Michael Arczynski — The 45-year-old sports enthusiast from Vancouver was a senior vice-president of Aon Corp.’s Manhattan office. He and his wife, Lori, who was raised in Montreal, had three children after their marriage in 1990. Lori gave birth to a fourth child, named for his late father, after the attack. Arczynski, who loved to ski near Vancouver and spent a lot of time with family in Vermont, also left behind three daughters from his first marriage.
… more.
Their stories break your heart. May they rest in peace, and their families be comforted.
I’d like to share something that I wrote on Ricochet.com this morning:
Finding Out Who Your Friends Are
Gander, Newfoundland is a small town of less that 10,000 souls. On the morning of September 11, 2001 its population nearly doubled. Thirty-eight flights bound for the United States were re-routed to Gander International and 6,595 uninvited and unprepared guests were taken care of like long lost friends.
But at worse, that was a temporary inconvenience. What is more telling is the reaction since. When America looks to her northern neighbor she should be reminded of the bonds that are forged by sweat, by tears and, especially, by blood.
When the towers fell on that Tuesday morning ten years ago, they took 24 Canadians down with them. Somewhere in Saskatchewan a young man was watching television and waiting to start his first day of high school. Four years later he was on the first of his three tours of Afghanistan. Yesterday one of his parents wrote, “I (have) met a number of my son’s brothers in arms, and to a man and woman they were all ‘in it’ because of 9/11.”
On that day, our war became their war. Just as it had in Korea. Just as Americans had joined the Canadian Armed Services prior to our entry into two World Wars.
To date 157 Canadian troops have paid the ultimate price in Afghanistan. They return to Canada through CFB Trenton where each is met by their family. From there a convoy will take them to the Toronto Coronor’s office and hundreds of their grateful countrymen still line the 401 and salute them as they go by on the “Highway of Heroes.”
The next time you see a Canadian, whether it be here on Ricochet or in person, take a moment and say, “Nous vous sommes extrêmement reconnaissants. We are very grateful to you.”
It’s nice to know who your friends really are.
Thanks,we sometimes forget.
Cjunk, thanks for posting the list.
These were good people.