FiercePoet.com - Writings. Musings. Commentary. And a Gay Southerner.

Thursday the 21st of September, 2006

This Is How A Heart Breaks via Rob Thomas

Don’t you wanna go for a ride
Just keep your hands inside
And make the most out of life
Now don’t you take it for granted

Life is like a mean machine
It made a mess outta me
It left me caught between
Like an angry dream I was stranded. I was stranded.

And I’m steady but I’m starting to shake
And I don’t know how much more I can take

This is it now
Everybody get down
This is all I can take
This is how a heart breaks
Now take a hit now you feel it break down
Make you stay wide awake
This is how a heart breaks

Don’t you wanna go for a ride
Down to the other side
Feel so good you can cry
Now won’t you do what I told you
I remember when you used to be shy
Yeah, once we were so fine
You and I and why you gotta make it so hard on me it’s hard on me

And I’m sorry but it’s not a mistake
And I’m running but you’re getting away

This is how a heart breaks

You’re not the best thing that I knew
Never was never cared too much
For all this hanging around
It’s just the same thing all the time
Never get what I want
Never get too close to the end of the line
You’re just the same thing that I knew back before the time
When I was only for you

Posted by rtkenmore at 05:37 PM on the 21st of September, 2006.
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Monday the 11th of September, 2006

The 2996 Project - Remembering 9/11

For the complete list of Memorials, follow the link.

Posted by rtkenmore at 09:00 AM on the 11th of September, 2006.
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Sunday the 10th of September, 2006

Remembering Kenneth Tietjen

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About the Kenneth F. Tietjen Memorial Foundation

imageThe Foundation was created in November 2001 as a non-profit organization to honor the memory of Port Authority Police Officer Kenny Tietjen, who sacrificed his life at the World Trade Center on Septemebr 11th.The main goal of the Foundation is to provide bicycles and/or other aid to underpriveledged children throughout New Jersey.

The idea for the Foundation came about because each year during the Christmas season, the Tietjen’s would “adopt” a needy family and provide all the food, clothes, and toys to help make the family’s Christmas a happy one. It was always Kenny’s job to provide the bikes for the children - it was something he looked forward to doing.

With the holidays approaching less than three months after Kenny was killed, his family and friends wanted to find a positive way to keep his memory alive and lessen the huge hole that they would feel by spending Christmas without Kenny.

Through generous donations from friends, family, fellow Port Authority police officers, and wonderful strangers, the Foundation was able to purchase and deliver 11 bicycles to needy children that very first year.  With continued support, the Foundation donated 37 bicycles, 3 computers, and many other toys to families throughout New Jersey during 2002.  With your continued support, Kenny’s Foundation is looking foward to expanding its “Acts of Hope” in the years to come.

For additional information or to make a contribution, please contact .

Thank you for helping us to keep Kenny’s wonderful spirit alive!

He Claimed the Respirator

As a boy, the two things that scared Ken Tietjen most were fire trucks and police cars. So he took some ribbing from his family when, as an adult, he chose a job that required him to ride in both.

Mr. Tietjen, a Port Authority police officer, was at the 33rd Street PATH station when he heard about the terrorist attack, said Laurie Quinn, his sister. Mr. Tietjen commandeered a taxi, banished the driver to the back seat, and drove to ground zero. He rushed into the north tower and helped people down, but when he emerged to get a new respirator, only one remained, his partner recalled. Smiling, Mr. Tietjen said, “Seniority rules,” took the respirator and ran into the south tower. Moments later, the building fell.

Typical, said Ms. Quinn, noting his commendation for bravery this year, received for tackling a man who had stabbed the sergeant he worked with. As a firefighter several years back, he returned to a burning building to rescue an unconscious colleague.

One of those Mr. Tietjen rescued on Sept. 11 attended his memorial Mass. But he did not stay because he became overwhelmed.

Ms. Quinn said: “My brother had a choice whether to go back and he chose to go back in. I wouldn’t expect anything less from him.”

Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on December 1, 2001.

Kenneth Tietjen, 31, rushed to the scene

imageKenneth Tietjen, a police officer for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, always wanted to be a firefighter.

In junior high school, as a member of the Middletown Fire Explorers, he rode his mo-ped to local fires. When he turned 18, his dream became a reality when he became a volunteer for the Belford Engine Company. His mother remembers how proud he was after fighting his first fire.

