leader of men

The camera phone photo below made the email rounds in our family earlier this year. My mother sent it to me. She had gotten it from her sister, who in turn had gotten it from a neighbor. The neighbor's son saw the inspirational quote on the wall of a fire training academy in Maryland. The name under the quote is that of FDNY Captain Terry Hatton, a hero who died six years ago today. My mother's sister is Terry Hatton's mother.



My cousin was known for saying "It's either outstanding or it's unacceptable." Former FDNY Commissioner Thomas Von Essen used the quote in his remarks in 2005 when a portion of West 43rd Street was renamed Captain Terence S. Hatton Way. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you might recall that I wrote about Terry last year on this date.

There is something else this time of year that helps me remember Terry. During the years that I worked at KROQ, we would travel to New York every September for the MTV Video Music Awards. Terry would find time in his schedule to meet me at a restaurant near my hotel. I wanted to hear about his latest heroics but he would steer the conversation away from himself. Of course, his actions spoke louder than any words.