A brief respite from Hell
Stan (the Man)
cement chunks, airplane parts and occasional personal belongings. I'm
now home until either tonight or tomorrow when I will again return to
hell.
First, to all of you who wrote such kind emails, thank you. Please
forgive me for not answering each of you personally. I know you
understand that I've been somewhat busy. And, to those of you who
responded to my "Alive and well" post, both here on the ng and in email,
my sincere thanks, as well. It's heartwarming, particularly right now,
to know that so many of you are there and thinking of us here in NY.
The writer in me wishes he could put some words here to give you some
idea of what truly happened--some clear word picture of the horrific
devastation that was visited on the WTC. I'm sorry, I simply cannot.
The best I can do is offer some of my feelings as I arrived at ground
zero. I got there after dark, although, even in daylight, it is somewhat
dark due to the smoke and dust that are ever-present in the
awful-smelling air. My first thought was that I was seeing a Universal
Studios movie set. Then, my mind flashed to one of the Batman movies,
with its eerie, gothic, dark view of Gotham City. It is also a
construction site--with heavy equipment beep-beeping and roaring, and
hard-hatted workers everywhere--, like one of those excavations in the
city with the windows cut out of the plywood that surrounds them so you
can watch the crews at work. Why is that always so fascinating, I
wonder? Anyway, fwiw, I took photos. When I have them developed, I'll
post them for those who care to look.
I and my 5 men joined in with others who were already removing debris
and seeking survivors or bodies. It is this group of men and women I
want to tell you about.
In addition to Police Officers and Firefighters and Emergency Medical
Crews and military personnel, there were also civilians--union men and
women--carpenters, engineers, plumbers, steel workers, electricians,
construction workers and more. Teens who volunteered to bring food and
water and fruit and candy to the rest of us. Salvation Army. All of them
working together in impromptu teams to seek both the living and the
dead. Each of them desperate to find someone.
At one point last night, a Firefighter began screaming frantically. He
and two US Marines were sure they saw a hand waving from inside a
partially toppled building. Immediately, fire apparatus was brought up
and Firefighters went up in a bucket to the floor where there was a
possible survivor. This one Firefighter kept screaming obscenities to
them to get to that survivor. He was in tears and frantic. The Fire
Fighters got out of their bucket and walked into the very precarious,
still-burning building. After a careful search, it was determined that
the "waving hand" was actually only a bit of insulation that was blowing
in the occasional breeze. We all moved on, disappointed.
How is it possible that it's so difficult to find anyone? The ambulances
sit on a nearby side street, their trundles made up and ready. They're
covered with dust and their presence is somewhat unnerving.
This morning, we lined up in numerous bucket brigades, removing debris
to waiting back-hoes and dump-trucks. From the top of a mountain of what
was once the Twin Towers, a construction worker cried out, "We have
one!" My God! The roar of the crowd of workers would easily have
rivalled the sound of the jets hitting the buildings!
"Water!" Bottles flew up toward the workers. "Back boards!" They, too,
made their way up the line. "We need a canine unit!" The Labs were
brought up immediately. Medical personnel followed. Then the cry, "We
have two!" The feeling was indescribable. The cheers, deafening.
It took nearly an hour before two, bright orange body bags came out to
almost total silence. I can't begin to describe the disappointment. The
stokes stretchers with the bags were passed hand to hand down the same
line as the equipment had gone up. They were passed as tenderly and
carefully as if each was holding a living soul.
Then, before my day was over, we got 5 Firefighters out from under the
rubble. Two walked out on their own. I also can't describe that feeling.
I'm hoping against hope for more.
My heart goes out to any of you who have relatives or friends who worked
in the WTC and who have not yet checked in. Please don't lose hope.
