The picture that captured the hearts of many! The falling man of 9/11, ever wonder who he was?
Jonathan Eric Briley, 43, was a sound engineer for the Windows on the World restaurant in the North tower — the first tower to be hit. According to Windows on the World head Chef Michael Lamonica who analyzed AP photographer Richard Drew’s photos, Jonathan fit the body type, size and complexion of the iconic falling man in the photos.
Lamonica described Jonathan as a “hard working, dedicated, good guy with a great sense of humor.”
Jonathan’s sister Gwendolyn, who was Jonathan’s closest sibling, said she never thought of the unfortunate figure in the photo as her brother. “I thought of him as a man that just took his life in his hand for just that second,” she said.
Still in denial, Gwendolyn identified the clothing that the man wore in the photo as items her brother owned. But she stopped short of saying it was him.
“I hope we’re not trying to figure out who he is, and more, figure out who we are through watching.”
“Jonathan Briley’s father is a preacher, a man who has devoted his whole life to serving the Lord. After September 11, he gathered his family together to ask God to tell him where his son was. No: He demanded it. He used these words: “Lord, I demand to know where my son is.” For three hours straight, he prayed in his deep voice, until he spent the grace he had accumulated over a lifetime in the insistence of his appeal.
“The next day, the FBI called. They’d found his son’s body. It was, miraculously, intact.
“The preacher’s youngest son, Timothy, went to identify his brother. He recognized him by his shoes: He was wearing black high-tops. Timothy removed one of them and took it home and put it in his garage, as a kind of memorial.”
Via:SandraRose.com
