One of Great Neck's bravest, firefighter Jonathan L. Ielpi, finally came home last week. Jonathan, Vigilant's first assistant fire chief and a New York City firefighter, lost his life on Sept. 11, one of the first fighters into the World Trade Center following the attacks. He was found at the site of the south tower last week.

Jonathan's father Lee Ielpi, a retired firefighter, has been searching for his son since Sept. 11. Late Tuesday evening, Dec. 11, Lee had just returned home from digging through the rubble, when he received a phone call telling him that Jonathan's remains had been found. Within a short time, Lee and his younger son Brendan, also a firefighter, returned to Ground Zero to bring Jonathan home.

Jonathan's wife, Yesenia, and their two young sons, Andrew and Austin, had just returned from a week in Hawaii with Jonathan's mother, Anne. Their brief respite was a gift from the state of Hawaii to the bereaved families of the Sept. 11 victims. Lee Ielpi had remained home to continue looking for Jonathan.

At press time, a Mass of Christian Burial for Jonathan Ielpi was scheduled for Monday, Dec. 17, at St. Aloysius Church. A wake and a memorial service had already been held, prior to finding the remains.

And while this part of the tragedy is over for the Ielpi family, Lee Ielpi continues to work at Ground Zero, hoping to recover more victims for more grieving families.