Frank DeMartini

Frank DeMartini and his family (http://thebigrisk.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/frank-demartini.jpg ())

A hero is not just a person with a cape or super powers. A hero is someone who puts others before themselves, risks their life to save others and someone who does great deeds out of the goodness of their heart, not because they want praise. I chose Frank DeMartini because he fits this definition perfectly. He is the hero of the 88th floor. Heroes are ordinary people doing extraordinary things. That is exactly what he did on the day of September 11, 2001. Frank was on the 88th floor with his wife and co-workers when the plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center. While everyone else was in shock, Frank took charge and kept everyone calm while he tried to find a way out. He risked his life to save as many people as he could before the tower collapsed. Instead of descending down the staircase with the rest of his co-workers and his wife, he went upward to the higher floors to save others. Frank DeMartini is the perfect example of a hero in my eyes and will forever change my perspective of what happened on September 11, 2001.

Every American has their own story of where they were on 9/11. It was either at school, at work or at home watching it on television. What they did not know was that while they were watching those towers burn, Frank DeMartini was in one of them saving everyone he could and risking his life to make sure everyone was safe. Frank DeMartini had a passion for old cars, sailing and Italian culture. He loved restoring apartments in New York and was amazed with the World Trade Center. He was an architect and started working at the twin towers when he was hired to look at the damage from the 1993 bombing. His wife, Nicole, also worked in the towers with him. They had two children; Sabrina who was ten and Dominic who was eight. Frank was a very athletic and fearless man. When the North Tower was struck he found himself as a protector that wanted to save everyone and did all he could to help others, even if his own life was at risk.

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On September 11, 2001 Frank was just finishing breakfast with his wife at his work in the North Tower of the World Trade Center. He and his wife started to leave when American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower at 8:46 a.m. violently jolting the building. Frank still in shock immediately took charge and assessed what needed to be done. He kept everyone calm and together in one office while he scoured the whole floor trying to find a way out. Everyone trusted Frank in everything he did and he eased everyone's fears. He saw that one emergency stairwell was passable for an escape and led all his co-workers, including his wife, to it. When he started down the stairs he heard an intense pounding from above on the 89th floor. Accompanied by Pablo Ortiz, a co-worker, Frank trudged up to the 89th floor and yelled to the other side if there was someone there. The crash had caused the stairway to twist and the door was stuck. Frank thinking fast grabbed a hammer and made a hole in the wall. He came face to face with a man that was pleading for Frank to save him. Pablo and Frank saved two groups of people on the 89th floor that would not have made it if they had not rescued them. After escorting everyone out of the floor, Frank and Pablo dug deep within themselves and made it up the 90th floor where they evacuated more people who thought they would never make it out. Then they ascended to the 91st floor, the floor right below the crash. The conditions grew worse with every floor they climbed and the fires and debris multiplied. Frank started to question if he and Pablo would make it out alive.

Frank and Pablo finally found the eighteen survivors from the 91st floor and led them to the stairwell. When they were finally making their descent, they searched everywhere for survivors. On the 86th floor, and saved six more people struggling for their lives. When they reached the 78th floor, they heard a man inside the elevator pounding the door in fear for someone to help him. Frank and Pablo jumped into action and eventually pried the door open to free the man. At this point, Frank, being the construction manager, knew the building was going to collapse and they would not make it out in time. Frank and Pablo gave up their lives to save seventy-seven people in the North Tower that day. Many people who Frank saved say that they can never repay him and they owe their lives to him. Without Frank and Pablo, not many people would have made it out in time.

Frank DeMartini has not only made an impact on the lives he saved, but also on the many people that have heard his story. He has inspired me and hearing his story has changed the way I view 9/11. I did not fully understand exactly what happened on that day until I heard this story. Among the many heroes of 9/11, Frank stands out to me because he was just an ordinary person who decided to step up and be a leader when it mattered most. Frank is a true hero who gave his life for others. Frank DeMartini may not be here on earth physically, but he will never be forgotten and his story will live on forever.