Reflections on 9/11 and Courage

I'm thrilled to be here to say hello to the families that

lost a loved one, to thank the firefighters who work here

for their sacrifice and public service, and to

remember what it was like to go down to the pit and

shake hands with people that willingly rushed into danger.

It's a rough moment in American history, but in many ways it is

a uplifting moment to see the courage and look in the eyes of people that were

willing to sacrifice to save lives.

Coming to Ground Zero three days after the attack, it was a horrific scene.

I can hear you.

Standing on that fire engine with Bob Beckwith was a

spontaneous reaction to what the crowd was

feeling. They were restless. They wanted to hear something

that would lift

their spirits, and so I just blurted, totally unscripted, but it

was from my heart.

Please welcome

the President

of the United States.

The pitch, you know, I'm a baseball guy, I thought it would help New York recover,

and it was a nerve-wracking experience. I mean, the place was packed.

It was unbelievably emotional. I did wear the, uh, the sh- the,

the jersey, uh, to honor the firefighters.

And when it went over the plate, Yankee Stadium erupted,

and the message was

basically, "You can knock down our buildings,

but you will not touch our soul."

I will never forget the emotions of that moment.

The spirit of service is strong, particularly when you come to a New York

fire

station. People ask, "Why'd he go there?" And the answer is,

is that he was totally impressed by the sacrifice of

people willing to rush into buildings, and that spirit exists in our

national soul. Sometimes it's hidden, uh, but on 9/11

it came out strong.