William Manchester wrote that “Over the millennia of war certain crack troops must be set apart, elite units which demonstrated gallantry in the face of overwhelming odds,” including his own First Marine Division on Guadalcanal.

To Manchester’s proud list must be added, the Fire Department of the City of New York on Sept. 11, 2001. Murdered that day were 343 FDNY members, and 254 died of Ground Zero illnesses; four more fell in combat on military leave.

Recommended Stories

The Afghanistan War Is Over. We Lost.

Taliban put al Qaeda ally in charge of Afghanistan security

The Taliban don’t want peace, but let’s leave Afghanistan anyway