Through all this, hundreds upon hundreds of men and women are doing
everything humanly possible (and, sometimes, it seems, beyond that) to
find everyone possible. They are all working together with no
recognition of difference in occupation, race, color, sex or creed. More
often than not, they addresses each other as "brother" or "sister." They
smile at one another and offer a hand to help one another. No one sees
anyone as other than a fellow human being who is dealing with an
unthinkable tragedy. And, each and every one of them will keep going
until the job is done. Know that.
These men and woman are true heros and I'm so very proud to have met
them and to have stood near them.
I'm tired and dirty and cranky and my right eye is badly irritated from
dust. I'm going to go shower off the mud and dust and get some sleep.
I'll be back as soon as I can. I really want a whole bunch of normal.
Play nice, 'k?
Stan
PJ
telling us about it. I've been worried sick about you, and I know lots of
other people have been too. Stay in touch. Okay?
Please?
PJ
--
Peggy J. Parks
PJ Parks Communications
www.pjparks.com
"Stan (the Man)" <sk...@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:3BA11D8E...@optonline.net...
Sara
me to cry (and I'm sure I'm not the only one), which I haven't really
been able to do since the first broadcast Tuesday morning. We are all
so proud of you and your colleagues. Take good care of yourself.
Hugs,
Sara
w.d.greene
Stan, there are times when I'm sure you're a real SOB. This is not one of
them. Godspeed, good luck, be careful, and thank you ... not necessarily in
that order.
Blanche Nonken
> This morning, we lined up in numerous bucket brigades, removing debris
> to waiting back-hoes and dump-trucks.
Thought I saw you on MSNBC, in a brief camera pan. <hug> You looked
miserable, as miserable and focused as everyone else.
Kurt Ullman
------------------------------
"I used to think it was awful that life was so unfair. Then I thought, wouldn't it be much worse
if life were fair and all the terrible things that happen to us come because we actually deserve them? So now I take great comfort in the general hostility and unfairness of the universe." -Marcus Cole-
Tetractys
> I spent last night and most of today digging ....
Wow. Heart-wrenching stuff. Take care of
yourself.
Keltic
<sk...@optonline.net> wrote:
>I spent last night and most of today digging through twisted steel,
>cement chunks, airplane parts and occasional personal belongings. I'm
>now home until either tonight or tomorrow when I will again return to
>hell.
Ever since this happened, as one trained in disaster rescue, I've felt
an immense pull every time they show rescue efforts on TV. Sitting
halfway across the world the feeling of powerlessness has been almost
impossible to bear at times.
My thoughts are with you and every other man and woman involved in the
recovery efforts.
Keltic
Check out my movie reviews at:
http://comments.imdb.com/CommentsAuthor?104469
Whazzat
May God bless you and keep you strong and safe; may the time until you
can post something frivolous again be short.
Whazzat
> CNN is now saying this did not happen afterall. Any ideas?/
What "this" are they saying did not happen?
Melanie Russell
-Melanie
Kurt Ullman <kurtu...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:wlao7.5787$s97.5...@newsread1.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
Kurt Ullman
had gotten trapped earlier in the day.
Deck Deckert
you.
Deck
Looney
>I spent last night and most of today digging through twisted steel,
>cement chunks, airplane parts and occasional personal belongings. I'm
>now home until either tonight or tomorrow when I will again return to
>hell.
Stan, you're a f***ing hero, you know that?
Thanks... just thanks...
Anthony "Looney" Toohey
-------------------------------------
"We will make no distinction between the
terrorists who committed these acts and
those who harbor them...''
- President George W. Bush
Alex Jay Berman
Thank you, Stan.
Alex Jay Berman
"God be between you and harm, in all the empty places where you must walk." - ancient Egyptian blessing from "Paladin of the Lost Hour" by Harlan Ellison
JAH
<sk...@optonline.net> wrote:
>I spent last night and most of today digging through twisted steel,
>cement chunks, airplane parts and occasional personal belongings. I'm
>now home until either tonight or tomorrow when I will again return to
>hell.
God bless you, Stan.
