Last year on 9/11, I wrote a post entitled Always Remember...And Don't Ever Forget...A 9/11 Reflection.  This post was a difficult one for me to write because it forced me to relive one of the most horrific days of my life in great detail.  While writing is cathartic, it is also very painful at times. 

Seven years have now passed since 9/11, and yet the pain and sorrow still comes rushing back as I relive the events once again.  It has become a tradition of this day to have the names of the victims read aloud at a ceremony that takes place where the Twin Towers once stood proudly.  This is something that should always be done so that no one ever forgets exactly what this day means to our country. 

Unfortunately, only the names of those that perished on 9/11 are read, although I suppose if all of the names of the victims were read it would extend the coverage well beyond 9/11.  We tend to think of the people that died on that day, but many more have lost their lives as a result of 9/11 as well. 

The heroic people that volunteered their time in the aftermath of this tragedy unknowingly exposed themselves to toxic air that has resulted in terminal diseases.  These people don't get mentioned on this day, but they should.  I have no way of knowing their names, but if I did, I would certainly list them and honor them for their valor.

However, I do know of one person that passed away in late 2007 as a result of his heroic efforts in the days following 9/11.  Today, I would like to introduce you to Mike Ryan of Hauppauge.  Mike was a dedicated husband, father, friend and football coach in the Hauppauge Youth Organization football league.  "Coach Mike" was admired, respected and loved by his team and their families.  He stepped up to coach a team that no one else was willing to coach, even though he didn't have a son on the team.  His story is one that will be told in much more depth in the very near future, as it couldn't possibly be done justice within the context of this post.

On Saturday, September 13, 2008, the Hauppauge Youth Organization will unveil a permanent tribute to Coach Mike at the HYO complex.  The world may not know who he is, and what he did for his country, but every family that participates in HYO sports will never forget Coach Mike.  The whole league will honor him this season with a decal on our helmets, and admiration in our hearts.  It's the least that we can do for a man that gave so much of himself to our community and our country.

This morning, as my son and I watched some of the 9/11 coverage, he was somewhat curious about the events of 9/11, but he was insistent upon learning about how these events cost Coach Mike his life.  If you've read any of my posts about my son, you will know that he is a six-year old with the mindset of a child much older than his age.  His sense of curiosity and awareness of this day makes me very proud.  Earlier in the week, he was deciding on a shirt to wear for school.  When I picked out a shirt that read "Home of the Brave," he told me that he was saving that shirt to wear on 9/11.  This morning, he put that shirt on with pride.

Fortunately for me, I was near the Twin Towers, but not close enough to have suffered any health-related issues as a result of the crumbling buildings.  Many others, like Coach Mike, were not that lucky.  There will be new victims of 9/11 for the foreseeable future.  They will not have their names read at the annual ceremony, nor will they receive any financial assistance.  Their families will suffer like other 9/11 families.  Children will lose parents, parents will lose children, husbands, wives and friends will all be lost also.

We may not have all been directly impacted by the terrorist attacks, but all of our lives have been forever changed as a result of them. 

We should never lose sight of the fact that there are many more victims of 9/11 than the ones that perished on that tragic day in 2001.  If you know of anyone else like Coach Mike, please feel free to write about them in the comments section of this post.  I also encourage anyone to link to other posts about 9/11 in the comments section.  The more that we share our stories, the more that we will remember just how important this day is, and always should be.