“Daddy And Papa”: Remembering The Brandhorst-Gamboa Family On September 11

Daniel Brandhorst and Ronald Gamboa were on United Flight 175 with their 3-year-old son, David, when it crashed into the World Trade Center.
From: NewNowNext

 Some 2,977 people were killed in the terror attacks on September 11, 2001—people lost their mothers, their husbands, lovers and friends.

But when United Airlines Flight 175 smashed into the south tower of the World Trade Center, entire families were eradicated, too.

Daniel Brandhorst and Ronald Gamboa were on their way home to Los Angeles after visiting family in Cape Cod with their 3-year-old son, David.

 David enjoyed swim class and Legos and actually loved to eat his vegetables. (He once even chose cherry tomatoes instead of cake and ice cream at a cousin’s birthday party.)

According to a 2002 article in The New York Times, David possessed “the spirit of Ron and the intellectual curiosity of Daniel.”

In the early 2000s, being a parent was not an expected path for gay men to take, but Daniel and Ron loved fatherhood and planned on having more children.

They even founded the Pop Luck Club, a group providing support and resources for gay dads.

 The couple, who met at a party in 1987, decided to start a family after being together for 10 years. They were in the delivery room when David was born.

Colleagues described Daniel as “intense” and very work-driven, but with the arrival of his son, he made sure family came first. He even brought David to work.

David, who called Ron “daddy” and Daniel “papa,” was one of the youngest victims of the September 11 attacks.

A playground in a West Hollywood park serves as a monument to David and his parents. The last words on the brass dedication plaque—“five more minutes Daddy!”—permanently memorialize the spirit of the fun-loving toddler who loved to play there with his daddy and papa.