“He came home and said, ‘We had a great fire today. It was a propane tank,’ “ said Janice Tietjen of Belford. “He was right at the front of the hose and I said, ‘Why were you there?’ He said, ‘That’s where the excitement is.’ “

Mr. Tietjen, 31, of Matawan, died while rescuing people trapped in the World Trade Center after the Sept. 11 attack. He led workers, some of them badly burned, from Tower One before grabbing the last air pack in sight and entering Tower Two.

“He waved to his partner and went in,” his mother said.

Mr. Tietjen, who was engaged to be married later this month, died when Tower Two collapsed.

Mr. Tietjen, who had been a Port Authority police officer for nine years, was working his job on the PATH trains when he heard of the attack. He immediately rushed into Manhattan to help, first commandeering a cab, then hopping an emergency vehicle.

“Wherever he could be, that’s where he was,” his mother said.

At the time of his death, Tietjen was training to be a member of the Port Authority Emergency Services Unit. All he needed was to complete a scuba diving course to fulfill his dream, his mother said.

Mr. Tietjen received several awards for his work with the Port Authority, including a special commendation in 1996 for subduing a man who rammed a patrol car in the Holland Tunnel and then stabbed a police officer.

Off the job, Tietjen, who moved to Matawan two years ago, liked action, too.

He was an avid hockey player and enjoyed riding dirtbikes with his fiancée’s 13-year-old son. He was a reliable handyman, always ready to help others with a home improvement project, his mother said.

“He loved Home Depot,” she said. “He loved everything—life, sports, people, his job. Every day was another project for him. He was a lovable person with many, many friends. And I know it sounds corny, but he was a really good kid . . . He was born on the Fourth of July. He was a hero.”

Tietjen was a parishioner of St. Joseph’s Church in Keyport and a member of Fraternal Order of Police No. 110 and the New Jersey State PBA Lodge 116.

In addition to his mother, Mr. Tietjen is survived by his father, Kenneth Tietjen; his fiancée, Karen Dalla Valle of Matawan; and two sisters, Cindy Tietjen of Belford and Laurie Quinn of Hazlet.

A memorial Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Joseph’s Church. Visitation will be from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the John E. Day Funeral Home, 85 Riverside Ave., Red Bank.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Kenneth F. Tietjen Foundation, which provides bicycles to poor children at Christmas. The address is 27 Gregory St., Hazlet, N.J., 07730.

Profile by Carrie Stetler published in THE STAR-LEDGER.

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Kenneth Tietjen
A tradition of giving

imageSince he was a boy, Kenneth Tietjen had given to the less fortunate. His charity knew no season.

At Christmastime, he’d buy bicycles for needy boys and girls in Monmouth County, N.J. In summers, he’d help out at the Special Olympics on the Jersey Shore. In between, he brought food to homeless shelters in Jersey City.

So it was only fitting that the Port Authority police officer’s family members would continue giving in his name. They bought wooden ramps so wheelchair users can easily traverse the sand to get near the water’s edge on beaches at Sandy Hook. This past Christmas, they purchased 200 bikes for children.

Tietjen was 31 when he died. He was last seen heading up a stairwell in the south tower after the second plane struck. He already had helped direct people to safety from the lobby of the flaming north tower.

“We decided very early on that it was our responsibility to get up every day and make Kenny proud of us,” said his sister, Laurie Tietjen.

Kenneth Tietjen was not married and left no children. He had insurance, and the Twin Towers Fund for uniformed responders who died compensated his family. People from all over the world sent donations to the family.

A woman sent a check for $2, and the gesture made Laurie Tietjen cry. “People were so good to us,” she said. “None of us was financially dependent on him, and after we helped his girlfriend and her son, we wanted to use the money to help people.”

His remains were found two days before Christmas of 2001, giving more meaning to the yuletide tradition. The Tietjens bought 11 bicycles for children that year.

The slain cop’s love of the beach inspired his mother, Janice. She saw wheelchair-accessible boardwalks at Wildwood and came up with the idea to donate similar devices to Sandy Hook. Last June, two handicapped-accessible ramps were dedicated, thanks to the family’s $5,000 gift to the National Park Service.

In addition to relatives’ own donations, they’ve raised $50,000 for good works in Kenneth Tietjen’s name. “It’s something we love to do,” Laurie Tietjen said.

From the Port Authority Memorial Page:

A day will not go by that I won’t think of you. I wish I could have done more that horrible day. I will miss you deeply! (partners forever)

TJ
Friend

Hello, I just wanted to say thank you kindly for all that you have done. I’m only 14 years old and I never really thought about how important the U.S.A. really is. I love to know that their are people like you out there watching over us. I send my condolences. Thank you for watching over all of the people in the September 11 tragedy.

