As we began, this book Lessons Learned at Ground Zero, there was a poem that was widely circulating. The author is unknown but we used it as the first pages of this book.

The Poem:

As the soot and dirt and Ash rain down,

 we became one color.

As we carried each other down the stairs of the burning building,

we became one class.

As we lit candles of waiting and hope

We became one generation.

As the firefighters and police officers fought their way into the inferno,

We became one gender.

As we fell to our knees in prayer for strength,

 we became one faith.

As we whispered or shouted our words of encouragement,

 we spoke one language.

As we gave our blood in lines a mile along,

we became one body.

As we mourn together, the great loss,

we became one family.

As we cried, tears of grief and loss,

 we became one soul.

As we retell with pride of the sacrifice of heroes,

 we become one people.

We are one color, one class, one generation, one faith, one language, one body, one family, one soul, one people.

We are the power of one.

We are United.

We are American.