Sadly, you learn something new...

I'd listened to the names all morning, numbly.

I'd heard the name of the wife of a childhood friend, lost heartbreakingly three months after their wedding. My mom listened too...."I waited for the F's..." Yeah. "But I couldn't wait for Ivan's (my cousin's) friend." "WHO?"

I didn't know that the brother of one of my high school classmates was lost too. I had no idea. Was it him? I checked the lists...checked the testimonials. Yes. The youngest of six, there was a NY times article about him, with lots of quotes from my high school classmate (we were junior-high friends more than anything; he was cute as hell.) Read the testimonials, brothers and sisters of the families of my younger days.

Yeah, that's him.

Familiar, Italian-American and Irish-American names. Good kids. Lost too soon.

Rest in peace, Christina Donovan Flannery and Pete Siracuse.

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My brother in law George died in August 2001. He never saw all this.

And the Yankees haven't won a Series since. If you knew what a serious fan George was, you'd know I wasn't being glib.

Rest in peace, George Esposito Jr.