 until the spring of 1983, Michael attended elementary school one block from his Flushing home at St. Mary’s Nativity School. During Michael’s youth he served as an altar boy at St. Mary’s and was involved in a number of community sports programs including soccer, baseball and basketball.
In the fall of 1983, influenced by his cousins Brian Mulqueen (Class of ‘81) and Thomas Cawley (Class of ’86), Michael followed a family tradition of studying at Archbishop Molloy High School in Briarwood, Queens.
From day one, Michael worked to capitalize on all the opportunities that Molloy had to offer. Michael was a member of the Student Activity Committee, the Religious Activities Office and the Irish Club during all of his four years at Molloy. He was a member of the track team during his freshman and sophomore years, winning numerous medals and helping his team win the city championships both of those years. He also participated in the intramural sports program that Molloy offered. While working with Brother Leo, Michael was a peer counselor to younger students in the SMILE Program.
During Michael’s four years at Molloy he was very active in the many retreat programs offered through the school at the Esopus retreat grounds in upstate New York. Michael was a counselor on weekend retreats for younger students and during the summer he worked with specially disabled children and adults. Admirably, Michael was invited to make his Senior Encounter during his junior year. During his senior year, he became a program leader. In the spring of 1987, Michael graduated from Archbishop Molloy and was awarded the Marcellin Champagnat Award for his service.
During Michael’s four years at Molloy he was able to learn and mature more than he could ever have expected. However, the most significant thing he was able to take with him from his experience at Molloy was the greatest collection of friendships he could have ever wished for.
Michael studied and earned a degree in Political Science at the State University of New York at Oswego from 1987 to 1991. While attending college in Oswego, Michael continued his path of active involvement by joining numerous student and community organizations.
Michael’s desire to become a part of the F.D.N.Y. began when he was just a young boy. Michael’s farther was an officer in the Knights of Columbus Hudson Council in Woodside, Queens, located just blocks from the firehouses of Ladder Company 163, Engine Company 292 and Rescue Company 4. Michael’s father would often bring him to visit these firehouses. The firefighters always enjoyed these visits from Michael and Michael always enjoyed leaning about firefighting and playing on the trucks. The memory of those firehouse visits stayed with him throughout his formative years and on July 1st 1995, Michael brought his lifelong dream to reality when he entered into New York City Fire Department Fire Academy.
In October of 1995, building on the values he had learned in his family home and at Archbishop Molloy High School, Michael Cawley joined the ranks of New York’s Bravest when he became a New York City Firefighter.
After his graduation from the fire academy, Michael was assigned to Ladder Company 136 in Elmhurst, Queens. From day one Michael made it his objective to get to know and learn from as many of his fellow firefighters and officers as possible, much the way he had gone about befriending any and everyone he could during his time at Archbishop Molloy and at SUNY Oswego. During his second and third years with the department, Michael rotated to Engine Company 35 in Harlem and Engine Company 286 in Glendale before returning to Ladder 136.
One of Michael’s proudest days as a firefighter was on April 4th, 2001. He and his company responded to an accident where a man working for the electric company was electrocuted by the power lines he was repairing. Using his quick instincts and life-saving training, Michael put his life on the line to save another. He was hoisted up to where the man dangled unconscious from the power lines. Once in place, he was able to cut the man free and carry him down to safety. The man lived due to Michael’s heroics.
After Michael’s passing, his family was presented with the medal he had been nominated for as a commendation for his valor in saving the electrocuted worker’s life that previous April.
On September 11th, 2001, Michael’s life, like that of so many of his brother firefighters, was tragically cut short when he responded with Rescue Company 4 to the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center. The previous night, Michael had been covering a shift for a fellow firefighter at Engine Company 292. He had been relieved of duty early on the morning of the 11th. When the report of the disaster at the World Trade Center came in, Michael jumped aboard the truck and rode into Manhattan with Rescue 4, determined to help save lives. Ironically, Michael spent his last day as a firefighter working with the same fire trucks he used to play on as a boy.
Michael Joseph Cawley lived and died with a passion to help people. He lived each day learning and growing and would bring his growth and new knowledge with him into each succeeding day. A friend once summed up Michael by saying, "to him, it wasn’t the years in his life but the life in his years".

[DarkSkies]

[Michael Joseph Cawley lived and died with a passion to help people. He lived each day learning and growing and would bring his growth and new knowledge with him into each succeeding day. A friend once summed up Michael by saying, "to him, it wasn’t the years in his life but the life in his years". ]


That's a great tribute to someone who is no longer here, and gave his life to save others.

I'm sorry I missed this Jon, he was your nephew? Thoughts and prayers to yours and his family.

[DarkSkies]

I didn't see a thread on this for this year, so I hope it's ok to put up my memories here, Jon.

First of all, thoughts and prayers to all the families who lost a loved one on that tragic day. It was one of the most vivid of my adult life.

I remember exactly where I was. We were in Kearny, on the way from one job to another. I called a customer and told him we were coming. He asked me if I heard the Twin Towers were burning. This guy is a practical joker, so my first impulse was to laugh, and say hey, you're kidding me, right?

He said, no turn on a TV or radio, and you can see for yourself.

I didn't have to turn on the radio. We were in Kearny, at the highest point in the town. Perfect view of NYC and the towers, about 2 miles away as the crow flies.

