Walking in another man's shoes...
I suited up as I prepared to climb up the stairs of the Ghidorzi Corporate Cove Tower in Wausau.
It is my job to finish the climb of one of the fallen firefighters from 9/11. Today I'm climbing for fallen firefighter Thomas J. Hetzel, Ladder 13, FDNY.
The Twin Towers stood 110 stories tall. In order to match that, I would need to climb this building 12 times.
Rothschild Firefighter Thomas Mahar helped me get ready, and together, we started our ascent.
The long walk served as the perfect outlet for reflection... imagining what went through their minds as they charged into the towers.
We stopped to admire a custom American flag adorned with all the names of those who lost their lives.
As we continued... I took off my mask to stay a bit cooler.
As I did that, I could only think about how much hotter it was for the firefighters in those buildings.
as I finished my climb, I gathered my breath to make my final tribute.
Thomas J. Hetzel, FDNY, we will never forget.
If you are interested in making a similar tribute, you can come out to the 2nd annual Greater Wausau 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb on Saturday, September 8.
You can walk with or without the gear... 110 stories... or just one story.
The climb goes from 8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Fallen Colby Firefighter Jamison Kampmeyer will also be honored.
