|
|
September 11, 2006Matthew David Garvey, FDNY, USMC:::BUMPED TO TOP FOR THE DAY SCROLL DOWN FOR NEW POSTINGS:::
Described by marines with whom he served as “…a serious leader who set the example of “getting it right the first time. Never one to hesitate but focused driven to do and apply every effort in completing even the most difficult tasks. ” “Then-Corporal Garvey was my team chief at 2nd ANGLICO, in the early-mid ’80’s. As a dumb Lieutenant, I learned a great deal about stamina, perseverance, leadership, and teamwork from Matt. He never yelled or shouted, complaints NEVER left his mouth, and he led always by example. I’m a better man for having served with him and it grieves me to know he is gone.” “Sgt Garvey was my Sgt while in 2nd ANGLICO. All we wanted to do was to be like him. And at the end, if we came close, we were better Marines and better people.” “GSGT. Garvey was the hardest Marine I have ever met. He was a motivated and dedicated. I know that being a Marine and a NYC Firefighter were the most important things in his life.” Firefighter, FDNY, Squad 1 this site quotes his bio from the NY Times: Matthew Garvey enlisted in 1981 at the age of 18. In his 10-year career, he would make sergeant and become a squad leader in 2nd Anglico, an elite scout team that went into hostile territory ahead of ground troops. He served in Beirut and in operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield. Mr. Garvey, 37, joined the Fire Department in 1995 and earned his way into the elite Squad 1 unit based in Park Slope, Brooklyn. He was recently accepted to law school, was an active Marine reservist, studied Kung Fu, played guitar, took photographs, climbed to the summit of Mount Rainier and was a rescue instructor for the Fire Department. Books on his nightstand included: Don Quixote, War and Peace, The Iliad, Moby Dick. From Newsday: Garvey spent more than 10 years on active duty and participated in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf War, where he received numerous awards. He also earned the Navy Marine Corps parachutist insignia, and was certified as a jump master. Garvey is survived by his mother, Frances, and brother and sister-in-law, Christopher and Donna. Graduate of St. Francis Prep High School, Queens, NY Moving remarks at his funeral, here Reading all of this, I wish I’d known Matthew Garvey, but in a small way, perhaps I do know him, thanks to a nephew. My son Buster was reading over my shoulder as I compiled this and he mentioned that Matthew Garvey looks quite a lot like one of my nephews, who is also a former Marine who saw duty in the Persian Gulf, and who is currently working in law enforcement. “it’s in the eyes.” Buster said. “His eyes are the same as K’s - they have the same look. You can always recognise a marine or a cop or a firefighter. It’s in the eyes. But, you know, so many of them are Irish - maybe that’s why they look the same.” We talked about how the Irish - and the Scots - when they came to America, became cops, firefighters, railworkers and skyscraper builders, because those were the hardest, filthiest and most dangerous jobs, and no one else wanted them. Here in New York, and in Boston and other cities, these families almost developed dynasties within the lifesaving and protection professions - whole families entered into that service until to do anything else was almost unthinkable. In fact one of my Elder Son’s grade-school friends is doing that right now; he graduated high school, now he is finishing up his military service and hoping to get into the FDNY, like his father and his grandfather and great-grandfather before him, like his uncles and cousins. “But,” Buster asked, “why are these Irish fellows, like Matthew Garvey, still so into it? It’s not like the old days where the Irish couldn’t find other work and yet the majority of FDNY and the NYPD personnel are Scots-Irish.” “Yes, I mused, “and a great many - perhaps a majority - of our armed forces comes from the south, and they’re largely Scots-Irish, too.” We both mulled that over quietly for a few moments. “Maybe,” I said, “it’s a combination of getting to do this swaggering, “‘real man” he-man type work, plus the satisfaction of helping others, plus the uniforms and the whole idea of honor and