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Gold Star father reflects on son’s sacrifice

2020-09-11 | 🔗
Jim Regan, Gold Star father and founder of ‘Army Ranger Lead the Way Fund’, joins ‘Fox & Friends.’
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jim somebody, zero mission to support the elite, just like his son, Jim Regan, is the founder of the army. Ranger lead the way fund and I joins us now: hey Jim thanks for being with us, Ainsley wonderful to be here and thank you for giving Mee the opportunity Ainsley. Absolutely so many parts to this story start from the beginning: nine Slash eleven. Where were you? What did you see? Nine slash Eleven unbelievable day working at fidelity and the World Financial Center after the first plane went in at 846. They evacuated the building. So my team and myself we went down. We were out by the West Side highway at Liberty Street right across from maybe your viewers. Remember the old trade ships bar that was there by the Marriott. We were right across the street from there at 903 above our heads. We hear this roaring sound of a plane working its way through the streets of New York, so to
speakenned, slamming into the 77th floor of the tower fireball overhead people dont realize this, but the World Trade Center was covered in stainless steel about a 16th of an inch and the shrapnel from that was unbelievable. It fell down it hit people slamming into cars slamming into the streets, utter chaos. That way we worked our way up to the Marina area. The world financial center fast pace we didnt know if there was going to be another plane, come in worked our way up to the high school. Where I waited about, I would say about ten to fifteen minutes to be able to get myself on a pay phone and call home poke to my wife. Everyone was very concerned, obviously, especially my daughter and son, who were away at college. Jimmy was down at Duke and Mary Beth was down at Georgetown, told her that we were fine. Things were chaotic mentioned a couple folks that
were with me to try to contact their folks to tell them that they were safe, and I said, im going to work my bay up to Penn station to see what goes on give myself portable radio one of the stores to be able to monitor what was happening and we ended up at sky Light Diner having coffee waiting for what was going to happen next Ainsley. Did you go home by the grace of God to your family, so many others didnt, your son decides to become an army ranger. What happened to him in Iraq, your namesake Jimmy Jimmy? I will tell you, we didnt realize it at that time, but the World Trade Center incident killing three thousand five hundred Americans changed the course of the Regan family. Obviously, nineteen years ago you know Jimmy watched planes going in from Duke what his dad was up to, whether he was there or not.
And six years later Jimmy gave his life to his country army, Ranger, nine slash eleven affected the direction of our life for the rest of our lives. Ainsley some people lost their lives from your area out on long island for folks at home. Its about thirty minutes outside of the city and a lot of men and women commute into the city to go to work and bring a paycheck home to their families. Did you so much to raise a wonderful family? Your friend went to unbelievable school hard to get into lacrosse player, played lacrosse on Duke offered huge job on Wall Street. To follow your steps, he decided to fight for our country and elite special ops team. He was engaged to a woman. We have basic your son buried at Arlington, and his fiancee is right there at his grave site. I know she is working with your organization.
Tell us about lead the way fund, active duty, casualty organization established in Jimmys honor to build his legacy. We started it in two thousand and eight, and we have over a decade of service to the 75th Ranger regiment. We have touched the lives of roughly forty thousand rangers and their families. We assist them with recovery support. We build homes, our severely wounded, rangers right now, building a home in Wesley Chapel with another patriotic fund Jared allen- and you know our mission is not complete. We are not going to leave any ranger behind, essentially were focused thats, my mission and its now. The mission- and it has been the mission of Army Ranger, lead the way fund. So I love for everyone to jump on, lead the way fund site and find out more about us,
but we will not leave any army ranger behind in the field of Battle Ainsley, I cant imagine what you have gone through: no greater loss than to lose your child, especially your only son, wish your family well and listen W. We have the most generous viewers. Your son has sacrificed and everything for this amazing country we live in generous viewers. Im sure would want to donate to your fund. There is the organizations website lead the way fund, DOT, Org heroes serving all around the world. Thank you so much Jim. I appreciate it give your Betts to your wife and girls and to his fiancee.
Transcript generated on 2020-09-11.