I
believe I first met Richard Ruberto on my Pleasant Isshinryu discussion group.
He is a passionate Isshinryu karate-ka. At that time he was associated with AJ
Advincula. In time he associated with Sherman Harrill. Both he and I were passionate supporters of our
own Isshinryu traditions.
At
that time he as a Police Officer in NYC.
Then
one morning it was September 11, 2011. I was between employment and was on my
PC looking for a new position. I was also listening to Don Imus on the radio. I
remember Imus telling us a plane struck the World Trade Tower in NYC. I looked
it up on a computer news site, continuing to listen to Imus describing what he
was seeing. Of course it was most terrible.
Then
as the morning continued I heard more and more. It even was being discussed on
Pleasant Isshinryu.
Then
most of the day I followed reports on Pleasant Isshinryu.
I
was a most horrifying day to remember.
One
of those reporting was Richard Ruberto who was stationed across the river in
NYC on his job. He described those horrifying events as he viewed them.
Of
course to me what made him a hero is what came next. He joined the search of
the World Trade Center wreckage, for months. Seeking whatever he could to help
in the disaster.
About
a year later he attended a clinic with Sherman Harrill that Garry Gerossie and
I hosted in Derry, NH. Then had dinner with Sherman, Garry and I at a local
restaurant. Years later we met again when he attended a clinic with John
Kerker, held in Western Mass. It was extremely pleasant to see him again.
Of
course our lives followed different paths, but I always remember when the dust
rose in disaster another hero strode forth.
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