Frank and Mary Fetchet of New Canaan saw the world move a step closer to justice with the announcement that Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. Navy SEALs. While the news brings them some degree of relief, it does not undo the harm they've already suffered, Frank Fetchet said Monday morning.
"It doesn't bring me closure, I'll never in my life have closure," Frank said, recalling the loss of his then-24-year-old son, Brad. The younger Fetchet worked on the 82nd floor of World Trade Center, Tower Two.
In the years after the attack, Mary reached out to other families affected by the atrocity perpetrated by bin Laden's terrorist network, al-Qaida. Before the attacks, she was a professional counselor involved with a study on the fallout of terrorism after the Oklahoma City bombing. She took that workload and transferred it to helping the Sept. 11 victims, and her own family.
From her work, Voices of September 11th was born to offer supportive services for the families of victims. They also offer support for the first responders at Ground Zero.
That bin Laden is dead offers a small bit of comfort in the form of justice for Frank, but he accepts that this is one step of many to put an end to the terrorist organization as a whole. "We're a little more at peace knowing this bad guy is gone, but now we have to get the rest of them. There is a lot of work left to do," Frank said.
On Monday morning, Frank was out of the state helping friends with a fundraiser. Mary appeared on "Good Morning America" and other talk shows to speak about the death of bin Laden and the support and services Voices of September 11th offers.
Frank praised both President George W. Bush and President Obama for tracking down the terrorist leader. He also expressed great pride and thanks for the military personnel fighting to topple organizations such as al-Qaida.
Still, the news of bin Laden's death comes to Frank on a somber tone. The families of bin Laden's victims must live with the damage he caused, he said. "The news of his death moved us deep down, but we are not jubilant," Fetchet said.
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