We looked at the towers, and I felt a lump in my stomach. We were too far away to see details, but we saw what looked like debris falling from the towers as they burned. We imagined that was people jumping to their death. We did have the radio on in the truck then, and that's what I heard, that people were jumping rather than being burned to death. One of the most sobering days in my adult life.

It's one of the few days where I can remember having tears in my eyes in the street. My workers and I got out and stood on the hill as we watched the burning, and the smoke. These ladies had worked for me for many years. We were crying and hugged each other.

It didn't seem weird, other people were walking around in the streets, looking like zombies. Everyone was in shock, and many were openly crying, saying Oh my God, Oh my God, it really is true!

I had them call their families immediately to make sure everyone was safe. I also called mine as well. We had no one working in that area, so there was some relief.

But there was such an intense sadness that permeated the streets. I'll never forget it. People just stopped their cars, pulled over to the side of the road, and watched as the towers slowly burned, and debris crashed. It was sad, ugly, painful, and terrifying at the same time.

I also felt a sense of anger at whoever did this. How could they do this to us??? We had always felt safe in the US, we were the safest country in the world, weren't we???

In the weeks that followed, I sensed some happenings in our society that I had never before experienced.

There was a noticable difference in how people treated each other. The color of one's skin, and the country of origin, mattered less to people in the streets. People seemed like they were nicer and more courteous to each other. You didn't know if the person you accidentally bumped into while walking on the street was someone who lost a family member over there.

There was so much pain around us, all you had to do was look around to see someone whose life was touched by this tragedy.

We started going to some of the vigils to try to do what we could. At one vigil at Liberty State Park, we met the family of Tonyell Mcday, who had worked for Marsh Technologies in the WTC. Her family was still hoping to find her alive, and handing out flyers, as so many other families were doing. I took that flyer home, still have it hanging on my front porch as a show of solidarity and sympathy.

The events really got to me. I had some medical offices as clients, and got them to donate some stuff that I brought to the Red Cross. It was very generous of them.

When I got to the Red Cross HQ, I was amazed by the volunteer effort I saw. People were driving there all from over the country with truckloads of supplies, medical, food, water, batteries, personal care items, toiletries...anything you could think of they were bringing by the car and truckload.

It impressed me so much I cancelled work for a few days and went to help the Red Cross. I say this not so much to talk about what I did. I honestly don't feel I contributed much at all, just taking a small role that I felt compelled to do.

But there were others by the thousands, who came to NYC from all over the world. Men and women who owned cadaver dogs, and brought them great distances so they could search for "survivors" many of which were already dead.

Yes there was still hope. I think a few were found. As each day went by, the chances of finding someone alive grew slimmer. Still, volunteers persisted, and wouldn't give up. They unknowingly put themselves at risk, not being fully aware of the asbestos and toxic gas risk that caused some first responders health problems years later.

The point.... is that this volunteer spirit galvanized many in our nation for the first time in many years.

We all notice how selfish we as a society have become. People are too busy and don't have time to help their fellow man or woman. This was different - it pulled the heartstrings of people from deep within. The volunteer organizations were overwhelmed with the responses. The Armed Services experienced a surge in recruitment like never before.

There was a massive renewal in American pride and the gratitude we had to be part of America. You could drive in any urban neighborhood and see American flags hanging out of the apartment windows, more so than any of the various country flags that you see being displayed now. We were ALL proud to be Americans, and proud to consider others as brothers and fellow citizens.

Maybe it's just me, but for a few brief months in my years on this Earth, Americans were colorblind, and tried to see other people as individuals, rather than belonging to a specific race or ethnic group. It was the worst of times with all the tragedy. It was also the best of times for all of us to try to bridge the gaps that sometimes separate us. I still have sadness in my heart for the families that lost someone. They have moved on somewhat, had some healing. Nonetheless, their lives will never be the same. I will always feel for these people, and think it's fitting to remember them on 9/11.

I hope you don't feel I hijacked your thread, Jon. If you want, I'll separate my comments for another thread.

Your post brought back a lot of the memories, as I'm sure it did for you. So sorry for your loss. Michael sounds like he was a great guy for anyone to know.

[DarkSkies]

There will be a benefit dinner for Michael on April 10, 2010 in Wantagh, LI. Here's the link and the info. Just putting it out there ahead of time for anyone who might be interested in going.


http://www.ffmichaeljcawley.org/benefit.html

• Home
• Bio
• The Cause
• Benefit
• Photo Gallery
• Honors
• Scholarship
• Links

[jonthepain]

Thanks, Rich. Didn't know about the Benefit.

I appreciate your remembrances too. I'll never forget in the weeks after, the attitudes of people. I remember getting cut off a few times, and the guy would always slow down to make eye contact, and wave and say "sorry, man!"

[DarkSkies]

. I'll never forget in the weeks after, the attitudes of people. I remember getting cut off a few times, and the guy would always slow down to make eye contact, and wave and say "sorry, man!"

I'll never forget that either Jon.
RIP to Michael, and thoughts and prayers to his family and all the other families of the 9-11 victims today.

[baitstealer]

Thoughts and prayers to all the loved ones of those who were lost that day.
And also to the emergency people and fireman who are still getting sick from the dust and fumes they breathed.

[dogfish]

May they all rest in peace.