NYPD Detective Luis Alvarez Laid To Rest

Associate Press News - NEW YORK (AP) “” A former police detective, Luis Alvarez, who fought until his final days for the extension of health benefits for Sept. 11 responders was hailed as a hero Wednesday by family, fellow officers and political figures who pledged to advance his message.

Reference: Associated Press article | www.apnews.com | Alvarez died Saturday after a three-year battle with colorectal cancer. He attributed his illness to the three months he spent digging through rubble at the World Trade Center´s twin towers after the terrorist attack. Researchers continue to study whether there is a link between cancer and toxins present during the cleanup. In June, a frail Alvarez appeared before the House Judiciary Committee with former “Daily Show“ host Jon Stewart to request the extension of the Sept. 11 Victim Compensation Fund, which has been largely depleted. Stewart was among those at the service Wednesday.

Alvarez´s life was “a testament to American heroism,“ New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said outside the Immaculate Conception Church.

For many of the mourners, the loss also was a deeply personal one. “Before he became an American hero, he was mine,“ said Alvarez´s son, David. The Star-Spangled Banner played as hundreds of uniformed officers stood at attention outside and police helicopters soared overhead. Officers waited in formation as a hearse carrying Alvarez´s flag-draped coffin slowly drove away.