Lawrence Stack

The second attack on the World Trade Center. (zelfkrantmaken.com ())

Battalion Chief Lawrence Stack, Battalion 50 was killed when the North Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed on September 11, 2001. He had been across town in Astoria, New York investigating the death of three firefighters, as was his duty as Chief of the Safety Battalion. He spent all day at work making the calls on whether buildings were safe for his firefighters, his close friends, to go into or whether they were a lost cause. But that day he made a much more personal call, dropped everything in Astoria, and sped to the World Trade Center. For years he had been the man that stood outside the burning building, away from danger, but on that day he ran from the eye of the storm into the tempest itself. Stack was one of the 343 firefighters that died that day, doing their jobs, serving their country.

Lawrence Stack grew up in College Point, New York, served in Vietnam with the United States Navy and then became a fireman for the FDNY (New York Fire Department) later in his life. Fighting fires ran in his blood, his father, brother, brother in-law, and son all served in the FDNY. He joined the FDNY in 1967 and was assigned to Ladder 107 in East New York, an area currently being struck by rising crime. He was only able to become so experienced as to make the calls later in life by doing the "dirty work" first, he would run into burning buildings and rescue people held hostage by the flames. Between the Navy and the FDNY, some say "he went from fighting a war abroad to battling a different kind of war at home."

50th Battalion Chief Lawrence Stack. (longisland.newsday.com ())

In 1967 Lawrence Stack married Teri Stack and had two sons together, one who would grow up to serve in the FDNY just like his family before him had, continuing the legacy. Stack was an amazing father and husband his entire life, he never put work first and he always had time for his family. He made it a priority to call home just to check in with his wife and kids even on the busiest days at work. "He came home exhausted," Teri said. "But he made time always for my family and me." Every day he ran in and out of burning buildings carrying all of his gear on his back and people he rescued from fires in the front, over and over, but was never too worn out to help his son Brian with soccer or work with Michael on his curveball in the backyard.

Stack made his family his priority, some days he'd come home and fix up the house for them as is still very noticeable in the stunning woodwork and cathedralesque ceiling he put into the house all by himself. Lawrence Stack was a truly amazing man, fighting in the Armed Forces and fighting fires both take incredible bravery, a characteristic undoubtedly connected with being a hero. But many men that do amazing and heroic things are able to do so because it's all they focus on; they have no time for their family or the ones that love them. I believe a characteristic of a true hero is dedication; Stack was always dedicated to what he did, the people around him, and who he was.

Three FDNY Firefighters raise the American flag. (arlingtoncemetary.net ())

The courage that Lawrence Stack displayed that day is nearly unrivaled by any. His job was to know whether buildings were safe to go into, it was how he made his living; surely he knew the tower was far from safe, but he ran in anyways. Risking his life the way he did to save the men and women of his country exhibits bravery, dedication, patriotism, love, caring, and selflessness. Lawrence Stack's body was never recovered from the rubble of the North Tower at Ground Zero, but he lives on in the minds of those who loved him, a truly admirable man, a hero.