2,996

The events of September 11, 2001 were not a national tragedy for some. For some, they were an intensely personal tragedy. Many lost husbands, wives, fathers, sons, daughters, siblings, or friends.

One of them was Brian Hennessey.

Brian Hennessey was a vice president at Cantor Fitzgerald, working on the 105th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. He was killed on September 11, 2001 in the collapse of the North Tower.

This tribute to Mr. Hennessey is one of the few things I could find about him:

I worked with Brian at Cantor when he first started there in 1993. He partnered with Wayne, and I recall that they worked very hard to build a business there. He was a sincere and good person at work who had a talent for driving business. Somehow, I had hoped that I would not find his name on the 9/11 list. Words fail to describe the sorrow and pain that I felt when learning of his loss (and Wayne) at the WTC. I know that he was a family man and my prayers are with him and his family.

We all were moved and saddened by the events of September 11, 2001, but most of us never had to look at the empty seat at the table left by one of those who never returned from that terrible morning. We never had to face the reality that someone we cared about was never coming back. While September 11, 2001 was a national tragedy, we cannot forget the fact that for many it was also an intensely personal one.

People like Brian Hennessey were embodiments of what made this country what it is — people who worked hard, cared for their families, and had the talent and drive to create success. What they built, no terrorist can bring crashing down.

I would encourage everyone to take a look at the other 2,995 memorials to victims of the events of September 11, 2001. The tragedy of September 11, 2001 was for many a personal one, and we cannot forget that the images of those burning towers didn’t just mean the end of an American landmark, but the end of many innocent lives. Their memories can and should live on as a testament to what they achieved and what no evil can take away.