TSA Honored by Florida Marlins on September 11
Press & Happenings
September 14, 2007
The Florida Marlins paid tribute to TSA on September 11, offering a moving finale to a solemn day of remembrance.
More than 300 TSA workers, including federal air marshalls, were in Miami as the Marlins took on the Washington Nationals on the sixth anniversary of the terrorist attacks. The crowd included federal security directors (FSDs) from all three South Florida airports: Pete Garcia from Palm Beach International; Tim Lewis from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International and Mark Hatfield from Miami International.
Lewis threw out the ceremonial first pitch. As an Air Force colonel and pilot during the attacks, he commanded the aircraft arm of the elite Special Operations Forces.
Uniformed Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood Transportation Security Officer (TSO) Jeffrey Morrall, a trained opera singer, sang the National Anthem.
Forming the Miami Color Guard on the field were Supervisory TSOs Carlos Demera, Patricia Troncoso, Jesus Ramos and Agusto Delavalle, lead TSO Hope Styles and TSOs Rosana Medina and Jose Matos.
Two moving productions by Miami Program Analyst Shawn Hurley captured TSA's creation, which followed the attacks, on the high definition screen at Dolphin Stadium, one of the largest sports screens in the country. One production, featuring South Florida TSOs, immediately followed a moment of silence at 9:11 p.m.
The Marlins presented Tim Norris, the Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood assistant FSD-screening, with a team jersey having 37 on the back to honor the 37 New York Port Authority Police heroes who lost their lives rescuing people on September 11 at the World Trade Center. Norris was a police commander with the Port Authority Police, and narrowly escaped as the second tower collapsed.
"I tell all of our new hires that they are literally on the front line in the war against terrorism," said Norris, "We know people's lives depend on how efficiently we do our jobs."
