Monday, September 11, 2006

5 Years Ago...

We Shall Never Forget...

Daniel W. McNeal











I am proud to be able to pay tribute to one of those lost in a senseless attack we now refer to as 9/11. On the same hand, I wish I wasn't typing these words and that this tragedy had never happened. But, it did. And although I didn't personally know any one that was there that day, I cry for those that did and those that were there. It still seems unreal that this happened.

Here are a couple excerpts about Daniel:


'The Heart in the 3-Piece Suit'

Daniel W. McNeal wore a three-piece suit in high school. He followed the stock market, loved Ronald Reagan and considered politics as a profession.His mother advised against it. So Daniel went to business school at Georgetown University and one year ago became an analyst for the firm of Sandler O'Neill on the 104th floor of 2 World Trade Center.His plan was to make a name for himself on Wall Street, then write books and become a professor at Georgetown, his sister, Kathleen, said.In the meantime, his annual Christmas present to his family in Towson, Md., was a trip to New York City and a night on the town. "He was so proud of New York and the people he had met and the places he had been," she said.Daniel liked helping people. Once, on a golf course, he threw himself between a hurtling ball and a woman who was about to be hit, Kathleen said. The woman emerged unscathed; the gentlemanly Daniel ended up bleeding from the head and apologizing profusely to the golfers, whose ball he had intercepted, for having interrupted their game.


-- Anon (Friend) 23 Oct 2001



Daniel McNeal Daniel McNeal, the son of Towson residents, was killed at the World Trade Center. His body was found and identified late Thursday.Mr. McNeal, 29, worked on the 104th floor of Two World Trade Center. He was a financial analyst for Sandler O'Neill, an investment banking firm, and lived in New Jersey.He was a graduate of Loyola Blakefield High School, where he was class president in 1990. He earned a degree in finance from Boston College and gained a master's in business degree from Georgetown University.He is survived by his parents and a sister.

-- Gerard Shields


Please take a minute and view this beautiful slide show:

http://www.seancohen.com/projects/dan/dan_images/slideshow.htm and also a moment of silence for Daniel McNeal. If you believe in prayer, say a short prayer. If not, just take a moment to be totally silent in remembrance of a life taken before it's time. We remember you today, Daniel McNeal...and may we NEVER forget!












"And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Oh! thus be it ever when freemen shall stand
Between their lov'd home and the war's desolation,
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto—"In God is our trust."
And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave."
-Star Spangled Banner (an excerpt)

15 comments:

Emma's Kat said...

Morning everyone...I appoligize for not having any pictures. I have been trying to upload pictures since yesterday morning with no luck. Don't know what's going on. Was able to upload pix of cat of the day, obviously. I even tried uploading a kitty pic on the 9/11 post and still, it did not work. Any suggestions on what to do or what I could be doing wrong?!

KC and the Giggleman Kitties said...

Kat, just emailed on my solution. Very good tribute, this is so sad to even be doing this. Pretty overwhelming.

Emma's Kat said...

Yes, it is. I still can't get the ones I want centered...oh well. They're there, so everyone can see this young man. Thanks, ML.

Oscar the Puppy Cat said...

I least you had pictures. I was able to post one. I haven't figured out the whole picture placement thing. Your tribute is very nice. He sounds like a very smart go-getter. (SP?)

Anonymous said...

Thank you for doing this. Dan was a good friend of mine and my son is named after him. I appreciate you remembering one of the most amazing people I have ever met in my life.
-LF

Hot(M)BC said...

What a lovely tribute to Daniel. Thanks for sharing his life with us.
Many Blessings
Robyn

The Meezers or Billy said...

what a lovely tribute to Daniel. Thank you for letting me know him. My tribute is posted at the Meezers blog. - Meezers Mom Mary

Oscar the Puppy Cat said...

KAT, HOPE YOU DON'T MIND THIS. I HAD A BLOG THAT IS NO LONGER IN EXISTANCE. I DIDN'T GET MY NEW BLOG LISTED IN TIME AND SO MY HONORY IS SHOWING THAT HE'S NOT BEING HONORED. IF YOU WOULD PLEASE JUST TAKE A FEW SECONDS TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THIS WONDERFUL MAN, IT WOULD MEAN SO MUCH. HE DESERVES TO BE ACKNOWLEDGE AND I ONLY WISH I COULD HAVE GOTTEN MY NEW BLOG REGISTERED SOONER. THANKS EVERYONE!
kim-meandmyblog.blogspot.com

Rascal said...

Another beautiful tribute. Very nice indeed.

Anonymous said...

A wonderful tribute to Daniel McNeal, a hero. Thank you for sharing this with us and we will never forget!!! My prayers go out to his family and friends and for peace throughout the World.

Meowmepurr's Mumma said...

Lovely job, Kat. Thank you for helping us remember another one of the heroes, Daniel McNeal.

"Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me."

Anonymous said...

I too was a friend of Dan's (from college) and am thankful to you for posting this. He was a great guy who is missed by so many. Your write-up provides a glimpse into just how special he was.

Ricki said...

Great post. It is just sad to have so many good people gone from us to soon. Pray for their families, and for the men and women in our military, fighting and dying for us so that we hopefully will never have to go through this again.

ANGEL ABBYGRACE said...

Your tribute to Daniel was so moving. In becoming apart of the 2996 project I found nyself becoming more attached to the man I was honoring. I am also discovering it is hard to not be affected by his memory and let go. Thank you for bringing Daniel to life for us. I was happy to see that 2 people who knew him commented here.

Anonymous said...

What a lovely tribute! The stories about him reminded me of Alex P. Keaton and made me smile. Dan was obviously an intelligent, caring and unique young man - such a tragic loss!
Karen