The most important save for Red Bulls goalkeeper
Goalkeeper Ryan Meara, who has spent nearly his entire 10-year MLS career with the Red Bulls, relates his memories of 9/11. His father and uncle, New York City firefighters, assisted in the rescue efforts.
SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, was a picture perfect day. You couldn’t draw up a more beautiful city landscape. But pretty quickly, as we all know, it turned into one of the worst days imaginable.
I was 10 years old at the time — a sixth-grader at Annunciation in the Crestwood section of Yonkers. The day started out normal enough, but then, right before lunchtime, we all started getting called out of class one-by-one. Our parents were there to pick us up. The teachers wouldn’t tell us what happened because there were kids whose parents were firemen or cops, or worked in the World Trade Center. I remember thinking it was such a nice surprise to be leaving school unexpectedly until I saw my mom Geri’s face. Instantly, I had that sinking feeling that something was wrong. With tears in her eyes, she told me and my brothers that the Twin Towers had collapsed. Thankfully, she added that my father and uncle, both New York City firefighters, were OK.
My dad, Jack, who is a Lieutenant in Engine 46 in The Bronx, and my uncle, Tommy, who was a lieutenant in Ladder 2 in Midtown Manhattan at the time and is now a Battalion Chief, were lucky to be off that morning. Still, they were ordered to report to their firehouses immediately following the attacks to help aid in the rescue effort as well as to be ready if more attacks were coming.
In the days that followed, my mom tried to keep me and my brothers as busy as possible to keep us distracted from the reality of what was going on. My dad had been down at Ground Zero for three days, and when he finally came home we couldn’t have been happier to see him … it was such a relief. Even though we had spoken to him and knew he was fine, seeing him walk through the door definitely put us all at ease.
A list would come out with all the firefighters who were missing and presumed dead. That night, when my dad got home, we were all sitting in the living room and I remember him telling my mom some of the names that were on it. Unfortunately, there were many that we knew. That’s when the magnitude of the attacks really hit home for me.
In the weeks and months that followed, I was always a bit nervous when my dad was at work and I saw a plane flying toward the city or watched a news report about another potential terrorist attack. At the same time, I knew all the guys he worked with would keep him safe. Before that day, no one thought something like 9/11 could happen. Even 20 years later, when I drive over the George Washington Bridge to the Red Bulls’ Training Facility, I look at the skyline and wonder how the hell that could have happened. It’s still surreal. It made all Americans, and especially residents of the tri-state area, feel vulnerable.
Thousands of lives were lost on that terrible day, but thanks to the firefighters, cops and EMS workers who responded, many lives were also saved. And for that, the people of our city, as well as those throughout the country, should be forever grateful.
I have no doubt that if there happened to be another attack the very next day, the men and women of the FDNY, NYPD and all the first responders would’ve rushed to the scene to help rescue people in just the same way as they did on 9/11, fully knowing they might not make it out alive. That’s what makes them so incredible.
The way the city and country came together after the attacks was special. Anywhere you went, you could feel there was a real sense of pride, often evident in the American flags flying off people’s houses. We may have been down, but we were definitely not out.
Unfortunately, 20 years later, we’re still feeling the effects of 9/11. Every few weeks it seems my dad is going to a funeral of a firefighter who has passed away due to a 9/11related illness.
Having seen firsthand what so many families of fallen firefighters have had to go through, about six years ago I decided to get involved with Answer the Call, a foundation that provides financial assistance to families of fallen first responders. First responders spend their lives protecting us and keeping us all safe. Sometimes that means giving their life. The least we can do when that happens is to help their families and loved ones in any way we can and make sure they know they’re not forgotten.
The Red Bulls have been great in helping support Answer the Call over the years. Dax McCarty and Tim Parker came to fundraising events when they played with me here. The jerseys from our game on 9/11 versus DC United will be auctioned off, with all proceeds going to Answer the Call. I’m very proud to be part of a club that goes above and beyond helping our first responders.
It’s crazy to think that a handful of guys on the team now weren’t alive when 9/11 happened. Every year, when the anniversary of 9/11 comes around, I always seem to get a few questions from some of the guys asking what it was like on that day. I think being on a pro sports team representing the New York/New Jersey area, it’s important that you know the history of the city. Unfortunately, 9/11 is a big part of that.
I feel a great sense of pride in being able to say my great grandpa, grandpa, uncle, dad and my brother Paul have been, or still are, firefighters. I guess you could say it’s the “family business.” Now that my dad has almost 40 years on the job and probably will be retiring soon, I realize how fortunate I have been to witness his entire career. A lot of people my age whose dads were firefighters on 9/11 weren’t able to do that.
“Gone but never forgotten” was a slogan used a lot after 9/11. Today, more than ever, it’s important we continue to live by those words. Thank you to the FDNY, NYPD and all first responders who put their lives on the line each and every day.
God Bless America.