Shantay Seamons
Friend

I just wanted the family of Officer Kenneth Tietjen to know that, yesterday, I rode my motorcycle in the Patriot Parade held here in Arizona memorializing all those who perished in the 9-11 attacks.  One motorcycle for each person we lost.  I rode in the police category and I proudly wore a wristband with his name and PAPD/NJPD written on it. 

I was curious today to find out who this officer was.  So for the heck of it I did a search with his name on the internet and was directed to this website.  Wow, when you see a photo that goes with the name, it really hits home.  I’m hoping this website is still active and that I will hear back from someone.  I have digital photos I’d like to send if anyone is interested. 

Thank you and God Bless.

Paula Gallagher

Your amazing smile will always be in my heart.  We miss you every day.

Unknown

Dear Kenny,

It seems like yesterday this terrible tragedy happened. I take comfort in knowing you are with God and are helping him do many miracles. I know you watch over your parents and sisters too. You were so loved in life and still in death you are loved and missed.

You will never be forgotten!

Love.
Aunt Sherry

Unlike anyone I’ve ever met, you were there for everyone. To me you will always be my partner and best friend. No one can come close. Till we meet again.

TJ
Partner/Friend

From an Angel on High
a tender message of love was softly whispered into the ear

Weep not for me
now that I have passed.
Remember the laughter, the affection, the joy
not just the recent tears.
Cherish the memories, our hopes and dreams.
Hold fast to the love that we shared.
Be happy with the time we spent together
and being anew.
For I am not really gone,
I am closer than ever before.
As the morning sun rises
and throughout the busy day...I am with you.
Until the setting sun disappears on the horizon
and we watch the day turn into night...I am here.
You may feel a faint breeze stir round your head, while you slumber
as I gently kiss your forehead, “Good night.”
The stars that shine so brightly in my heavenly sky
help me watch over you and keep you from harm.
I am the wind in the trees
and the song of a bird.
I am moonbeams in a midnight sky
and a glorious rainbow after the storm.
I am morning dew
and freshly-fallen snow.
I am a butterfly flying overhead
and a puppy happily at play.
I am a smile on a stranger’s face
a gentle touch
a warm embrace.
Listen to the wind for my message of love.
Watch the sun rise and set in the sky with me.
Feel my essence encircle you with warm memories.
Open your heart to know...I am not gone.
Reach deep into your soul...You will find me.
I am here.
Have no fear.
I am with you,
Always.

Roseanne Cittadino
High School Friend

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Posted by rtkenmore at 09:00 PM on the 10th of September, 2006.
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Pledge of Allegiance

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I pledge allegiance to this land
Where heroes protect every woman and man
The flag that represents freedom and choice
The flag that gives us all a free voice
And on September 11th, when our nation was attacked
We all came together and we fought back
In the midst of terror, many heroes died
They fought to save others and in the end sacrificed their lives
They didn’t think twice as they ran toward the fallen cries
All they could think about was to save those victims’ lives
Though they have fallen we can still hear freedom ringing in their voice
From the battlefields to the white house we all had to learn to survive
The tragedies on September 11th left a whole nation to mourn and cry
Now we live on to protect our flag’s integrity
From the people who just don’t seem to see what our nation sees
Though they attack us, never will we fall
I give a salute to the firefighters and soldiers lost on that day
Together we mourn for the victims who had to lose their lives that way
But in their deaths, our nation finally saw
That no matter how much they try, together we cannot fall
So, I pledge allegiance to this land
Where heroes protect every woman and man

© Meghan L. Thomas

Posted by rtkenmore at 03:01 AM on the 10th of September, 2006.
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Saturday the 9th of September, 2006

I Saw An Eagle Cry

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Today I saw an eagle,
With a teardrop in his eye.
It literally took my breath away,
To see an eagle cry.
I asked him,What’s the matter?,
And he told me what he saw.
A cowardly attack was made,
On the towers that once stood tall.
He said everything he stood for,
Had taken a shocking blow.
So he had to take a moment,
To let his own emotions show.
Then he proudly told me,
That our Nation would survive.
That our Liberty and Freedom,
He’d be sure to keep alive.
He said for us not to be afraid,
To stand together, not apart.
For a terrorist has succeeded,
If he puts fear within our hearts.

