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September 11, 2006
In honor of a Hero
As part of the 2996 Project - today we remember, and honor the victims of the September 11 attacks.
never enough of it
time marches on
trickles away
each day
dies
and
each day
a new dawn
time marches on
never enough of it
John Chipura knew how precious life was. He learned that lesson at age 21, on October 23, 1983 as a Marine in Beirut.
John was a 21 year old radio operator on his second tour as a member of the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment 24th Marine Amphibious Unit. He was stationed in Beirut when terrorists with a truck bomb took out the battalion headquarters barracks and killed 241 of his fellow leathernecks and service men.
John dodged death and came home from that tragedy. He didn't speak much about it, he didn't dwell on the fact that he survived because he was leaving the barracks early to assume his post as a radio operator when the bomb exploded. He didn't dwell on the fact that the man walking just behind him was killed.
John's brother, Gerard Chipura, a fireman with Ladder Company 148, said his brother never forgot his experiences as a Marine. "We didn’t know it, but John kept in touch with all the families from the bombing," his brother Gerard said, "I don't think John ever thought he would live to see anything worse than what he saw that day in Beirut."
He was marked by the experience. "When he came back, he was more of a hugging person. He knew how precious life was because it could all be over in a second." - Nancy Chipura, John's sister
His brother Gerard said John was missing for three whole days in Beirut before he was able to get through to the family and let them know he was fine. He said the 9/11 deja-vu experience was painfully "surreal." "My sister said, 'I'm going to give him three days.' But he hasn't shown up yet. Not this time," said his brother.
John lived his life to the end as a hero.
Gerard and his family find solace in the words that John wrote in November 2000, on the occasion of the Corps 225 birthday: "We Marines are truly blessed. We get to enjoy the sweet taste of this Freedom because we know its price."
“He was a true Marine" . - FDNY Lt. John Atwell
After his honorable discharge from the Marines in 1987, John desired to continue serving the community and joined the city Police Department in 1987. He was assigned to the 72nd Precinct in his old neighborhood, Sunset Park, for seven years. John devoted three years service in Brooklyn South Narcotics and then returned to the 72nd Precinct as a detective.
“As a police officer he was always looking to clean up the neighborhood and help other families. He was very caring, and nothing got in his way or bothered him.” - Gina DeFalco, John's Fiancee.
After 12 years of service to the NYPD, John yearned for the camaraderie of the firehouse; his brother, Gerard, was a fireman, as their father, Anthony, had been. In August, 1998, John achieved his dream.
Following the footsteps of his father, Anthony Chipura, John joined the city Fire Department. "He knew you work as a team, as a unit in the Fire Department -- he liked that,' said his brother. "He always thought people call the Police Department when there's a problem, to get somebody bad, but you call the Fire Department when people needed help."
Graduating from firefighter training in 1998, John Chipura was assigned to Engine Co. 219, Brooklyn, for one year. He then rotated through Ladder Co. 81, South Beach, and Engine Co. 80 in Manhattan. John had recently returned to Engine Co. 219 to once again serve Downtown Brooklyn.
On Sept. 11, he arrived at Engine 219 to work the day tour and was detailed to Ladder Co. 105, which is housed in the same location. After reports of the first attack, he called his sister, Nancy Chipura, who worked on the 69th Floor of Tower 1. He was unable to make contact. Just before responding to the World Trade Center, John called his fiancee, Gina DeFalco, who also worked Downtown, for more information about Nancy. He received no word about his sister when he arrived at the scene at 8:45 a.m. with Ladder 105. “There wasn’t any news,” said Ms. DeFalco, “but later, when I heard that Nancy was safe, I called John to tell him. But his ladder company had already left.” John and the five other firefighters in the truck have not been heard from since.
Witnesses told the family he was last seen assisting in the evacuation of many people from Tower 2. "He was inside when it collapsed," said his brother. "I know he was looking for my sister."
