On the 13th anniversary of the tragic World Trade Center attacks, the memories of that September morning are as poignant as ever. Many Americans can recall exactly where they were on that fateful day, and for Eileen Tallon, whose son Sean died in the towers, it is no different.
Firefighter Sean Patrick Tallon was one of the first responders on the scene at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. Despite the day's somber legacy, his mother looked back on that morning with painstakingly detailed stories and fond memories.
“He would be getting up around the same time that I was getting up, and we wouldn't talk much because there wouldn't be that much going on,” she said. “But that particular morning, he was beaming. He had on this beautiful rugby shirt that he had bought in Ireland. It was green and white and it had a white collar, and he was looking up at me and we were having such a nice conversation, and then he kind of said to me, 'I have to get going, I have to get going.' It was just a wonderful morning.”
She emphasized the importance of focusing on Tallon’s life and accomplishments.
“We’ll always remember 9/11, but I’m remembering my happy times that he had. His graduation from college, his graduation from the marines [and] his graduation from the fire academy,” she said. “I have really great memories, really vivid memories of all the happy times. All his dreams worked out.”
Tallon's sister Rosaleen Tallon DaRos said she wished she could share a few last words with her brother.
"I don't know, you don’t sit down with somebody and tell them, 'Oh, I’m so proud of you.' Sometimes you don’t get the opportunity, and Sean wasn’t the type. He’d be so soft with [praise]. I wish I could tell him, 'God, Sean, I’m so proud of you.’"
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