This story first appeared on palabra, the digital news site by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
In the weeks and months following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, New York City police officer Daniel Rodríguez became a beloved and seemingly ever-present symbol of American resilience. Singing about patriotism and faith, Rodríguez uplifted and consoled a grieving nation with the sound of his voice.
As authorities raced to find answers as to why two planes that had destroyed the World Trade Center in New York, a third plane had hit the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and a fourth, hijacked plane had crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, Rodríguez, a first responder who had initially been deployed to Ground Zero, was soon reassigned, and asked to serve his country in a different way…