We
in the FBI are proud to be here with you today.
We are honored to be here in this wonderful
community. We are honored to be able to be with
you to take strength from this magnificent church,
and to praise Lenny Hatton.
Lenny was a devoted husband and father, an exceptional
Special Agent, and a caring and compassionate
human being. He served his country in so many
ways ... from fighting fires to fighting crime
to fighting for freedom as a fellow Marine.
He cared deeply about his family and built his
life around them. Lenny was a father who would
fly 33 straight hours from an overseas investigation
just to make his daughter's school dance.
Though we join Jo Anne, Tara, Leonard, Jessica,
Courtney, and the entire Hatton family in mourning
Lenny's loss, we also honor and celebrate a
true American hero today.
When terror struck New York City on September
11, our country couldn't have asked for a better
person on the scene. Lenny was a Special Agent,
bomb technician, Marine, and volunteer firefighter
all rolled into one. He was man of great courage
who was proud to serve his country and always
willing to lend a hand. And his acts of bravery
and compassion on that fateful day of September
11 were remarkable.
Lenny was at the World Trade Center, saving
lives even as he sacrificed his own, not because
he had to be, but because he chose to be. He
was on his way to work that morning when he
saw the first tower on fire. He could have continued
on his way to the office. Instead, probably
without even thinking of his own safety, he
went straight to the scene.
Within minutes, Lenny was on top of an adjacent
building, surveying the damage and relaying
information back to our FBI office in New York.
Then, the second tower was struck. Others in
the area fled. Not Lenny. He raced out of the
building and into the World Trade Center. There,
he helped firemen and rescue personnel lead
people out of the soot, smoke, and darkness
and into safety.
One man in the building told us that he was
guided out by a person who identified himself
as a Special Agent of the FBI. When they were
outside in the clear, he was surprised to see
the Agent turning back around. "Where are you
going?" he asked. "Back into the building" came
the Agent's response. That Special Agent, without
a doubt, was Lenny Hatton.
Though we lost Lenny that morning, America gained
a hero. Lenny died doing what he loved in life
-- protecting his fellow citizens and upholding
the values of his country. In the process, he
reminded us of what is so good and right about
America ... the integrity, fortitude, and sacrifice
that are the backbone of our great nation. On
September 11, terrorists tried to make a statement
to the world. Lenny responded with a message
of his own ... a testament to the power of courage,
compassion, and goodness. And ultimately, we
know that it is Lenny's values that will endure
and prevail.
Lenny was proud to work for the FBI, but today,
it is the FBI that is so very proud of Lenny.
He was everything you'd want an Agent to be
... smart, tenacious, honest, brave, willing
to take on any task and put in whatever hours
were needed to get the job done. We are honored
that a person of his caliber and integrity chose
to serve in our ranks, and we will take to heart
the example of service and sacrifice that he
left us. Lenny will be missed, but he will never
be forgotten. God bless Lenny Hatton.