Mr. Chipura and Ms. DeFalco, who met through a friend in the Fire Department, had planned to marry just six weeks after Sept. 11. "Getting married was the sole focus of his being for the last few months," said his brother. "He was 39-years-old and finally found the right girl. He held her so close to his heart."
Gerard Chipura said his brother was always trying to help people and make them "feel good." "He wanted to make everybody happy. He didn't want anybody to be upset," said his brother. "When John was not serving the community, he was serving his family and friends. He was a great conversationalist, problem solver, hard worker and friend," said his brother. "John embraced hobbies such as country dancing and motorcycling because he liked the sense of community he found."
John Chipura was a mentor for many at Boy Scout Troop 21. He was a member of the troop since 1974 and went on to serve as assist scout master until he was lost in the attack. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Iwo Jima Association and the Beirut Veterans Memorial Association. John was also a member of St. Joseph and St. Thomas Parish, Pleasant Plains.
His mother, Jane Chipura, died in 1994 and his father, Anthony, died in 1996. In addition to his brother, Gerard, and his sister, Nancy Chipura, surviving are his twin sister, Susan Cohen; another sister, Eileen Cella; and several nieces and nephews. John also left behind the love of his life, Gina DeFalco.
Dear John,
In the blink of an eye
Our lives went awry
Not a day has gone by
That we all do not cry
For what we had
For what was planned
For what took place
For what was yet to be
For births, promotions, holidays, birthdays,
graduations, bar mitzvahs
Celebrated without you, but always thinking of you
Another blink of an eye
And a year has gone by
How can it be?
It went so fast and yet so much has passed
So many tears, can it only be a year?
Lives went on, go on, different, not the same
We try, we share, we wonder why
We try to make sense of that blink of an eye
We try to make each blink count
We try to do what you would want us to
We try to make that blink of an eye
Mean something.
Help us, show us, tell us
Be there as you always were
In our hearts, in our thoughts
In every blink of our eyes.
With all our love always,
Your family, friends, fiancé and Mom-to-be
Except for the short poem at the beginning of this post, none of these words are mine. They are culled from various articles on the internet. I have never met John Chipura, but I wish I had the opportunity to do so. In life, John touched so many lives, not only his family and friends, but also, every person he came into contact with. Serving as a Marine, John protected our freedom, and as police officer and a fireman, John helped make so many people safe.
I feel a special kind of love for John Chipura, and I thank G-d for men like him.
His resting place shall be in the Garden of Eden.
Therefore, the Master of mercy will care for him
under the protection of His wings for all time
And bind his soul in the bond of everlasting life.
God is his inheritance and he will rest in peace
and let us say Amen.
Posted by LindaSoG at September 11, 2006 12:01 AM
Comments
beautiful. simply beautiful.
Posted by: Tug at September 10, 2006 09:27 PM
Thank you Linda for the well done tribute. I have now met another great American hero in John Chipura.
Posted by: TomR at September 10, 2006 09:53 PM
Thank you Tug. Your tribute was beautiful as well!
Posted by: LindaSoG at September 10, 2006 10:17 PM
Thank you Tom.
Posted by: LindaSoG at September 10, 2006 10:17 PM
What an amazing tribute. Thank you.
Posted by: Laurie at September 10, 2006 10:19 PM
This is a wonderful tribute....My heartfelt sympathies go out to The Chipura Family.
Blessings,
~ ~Justice
Posted by: Justice at September 10, 2006 10:28 PM
You did a beautiful job.
Posted by: seawitch at September 10, 2006 11:14 PM
Linda, what a beautiful tribute! I thank God for men like him everyday as well. Well done :)
Posted by: beth at September 10, 2006 11:50 PM
We owe each of the lost, we must pay that debt!
