343

On March 17, 2002, the 343 Brigade marched for the first time in the the first St. Patrick's Day Parade after 9-11. 343 Firefighters, one for each killed on that day, each carried a flag up Fifth Avenue. They have continued to honor that loss each year. I have been honored to able to stand with a million others at each of those parades as they passed. 343 is a number; these 343 men fill an entire block.

A Note: A friend of mine, a retired NYC Firefighter wrote to remind me that there were hundreds of other Firefighters who sickened and died as a result of working at the 9-11 site. Many never got proper treatment because New York City denied their medical claims. Today there are at least 800 who spent those months working 'in the pit' and who are now suffering from related complications. They are still fighting for their medical treatment. It is a national disgrace.