duty that goes along with them.” “Plus the fact that Irish and Scots seem to be adrenaline junkies who like being on the edge of things; are they self-destructive?” Buster asked, forgetting that he’s half Irish, himself, so the question might be better phrased, “we.” Maybe they are simply the old-fashioned “mad Irish” who enjoy tempting fate and walking away victorious, or perhaps they like the idea of dying for something noble, worthwhile and greater than themselves: for the benefit of society in general; for all mankind. Our cops and firefighters do the unthinkable, they do what Christ did. They lay down their lives for strangers - and there is no greater love than that. Buster looked at Garvey’s picture again and mused, “I still say he looks like K. It’s in the eyes. Maybe what we see, that similarity between Matthew Garvey and K, is that they’ve seen death.” Or perhaps what we see in their eyes is a love greater than death. They are the epitome of the gift freely given, and because their gift is free, nothing can ever claim victory over it. RIP Matthew David Garvey, FDNY, USMC, and thank you for your lifetime of service to the benefit of those you never knew. May the angels lead you into paradise; “Alas, poor world, what treasure hast thou lost!” It is both humbling and an honor to memorialize my fellow New Yorker on this day. And kudos to Dale Roe, who thought up this way for bloggers to honor all of the fallen of 9/11. So many of us are coming away from this project wishing we’d known these folks, personally. The Cotillion girls have links to all of their remembrances. Vanderleun has a stirring lament of a poem for this occasion. http://theanchoressonline.com/2006/09/11/in-memoriam-matthew-david-garvey-fdny-usmc/trackback/ 20 Responses to “Matthew David Garvey, FDNY, USMC” |
September 10th, 2006 at 5:22 pm
In Honor Of Thomas Fitzpatrick
Thomas Fitzpatrick was 35 years old when he was killed in the World Trade Center leaving his wife, Marianne, son, Brendan, and daughter, Caralyn. On September 26, 2001, The Journal News, wrote the following about him. Marianne and Thomas Fitzpatrick
September 10th, 2006 at 9:03 pm
What a fitting tribute to another 9/11 first-responder hero!
recently accepted to law school, was an active Marine reservist, studied Kung Fu, played guitar, took photographs, climbed to the summit of Mount Rainier and was a rescue instructor for the Fire Department. Books on his nightstand included: Don Quixote, War and Peace, The Iliad, Moby Dick.
He sounds every inch the warrior-scholar type. And it’s interesting that you and your son talked about his eyes, because a few sentences into your post, I scrolled up and down twice to his photo because I saw something definitely stoic in his expression; and yes, I studied his eyes.
My tribute is for 3 year old David Gamboa-Brandhorst. I knew one of his fathers, both of whom were killed along with David when Flight 175 was flown into the 2nd Tower.
September 10th, 2006 at 9:57 pm
My tribute is to a fireman, too - I asked specifically for a fireman because my dad was one (and an Irishman, no less!). Beautiful tribute you have written, dear Anchoress.
September 10th, 2006 at 10:04 pm
My heart breaks, even 5 years later…
So very sad…
September 11th, 2006 at 12:35 am
Why do they still do it? It may be more than being adrenaline junkies; I think you’re closer to it with the thing about honor. I can trace back three generations of cops in my Canadian French family. Two of my cousins are cops; their father is a retired cop, and his uncle was a cop. I believe his uncle is of the generation that first migrated to the States from Canada; for all I know, there may be RCMPs in the earlier generations. The point here is, there are very strong familial bonds there. We often make fun of the “You father was a shoemaker, you gonna be a shoemaker” syndrome, but when family bonds are that strong, the sons want nothing more than to follow in their father’s footsteps and are proud to do so.
/
The second verse of America the Beautiful says it all:
/
“Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life.”
/
We sang that in church the Sunday immediately following 9/11, and those two line, to which I had never paid much attention before, got me so choked up I couldn’t sing.