911 Must Never Be A Liberal Holiday!
Remember, but Do Something
Each year, oh how we promise to remember
the twin towers falling in the fire of hate
We’ll again then declare our anger to sate
but we are held back, like cooling embers
PC chills us, as some here have intended
in their self-fear they demand we do naught
And those who plan hate do as their taught
and the real danger some claim is being offended
Those who run away, must not decide our faith
and those who hate us, must not win in the end
So let us truly set a course to win my friend
and not make our choices by piecemeal eighths
Let us honor the lost, by losing no more
set firm our borders and hold them secure now
And be proud to say “Never will we again allow”
tossing PC and losers aside, winners to our core
Remember, oh do, but let it not happen again
demand we stand tall and fight the good fight
protecting ourselves from evil’s hard right
and let not the fears of the left become our last sin
The monument best for those who are gone
is to be strong and sure in our own nation’s fate
and leave evil to fill in a grave, sooner than late
and listen not, to that runaway liberal con
America is ours, ours to lose or to hold
to pass on or toss away, as we decide this day
stand up and demand we fight, even as we pray
and keep this America, free and so bold
Trike - 2006
Posted by: Trike at September 10, 2006 11:59 PM
Linda what a beautiful Tribute. And what a great American John Chipura was.
Posted by: Wild Thing at September 11, 2006 12:25 AM
how incredibly beautiful! I am so proud to be part of this project with people like you.
By remembering each one, and praying for their families we gain humanity and fight insanity. God Bless you and all the 2996ers for your efforts here. We will never forget!
Posted by: david at September 11, 2006 03:59 AM
Beautifully done. It's so comforting that so many are remembering these people, but it's also breaking my heart all over again. Yeah, I'm glad to meet all of these people through the tributes, but the scope of the loss that day is so... so ... tragic.
Posted by: Oceanguy at September 11, 2006 07:01 AM
Thanks Linda. Its a wonderful tribute and really lets us get to know John.
Posted by: jane at September 11, 2006 08:45 AM
Excellent tribute, Linda. While everyone else was running out, he was running in to help. A TRUE American hero.
Posted by: Feisty at September 11, 2006 08:46 AM
Thank you so much for this tribute. It allows us to get to know John just a little bit. I can imagine how the Beirut experience could have impacted him negatively, but his family said he hugged more. I was sorry that he didn't know that his sister was safe, when he was in there. I'm sad that he and Gina didn't make it to their wedding.
We must remember. We must not forget. And you made that a little easier with your memorial.
I wrote about Laura Gilly.
Posted by: Suzi at September 11, 2006 08:44 PM
Wow.
Posted by: Jack at September 11, 2006 09:24 PM
Linda: Thank you so much for introducing me to John- a hero in so many ways. You wrote a wonderful tribute - one of the best I have read so far and you can see all the hard work and care you took. The 2996 project has been quite an experience and I am glad I participated as well.
Posted by: Cathy at September 12, 2006 02:42 AM
911 HIT ME VERY HARD, BUT I WAS SO POWERLESS TO DO ANYTHING BUT PRAY. I PRAY FOR ALL THE VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
Posted by: COMMANDER WALTER K. VAN DER VEER at June 5, 2008 09:10 PM
I had the privilege and honor of working with John "Chip" Chipura and the great fortune to have been able to call him my friend. His humility and sense of humor were second to none. He was a great Detective, always seeking to help people in their time of need, as well as a dedicated and talented firefighter. His loss has left a void in the hearts and lives of many people whose lives he has touched in one way or another. He will always be sadly missed. Semper Fi, Chip.
Posted by: Joe Fodera at August 10, 2008 11:51 PM
I was with John during his first tour in Beirut. We were both radio operators with HQ 24th MAU. I feel like I lost a brother on that day. A very special person with more faith than I have ever seen in one person.
Our first duty is to remember. When we gather together, or sit in private rememberance, we should all lift a glass and toast our absent friends.
Posted by: David Lord at September 10, 2008 09:08 PM
I was there, John was my friend. A lot of us called him Chip. I am sorry for your loss godspeed l/cpl Pickens
Posted by: Gary H Pickens at October 24, 2008 09:18 PM
John was my cousin, I miss him dearly. He had a huge heart and was very helpful to everyone he ever met.
He is greatly missed.
Posted by: Alan Chipura at April 9, 2009 02:39 PM