On the 18th anniversary of 9/11, former senior White House official Brad Blakeman -- now a GOP strategist and Fox News regular -- joined my radio show to tell his story from that awful day. Blakeman described how an unremarkable Tuesday morning was violently wrenched into a crisis that forever altered the nation, as well as his own family. He recounted the intensity, professionalism, and service of his colleagues as the terrorist attacks unfolded, the steady leadership and profound compassion of President Bush, and the ultimate sacrifice of his own nephew, Tommy, who was lost that day. When we invoke the term "never forget," it's essential that we recall the heartbreak and sacrifice of 9/11. Keeping those memories fresh and alive requires sharing difficult stories. Listen to our exchange:
#NeverForget requires telling & listening to painful stories. Brad Blakeman was the only WH staffer who lost a relative that day -- his hero nephew, Tommy.
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) September 11, 2019
Please listen & share, especially w/ those who are too young to remember what 9/11 was like: https://t.co/N9u39jmCfc
Here is more information about Thomas Jurgens, who was 26 years old and recently married when he rushed into the burning towers to help others. It was not his job to do so:
The list of fallen first responders includes three court officers: Thomas Jurgens, W. Harry Thompson and Mitchel Wallace. The fallen court cops — among the first to arrive on 9/11 — are being lauded in a memorial service Wednesday morning on the stairs outside 100 Centre St. Stationed blocks away, they voluntarily raced to the burning towers in a van from the Courthouse on Centre St...Senior Court Officer Thomas Jurgens was killed in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks while attempting to rescue the victims trapped in the World Trade Center. He had served with the New York State Office of Court Administration for three years and he had previously served as a medic with the United States Army. Officer Jurgens' uncle, Police Officer Paul Jurgens, of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department, was also killed on 9/11 while responding to the scene.
Jurgens was instructed to leave the building via radio transmission shortly before his death, and he refused, responding that there were too many people who needed his help. I'll leave you with Blakeman's segment on America's Newsroom, which includes visuals of Tommy. Rest in peace: