R.E.M.A.
Retired Emergency Man’s Association
September 10, 2006
To all members,
Captain
Barry
Galfano,
ESU, is
nearing
the end of
his
terminal
leave and
is an
active
REMA
member. He
has asked
me to send
this out
to
everyone
in the ESU
family, as
well as to
our REMA
family. I
read the
message
and,
knowing
Barry,
realize
that every
word came
straight
from the
heart. His
eloquence
only
reiterates
what we
already
feel. My
thanks go
out to him
for
deciding
to share
these
sentiments
with us
and
putting
into words
another
example of
something
I like to
call the
"E-Spirit".
You can reach Barry at: INFINI2000@aol.com
Tony Sanpietro
From:
Captain
Galfano,
ESU
To:
All ESU
Personnel
Subject:
Thank You
As we
remember
our fallen
comrades
on the
fifth
anniversary
of 9/11,
it is a
good time
for all of
us to
reflect on
what it
means to
be an
E-Man. In
the five
years that
have
passed
since that
fateful
day, ESU
has ridden
a roller
coaster of
ups and
downs that
brought us
from the
deepest
depths of
despair
and
sorrow, to
the
camaraderie
and esprit
de corps
that
developed
from
completing
a
difficult
and
painful
mission at
the WTC.
The
Emergency
Service
Unit was a
model for
the rest
of the
department
to admire.
9/11
changed
all of our
lives
forever,
but we
must never
forget our
fallen
members
and their
families
who lost
the most
on that
day. While
most of us
carry some
scars from
this
event, it
is the
families
of our
Heroes
that
sacrificed
the most.
As new
members
join the
ESU family
and old
members
retire, it
is
important
to accept
the
responsibility
of
carrying
the torch
and
ensuring
that our
Heroes are
Never
Forgotten!
Even if
you never
met any of
these
great men,
being an
E-man is a
fraternity
that
unites us
all
forever.
Don’t let
the fact
that you
may have
been
assigned
elsewhere
during
9/11 make
you feel
detached
from the
responsibility
to keep
their
names
alive and
their
families
close to
our
hearts.
As I begin
to get
close to
my
retirement
from the
NYPD and
the
Emergency
Service
Unit, my
pride in
being a
Captain in
the
Emergency
Service
Unit has
only grown
stronger.
On 9/11
and the 9
months
following
at Ground
Zero, I
realized
that ESU
was a
place that
I was
destined
to be. The
men and
women of
ESU were
the most
courageous,
most
professional,
and best
trained
people in
the world.
You
handled
the worst
attack on
our soil
with
poise,
skill, and
compassion
that was
unprecedented.
Despite
losing 14
of our
best men
and
battling
exhaustion,
stress,
fear, and
the
undetermined
dangerous
contaminants
and
environment,
you never
wavered in
your
resolve to
search for
every
person
lost in
that
attack
until
there was
nothing
left to
recover.
You risked
your
lives,
your
health,
and your
sanity to
complete
the
mission. I
knew then
that I was
where I
wanted to
be until I
eventually
retired or
died. I
was in ESU
and there
was no
other
place for
me to be.
I didn’t
want a
promotion
to D.I. My
promotion
was being
assigned
to
ESU and
working
with the
best men
and women
in the
world. So
when
someone
decided
that I
should be
transferred
to another
command,
he didn’t
understand
what it
meant to
me, to be
an E-Man.
He never
had my
experience,
he never
felt my
honor, and
he never
had my
privilege
to work
with the
best of
the best.
So I had a
choice to
make.
Accept the
transfer
and
eventually
retire
from
another
unit, or
put in my
papers and
eventually
retire
from ESU.
Even
though I
wasn’t
ready to
retire, I
knew I had
to retire
as an
E-Man.
For the
future of
ESU, it is
important
that you
keep the
traditions
and values
of ESU
alive.
Don’t
accept
mediocrity
when
perfection
is the
standard
required.
ESU is the
“best of
the best”
and don’t
let anyone
lower your
standards
to save
time,
money, or
manpower.
You must
always
strive to
improve
standards,
training,
equipment,
personnel
and
morale.
Don’t let
anyone
divide and
conquer
the unit
and pit
squad
against
squad, or
truck
against
truck. You
must stand
together
especially
in
difficult
times and
support
each
other. You
are on the
front line
of the
“war on
terrorism”.
You need
to stay
focused,
stay
strong,
and stay
united in
the
mission.
Things
changed
drastically
on
9/11/01,
and the
enemy is
not going
to quit.
They will
look for
weaknesses
in our
defense
and use
them
against
us. You
can’t
afford to
let your
guard down
and think
you are
ever safe.
The enemy
will
capitalize
on this.
That is
why it is
important
to keep
morale
high and
work
together
to
maintain
training
proficiencies,
keep
standards
high, and
never
settle for
second
best. Too
many
people in
the NYPD
and New
York City
depend on
you to
protect
them.
You must
never
forget our
members
who were
lost and
their
families.
They are
the
foundation
of our ESU
family.
Keep them
alive in
your
memories
and your
thoughts,
and make
them proud
of you
everyday.
Being an
E-Man is
an honor
and a
privilege
that
should be
respected.
I know it
was an
honor and
a
privilege
for me to
serve in
the
Emergency
Service
Unit.
So in
closing, I
want to
thank
everyone
in ESU for
the
opportunity
to have
worked
with you
all, and I
wish you
continued
success in
your
careers
and good
health and
safety in
your
lives.
God Bless
ESU and
God Bless
America!
Captain
Barry
Galfano