A Mother Remembers Her 9/11 Hero

Twenty-five years after the Sept. 11 attacks, Rosemary Cain wants people to remember something about the 343 firefighters who never came home: They were not numbers.

“They’re human beings and they all left heartbroken families behind,” Cain said. “They all had vitality. They all had hopes and dreams.”

Her son, George Cain, 35, grew up in Massapequa and spent seven years with FDNY Ladder 7 in Manhattan. He had worked the night before Sept. 11, 2001, and was supposed to go home that morning. Instead, he stayed for an overtime shift to cover for a colleague.

George was helping evacuate the Marriott Hotel at the World Trade Center when the towers collapsed.

His remains were found on New Year’s Eve day more than three months after the attacks, a recovery his family describes as a “bittersweet blessing” since many never received that closure.

“He had a good, happy life, and he died a hero,” Rosemary said. “And I’m very proud of him.”

She remembers a son who loved skiing, hiking, music, the beach and anything physically challenging. He had lived in Colorado building log homes while waiting to be called by the FDNY and dreamed of someday returning to the Rockies.

“He was a very, very easygoing, fun-loving guy,” she said. “He was a good son. He was a wonderful son. He never gave me any trouble. He was a good brother. He was a good friend.”

For Rosemary, anniversaries do not make the loss any more real.

“People make a big issue out of the 25th anniversary, and I get it,” she said. “But we live with it every day.”

The family has celebrated weddings, babies and countless happy occasions in the years since.

“But there’s always that ‘but,’” she said. “Why isn’t he here? George should be here. We all get together and there’s always the empty chair.”

Rosemary still carries George’s photograph whenever she attends 9/11 events. “It’s not about me. It’s about George,” she said. “I want people to see his face.”

And after 25 years, her pride remains stronger than her grief. “He was a hero,” she said. “I’m proud of him. I’m grateful to God. He was a good son, and we had him for 35 years.”