Academy Falcons: It's up to you, New York

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Steve Grever
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
NEW YORK (AFNEWS) --  The U.S. Air Force Academy men's basketball team arrived on the East Coast March 23 to compete in the Mastercard National Invitation Tournament semifinals here.

After spending March 24 touring West Point and meeting with their Army counterparts, the cadets traveled to New York City to meet with firefighters at the Engine 54 firehouse and tour the Statue of Liberty and Ground Zero.

Jim Morandi, New York Fire Department Cancer Support Group member and tour organizer, led the Falcons to their first stop at Engine 54 in Manhattan. Senior guard Matt McCraw said he learned a lot from his experience at the firehouse and from meeting firefighters who served on Sept. 11, 2001.

"We thanked them for everything they do for us. Not only for giving us the tour, but for every second they are both on and off duty because they represent so much more, which is a lot like us," Cadet McCraw said.

Cadet McCraw said he could relate to the sacrifices the firefighters make every day.

"The one (comment) that sticks out in my mind is when they were talking about how they served and rescued people they didn't even know or would never meet," he said. "That definitely lines up with our profession because we are protecting and serving people we will never know or meet."

During the second part of their tour, the Academy Falcons were treated to a fireboat trip on the Hudson River. During their excursion, the team got an indepth look at Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge and Ellis Island, courtesy of the New York Fire Department.

For the final portion of their tour, the basketball team visited Ground Zero and the FDNY Memorial Wall. According to Mr. Morandi, this bronze memorial was dedicated less than six months ago, and has the names of the 343 active members of the Fire Department of New York who died in service Sept. 11, 2001.

The cadets viewed the memorial as well as visited with some Ladder 10 firefighters. When they visited Ground Zero, Mr. Morandi told them his own personal 9/11 story.

On that day, Mr. Morandi was working on Dey Street. He had to quickly duck into a building to avoid falling debris from the collapsing South Tower. After all the rubble had fallen, Mr. Morandi was trapped with another fireman.

When his fellow firefighters came to his aid, they said an anonymous woman told them that she thought two firemen were trapped in the building. Mr. Morandi believes he would have died if that still-unknown woman hadn't told them of his location.

Senior forward Jake Burtschi said hearing Mr. Morandi's story was inspiring, and it gave him a different perspective on the events of that horrific day.

"He was there. How many people get to meet one of the heroes from that day?" he said. "It really gives you an idea from a basketball perspective. You have all these fans come up to you saying, 'You're the greatest' and 'You're my hero.' If they think I'm a hero or any one on this basketball team is a hero, then they have no idea about what really goes on because guys like that are definitely heroes to me."

Cadet McCraw said personally visiting Ground Zero was much different than when he saw coverage of the area on TV.

"Actually being on that ground and stepping foot where these horrible acts took place really hit home for me," he said. "They were not selfish enough to just run off. They were selfless to go back and help people even though it could have cost them their own lives. That's just the ultimate sacrifice that one day we all might have to make."

Coach Jeff Bzdelik said having Mr. Morandi escort the team helped the cadets gain a better insight into what selflessness and dedication are all about.

"People like Jim Morandi serve our country in a very special way and to hear his experience really cements why the cadets are at the academy in many ways," he said. "It really gives them a sense of purpose for what they will be doing in years to come.

"It's all about what's right and pure about college basketball, and what it should be and what it should stand for," Coach Bzdelik said. "It's not just about winning, and about what some programs will do to win at all costs. This is about what's right and pure about this sport. It's about education. It's about having an impact on society."

The Falcons play Clemson University March 27 at 9 p.m. EST at Madison Square Garden. The game will be televised on ESPN.

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