Requiem

In September last year, Nora and I took part in The 2996 Project, a blog-based honour roll of the victims of 9/11 in which participants volunteered to write a tribute to one of the 2996 people who were killed on that day.

When we put ourselves forward to make a tribute, we asked if it would be possible to honour an Australian. We were provided with the name of Sydneysider Alberto Dominguez.

As we explained in our tribute to Alberto, we left it late to do the things we had intended to do and were unable to speak with members of his immediate family as we had hoped.

So it was touching last month to receive a comment on our post about Alberto from his granddaughter Noellia.

It was also deeply moving to read this today:

DNA confirms Aussie 9/11 victim
April 11, 2007

THE remains of an Australian man who died in the 2001 September 11 attacks have been formally identified through DNA.

Alberto Dominguez, 66, of Sydney, died when American Airlines flight 11 was hijacked and flown into the World Trade Centre in New York.

The Qantas baggage handler was visiting family in the US when his plane, en route from Boston to Los Angeles, flew into the north tower, WABC-TV reported.

Mr Dominguez, born in Uruguay, was a former South American cycling champion as well as a leading figure in Sydney's Spanish community and host of a Spanish music radio show.

His is the sixth identification the New York Medical Examiner's office has made in the past week, but the only one for which the family allowed the name of the victim to be released.

The identification was made during re-testing of previously recovered World Trade Centre remains.

"We've been retesting material and this is from that effort,'' said Ellen Borakove, spokeswoman for the medical examiner.

Mr Dominguez was among 10 Australians killed in the terrorist attacks.

The office says the total number of people identified from World Trade Centre debris is now 1607.

Rest in peace, Alberto.

-- Nick and Nora Charles