September 15th., 2001,
New York Fire Department Buries Chaplain Mychal
Judge
known as
Father Mike to his comrades, he was laid to rest
Saturday in one of the first funerals for victims of Tuesdays
terror
attacks. The department paid a terrible price in the
attack
more than 200 firefighters were killed attempting to
rescue
people trapped in the burning World Trade Center.
Father Mike Judge died after being
hit by falling
debris from
the World Trade Center
Tragedy
A firetruck crushed under tons of
rubble has become
a shrine
to the hundreds of firefighters who
perished
The disaster has taken a heavey tool on the city's
authorities.
Mike Judge was an institution in New York.
Firefighters from Reverend Judge's fire company
bore
his coffin into St. Francis of Assisi Church in
Manhattan.
He died administering last rites to a fallen colleague.
Father Mike, as he was known, was buried in his
brown
monks robe with his fire helmet on top of
his coffin.
Bill Clinton and New York Senator Hilary Rodham Clinton,
who knew him well, attended the
funeral.
The
funeral took place a massive clean-up
operation continued downtown.