By Jonann Brady
By Tuesday, Donald Hayde, a 24-year New York City Fire Department veteran and Baldwin resident, was on a plane with two other firefighters, a department chaplain and two city police officers, headed to Afghanistan.
Hayde was chosen as part of a contingent to deliver food to Afghan refugees as well as supplies and greetings to American troops.
A battalion chief of Special Operations unit, Hayde spent about two months working at the World Trade Center after Sept. 11. He is also a former Marine, which his wife says makes the visit especially exciting for him.
"He's on it to represent New York," said Carol. "He was really, really looking forward to shaking hands with the Marines and telling them how much we appreciate everything their doing."
She added, "He believes in bringing humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and letting the people know we're not against them."
The six men landed in Bahran, an air base about 32 miles north of Kabul in a cargo plane filled with supplies. There, they were scheduled to meet members of the United Nation's World Food Program, which will distribute the 90,000 lbs. of cooking oil, rice, powdered milk and blankets to Afghan refugees.
Hayde is also a history buff, said his wife, who "feels like he's living history."
Hayde lost 11 brothers from his former firehouse and knew about 80 others who were killed in the Sept. 11 attack, said his wife.
"No one could have held him back from going," she said. "He feels good about doing this. There's a lot of emotion behind it."
Hayde will have returned to Baldwin by Saturday, Dec. 22, in time to spend a quiet Christmas with Carol and their three kids -- Kerry, 21, Amanda, 16 and Bridget, 13.
"This [trip] symbolizes a lot of what Americans are made of, especially New Yorkers," said Carol.
