New York City.A beautiful late summer morning.The sky is cloudless and the sun is shining brightly and warmly.It is Tuesday, September 11, 2001.At 8.45 a.m. a Boeing 767, of American Airlines Flight 11, out of Boston, with jet fuel capacities of nearly 24,000 US gallons, crashes into the NorthTower of the WorldTradeCenter.At 9.03 a.m. another Boeing 767, of American Airlines Flight 175, also out of Boston, with similar jet fuel capacities, crashes into the SouthTower of the WorldTradeCenter.At 9.45 a.m. a Boeing 757, of American Airlines Flight 77, from DullesInternationalAirport, slams into the Pentagon.And at 10.10 a.m. another Boeing 757, of American Airlines Flight 93, out of Newark, N.J., goes down in a wooded area in Pennsylvania, southwest of Pittsburgh.In these coordinated attacks against the United States close to 3,000 people died.
RAY DAVISON: AN AMERICAN HERO is the story of a legendary Vermont figure, and a hero to many people. The book covers the different periods of his life when he was working as a teacher, worker, business man, public servant, and Deputy Chief for the fire department of the city of Vergennes. It also touches briefly on the history of Vermont, three of its well-known figures, and on the breath and complexity of firefighting in the 21st century.
RAY DAVISON: AN AMERICAN HERO is also an appreciation of two friends who very much admired and respected him and a record of his outstanding commitment in helping people, not only in the fire service, but in all walks of life across the United States and throughout the world. Finally, it is an examination and review of all the changes that have taken place in the service from the days of siren technology to the more complex, legally-sensitive, and post-September 11 realities of our times.
About the Author
Paul Desautels is a specialist in military affairs and security.In April 2004, he was invited to give the keynote speech entitled Leadership in America at the banquet for the Southern Vermont Fire School.After he had given it, he met Ray Davison andwas so impressed by hiscommitment to the fire service, its firefighters, and the challenges America was going to face after September 11, that he decided to write on these matters.RAY DAVISON: AN AMERICAN HERO is the result.