© Cassandra L. Gilbert

Posted by rtkenmore at 03:01 AM on the 9th of September, 2006.
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Friday the 8th of September, 2006

The World Stood Still

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Early one morning on a September day
While we were all busy at work or play

Two towers stood tall as the day before
Not knowing that tomorrow they’d stand no more

When the first plane crashed into tower one
No one knew what had just begun

As people were trying to get out alive
Then plane number two took its dive

Then out of the blue one building fell
You could see people run and hear them yell

As we all sat and watched in fear
We dropped to our knees and sheaded tears

Many workers, children firefighters and more
Were all in the path of the mad men that soared

And as the dust from the building began to fade
We all felt sadness but still we prayed

Then the news that another plane had just went down
Out in Pennsylvania, but it hit the ground

For the passengers that rode that plane that day
Stood up for their country in their own way

What else what else could our country take
But another plane went down and the Pentagon did shake

More people were injured and more lives were lost
And the people that did this would pay the cost

Many lives were lost on that September day
As our world stood, still and each of us prayed

Many people just like you and me
Gave their life to set another one free

And on this day when our world stood still
We all joined as one, in God’s Will

For the towers that stood in New York so tall
On September 11th affected us all

© Tracy L. Greer

Posted by rtkenmore at 03:01 AM on the 8th of September, 2006.
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Thursday the 7th of September, 2006

Alive and Well

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They came from different backgrounds,
they came from different towns.
But they all came together when those shining towers came down.
They were people of wealth,
and people almost so poor,
that they could barely feed their families,
but they all watched their children go off to war.
They are people you see everyday, and people so often not,
but they were people, who said hello,
and no....., I haven’t forgot.
They are neighbors, families, friends, and strangers one and all,
they stood side by side, and hand in hand, and answered the urgent call.
My hat goes off to you, all who stood brave and true,
who sacrificed and lost so much, for the red, white, and blue.
These people I know, actually very well,
For they are Americans, and we are alive and well.....

© Mark A. Hull

Posted by rtkenmore at 03:01 AM on the 7th of September, 2006.
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Wednesday the 6th of September, 2006

September 11

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You could hear the screams
as the planes hit the towers
on that dreadful day.

Loved ones were lost
firefighters paid the cost tragic.
risking their lives for you and me

The fire was unbearable
one thought went through their heads
should they burn or should they jump
the tragic choice was theirs to make.

Seeing what happened was terrible
knowing there was nothing we could do
to take back the actions that happened that morning.

We could grieve or be angry
but nothing can change
what happened that day.

© Amy L. Thatcher

Posted by rtkenmore at 03:01 AM on the 6th of September, 2006.
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Tuesday the 5th of September, 2006

Tribute to 9/11

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The flames are out, the debris is cleared…
From that day that we all feared…
To remember those who died that day…
We showed our American pride in many ways…
We hung out the flags and made donations…
To show our pride for our nation…
American slogans written on cars…
Sympathy came from near and far…
Volunteered our time to those we’d never met…
Hoping to aid in the worry and fret…
We lit candles with neighbors and friends…
Showing our pride just wouldn’t end…
Red, White, and Blue was seen everywhere…
Where have they gone, it just isn’t fair…
Is it that people just no longer care…
Are they no longer saying those prayers…
Are all of the flags stuck under the bed…
Did they forget about all who are dead…
American husbands, daughters, and sons are still fighting…
So why are the candles no longer lighting…
Flags went out of stock in every store…
Now they’re no longer hanging by each door…
The war is not over, their still fighting for us…
So few show the colors, is it too much too much of a fuss…
So if you’re one who has put your flag away…
Remember our soldiers are still fighting each day…
So take out the Red, White, and Blue and fly it high… For the soldiers at war that still may die…
Our patriotism should have only just begun…
Do not forget who they are and what they’ve done…
September 11 will stay in our hearts forever, and so should our pride…
AMERICANS RAISE THOSE FLAGS HIGH

© Keifer J. Pesola

Posted by rtkenmore at 03:01 AM on the 5th of September, 2006.
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Monday the 4th of September, 2006

Seven Days till the World Stood Still

Please make it a note to come back and visit Fiercepoet.com over the next 7 days.  I’m going to be posting a tribute each day leading up to the 5th Anniversary of September 11th on which day I’ll be honoring Kenneth Tietjen as part of the 2996 Project.

I would simply just ask people to “Remember...”

Robert

Posted by rtkenmore at 03:15 AM on the 4th of September, 2006.
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