Where was I 13 years ago
Was on duty then, and on duty again today. Been a long day. My Brother in law was in the second tower that was hit. He ran out despite being ordered to stand down. He dodged falling debris and bodies.......... Ran and ran and ran... When he turned around he watched every single co worker perish in a cloud..... We had no idea he was alive. It was a long long day of calls from/ too family. We assumed the worst, until he called. 48/ hrs later, I kissed my wife goodbye and spent some of the longest, toughest days in my career with the Local 7 carpenters union on bucket brigade sifting a particular rubble pile on the corner of Broadway and Liberty. Treated countless people, there were no protocols in place, we did what we needed to do. We flushed eyes, taped up hands, emptied the truck of supplies....... A few times we ran for our lives when the plate glass windows of other damaged buildings fell from the sky, we were assigned to a " Terrorist Extraction Team" and were only there for the CIA team support. "If anyone gets shot and its not one our Team, you do not treat them under any circumstance" thankfully we were only assigned to one building sweep. That was enough, back to Broadway/ Liberty Detail. Can't recall every single detail, either because my mind ( self preservation mode) blocks it out, or until a certain trigger flashes things back. A smell, a taste etc. <br><br> On the way home, we had no uniforms left that looked like uniforms, our truck WAS red/white and was now ashen grey we were unshowered, full of dust we will never know the complete composition of, and I remember feeling like an empty shell pulling up to the toll booth. We we volunteered for the mission, had not a penny on us, and argued with the toll taker lady. Finally, I said call my boss for his credit card number, I'm going home to see my family call the state police to stop me- after the toll booth incident, Andy my co-pilot. Fell asleep, I was in auto pilot mode- <br><br>my first recollection and I have zero memory of the drive to the station, getting my truck, how my bunker gear ended up in my truck, my helmet etc. the 40/min drive home....... nothing, my next and only memory was pulling up to the house, my wife was at the door waiting ( later she told me I had called her and said just be there, don't ask questions, don't do anything but be there when I get home and I hung up on her) i opened my truck door, hit the front walk, stepped under the white painted rose trellis, looked at my wife through the door, tried to speak, couldn't and collapsed on the sidewalk in tears.....and sobbed to purge an emotional pandora s box. I still have my helmet, to this day, I have the waxaper sandwich wrappers from the kids who made us PB&J, the half ass maps given to AndyO and I by the Secret Service/ CIA, I will never remember all the Jakes and Medics, the South American Canine Team we met to clean up dog paws! But for whatever reason, when we were told we were shipping out in 4/hrs to be rotated out for fresh crews, I took out my sharpie marker amd asked as many of the Jakes, Police Officers, k9 teams, volunteers etc to sign my helmet. Just in case something did happen, we could tell the crews the incredible people we worked beside in the days following the attack. Not quite sure WHY at the time I did it...... But I did. <br><br>To this day, I do have my helmet, wrappers, cards, pictures etc in a safe place, in a plastic bag, as my own time capsule. Every so often ( usually around this time of the year) my oldest asks if he can see it. It takes a few days to get up the courage, fortitude, balls, whatever you want to call it...... To pull that bag out of the closet, but I do, we talk, we cry, we laugh, I hug him tons. It takes a few days to put the lid back on Pandora's box, bit I always do until the next time he asks for a history lesson and what America used to be like. Almost 3000 people, innocent people lost their lives today, 343 of them were my occupational Brothers, the rest heroes in my eyes. Police, in every form..... All of them. The kids in uniform fighting for the right for me to be able to tell this story, for my right to freedom... Heroes. Today, was a good day. <br><br>Not so good for others, my Brother in law, to this day. We have never, ever spoke of details after he told my I laws and his now wife his story. I Know what he saw, he knows where I was, we don't talk of it between us, ever. My helmet, someday, will be the subject of stories for my grand kids, a hand me down piece of history, as long as time doesn't turn the names, precinct names, wax paper wrappers and maps to dust. The pictures will stay inside the bag, tucked in my helmet until the next time. After today's ceremonies, the news I didn't watch etc have passed, I remember it well. <br><br>Tonight when my little man called the station to say good night after homework etc. before he hung up he asked " you ok Dad." I said of course, he knows today is a rough day for our family and asked if he could show the new kid up the street my helmet, the "The one in the Black Bag in the closet Dad, that one"! <br><br>So, I guess there's another history lesson in the future for another curious mind, and I will share the Readers Digest Condensed Rated G Version ( did that make me sound Effing old?) <br><br>Cheers. That's. where I was 13 years ago this week....... Someone else's turn....can't wait to read more. Great thread. Cheers from Local 1880 Be safe, be vigilant. I was booted off the server, and now have a bunch of computer shit inside my post when I logged back on to post it.m Sorry for that.