September 11th, 2006 at 2:46 am
Tribute to Amenia Rasool
It is fitting on this fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks that we take time to remember and honor each and every person whose life was taken away too soon. It is my honor and privilege to remember Amenia Rasool’s life. Amenia Rasool died at …
September 11th, 2006 at 8:11 am
Never Forget 2,996
Bumped to top for 9/11 - please scroll down for new posts.
…
September 11th, 2006 at 8:16 am
[...] Others remembering: Michelle Malkin, HotAir, The Anchoress, SisterToldjah, FloppingAces, Gina Cobb, Wizbang, These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]
September 11th, 2006 at 8:46 am
[...] Remember. [...]
September 11th, 2006 at 8:50 am
Remembering the Victims of 9/11 - We Will Never Forget
While the victims may be gone their legacy lives on in children, grand children, parents, siblings, husbands, wives and friends. People will gather together and tell fond memories and childhood stories that are unique to each soul. Memorial funds have …
September 11th, 2006 at 9:43 am
[...] That footing can come in many forms. The Anchoress, in a conversation with her son, poignantly refers to an unmistakable Irish-American pride: We talked about how the Irish - and the Scots - when they came to America, became cops, firefighters, railworkers and skyscraper builders, because those were the hardest, filthiest and most dangerous jobs, and no one else wanted them. Here in New York, and in Boston and other cities, these families almost developed dynasties within the lifesaving and protection professions - whole families entered into that service until to do anything else was almost unthinkable. In fact one of my Elder Son’s grade-school friends is doing that right now; he graduated high school, now he is finishing up his military service and hoping to get into the FDNY, like his father and his grandfather and great-grandfather before him, like his uncles and cousins. [...]
September 11th, 2006 at 11:16 am
[...] The Anchoress, Fausta, Musing Minds and Beth are few that have written about American heroes- the ‘Little Eichmanns’ of the left. [...]
September 11th, 2006 at 12:47 pm
[...] The Anchoress - Matthew David Garvey [...]
September 11th, 2006 at 7:43 pm
[...] [And more:] The Anchoress presents her tribute of Firefighter Matthew David Garvey, former Marine, firefighter, FDNY, Squad 1. In it she makes this point about those that serve as our protectors, even to the cost of their own lives: Or perhaps what we see in their eyes is a love greater than death. [...]
September 11th, 2006 at 11:17 pm
We Will Not Forget: Ezra Aviles, Age 41
Today I join with thousands of fellow Americans to honor those killed in the terrorist attacks of September 11. I dedicate this post to Ezra Aviles, 41, of Commack, NY, who worked for the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey at the World Trade Cente…
September 11th, 2006 at 11:18 pm
September 11, 2001
I turn on the TV and watch as the plane slowly flies into the Tower.
Hail Mary, full of grace
My daughter wanders downstairs, shoes in hand,
Turns to look at what has me transfixed on a weekday morning.
The Lord is with thee.
“Where is that, Mom…
September 12th, 2006 at 12:12 am
These are the Clouds
Read more blogger tributes for the 2,996 project:
September 12th, 2006 at 11:06 am
My tribute to Ezra Aviles who worked for the Port Authority of NY/NJ and died while working to ensure others got out of the buildings safely:
http://marchhareshouse.blogspot.com/2006/09/we-will-not-forget-ezra-aviles-age-41.html
.
My other tribute is a poem I wrote some months after 9/11, about that morning. DD#2 was eight years old at the time:
http://marchhareshouse.blogspot.com/2006/09/september-11-2001.html
.
September 13th, 2006 at 6:48 am
A Tribute To Gary H. Lee: 2,996
So many people, with dreams, hopes, problems, loves and hates, and limitless futures, were cut down without warning, slaughtered without mercy, for no other reason than an unreasoning hatred of a Nation, and a People, who believe in Freedom.
June 11th, 2007 at 9:20 pm
[...] Anchoress remembers Matthew David Garvey, FDNY, USMC Sensible Mom remembers Thomas Fitzpatrick Gina Cobb remembers Amenia Rasool Laura Lee Donoho [...]