Photo Courtesy of BET
After 20 years, Rahsaan and Michael Thompson reflect on the loss of their heroic father, William Harry Thompson, on September 11, 2001.
The two Thompson brothers and many other family members of the 2,996 victims who passed away from the devastating events of 9/11 have lived in remembrance of that day for years and still have heavy hearts over their losses.
For the Rahsaan and Michael, they’ve found solace that their father’s death was not in vain, for he was just as much of a hero to others that dismal day as he was to them.
Michael spoke of his father during an exclusive interview with BET and said, “That was who our father was, very selfless, very loyal, a very caring parent, a friend. He meant a lot of things to many people.”
“There was only one thing on my father’s mind, and that was to save lives. He was in civil service, and one of the oaths that you take in that vocation is protecting and serving, so that was part of his job description.”
“But that was, more importantly, just who he was as a human being…and certainly that’s echoed throughout not just New York City but the United States as well,” he said.
Rahsaan elaborated on the grief he and his brother felt after their dad’s passing.
“I think for my brother and I each time Sept. 11 comes around, it’s like we’re reliving it. It doesn’t change. That emptiness is still there, so every time we go through a Sept. 11 anniversary, it always feels like it happened yesterday, so it’s something that never goes away completely.”
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Michael added to that, explaining how their family’s despair relates to the rest of the nation’s emotion over the events of that day.
“What made this event odd from a mourning standpoint is that traditionally when you lose a loved one, especially a parent, that’s something that’s very private,” he explained. “This was the exact opposite, whereas not just us but the entire country was grieving. So, certainly all of the commemorative events, annually, it’s something that, unfortunately, kind of unearths a lot of anxiety, a lot of frustration, a lot of tears, especially knowing that we’re doing it with so many other families that lost loved ones that day.”
Michael continued saying, “What my brother and I and our family have tried to do is conform to our new normal because he left a tremendous void throughout our entire family, not to mention colleagues in the workplace. It’s a void that can never be filled but nonetheless, what sustains us is the things he taught us over the years, and that’s something that we try to pass on to our children.”
William was one of 71 law enforcement officers who died at the World Trade Center on 9/11. He and two other court officers ran into the World Trade Center, but they never made it out. He sacrificed his life to save others and will forever be remembered for his honorable contribution that day.