JAH
Today is the future in the past
http://www.netcrimes.net
Steve Pritchard
news:3BA11D8E...@optonline.net...
<..snip..>
You and your colleagues are proving priceless Stan.
Stay safe and keep it up.
Belle Harper
> cement chunks, airplane parts and occasional personal belongings. I'm
> now home until either tonight or tomorrow when I will again return to
Stan, I know most of us had to be in (or near) tears after reading your note
on the ng. My first response is to say "thank you" for what you are doing.
All of us are behind you and all of those who are working so hard and
exposing themselves to carnage that will change you for a lifetime.
My husband and brother were survivors of the Murrah Federal Building bombing
several years ago and we lost several close friends in that disaster. We
know what it is to dig through the rubble, to wait with your heart pounding
in anguish to hear if your loved one is dead or alive; to feel so helpless
yet also so full of hope to find just one more survivor.
I heard the other day about a firefighter who died while his buddy, right
beside him, lived. The downed firefighter had ten kids, and, with such a
large family ourselves, of course I thought of this man's wife and children
and wanted to reach out somehow. I know we sat and cried over letters and
cards we received from total strangers when we went through the bombing; yet
most of us don't know what we can do personally to help. I think of and pray
for this woman and her 10 children every day.
God bless and keep you safe, Stan, and pass along all of our support and
good wishes to all the heros working out there.
Belle
gekko
>
> Stan, you're a f***ing hero, you know that?
They all are. More so now that it's raining, and conditions
are even MORE dangerous for them.
> Thanks... just thanks...
And, from someone who wishes there was a realistic way to get there, to
help out in some more concrete fashion ... add my voice of thanks.
--
gekko (praying hard)
William Penrose
news:3BA11D8E...@optonline.net...
> I spent last night and most of today digging through twisted steel,
> cement chunks, airplane parts and occasional personal belongings. I'm
> now home until either tonight or tomorrow when I will again return to
> hell.
Like everyone else here, I'm glad you're okay. I also understand
that you need no attaboys for your participation in the rescue. It
is a natural and humane impulse. Rest well.
Bill Penrose
--
Posted from jslab3.chem.iit.edu [216.47.151.123]
via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG
Niki LeBoeuf-Little
>
> I'm tired and dirty and cranky and my right eye is badly irritated from
> dust. I'm going to go shower off the mud and dust and get some sleep.
> I'll be back as soon as I can. I really want a whole bunch of normal.
> Play nice, 'k?
I am confused. Do you want normal, or do you want us playing nice?
*g*
I'm amazed you have time to post, between rescuing the living and the
dead from that cement/steel graveyard. Your post made me laugh and cry
together. Thank you for being there, for bringing us there, for being
you.
--
Niki
gekko
long time! How ya been? Last time i saw you, you were posting in
misc.writing and wrote this:</attrib>
> I'm amazed you have time to post, between rescuing the living and
> the dead from that cement/steel graveyard. Your post made me laugh
> and cry together. Thank you for being there, for bringing us there,
> for being you.
>
he has no choice. some of us are haranguing him to check
in every now and then. he's forgoing sleep in order to
do our bidding.
we have permitted him to take a dump, but only if he's quick
about it.
--
gekko
It was all so different before everything changed.
Niki LeBoeuf-Little
>
> we have permitted him to take a dump, but only if he's quick
> about it.
Yer all heart, you.
--
N
Blanche Nonken
Claude Call
message news:3BA11D8E...@optonline.net...
> I spent last night and most of today digging through twisted steel,
> cement chunks, airplane parts and occasional personal belongings. I'm
> now home until either tonight or tomorrow when I will again return to
> hell.
>
Nice job, Stan.
Good luck, be careful and know that a lot of positive vibes are being sent
your way.
Claude
Merle Finch
<sk...@optonline.net> wrote:
>I spent last night and most of today digging through twisted steel,
>cement chunks, airplane parts and occasional personal belongings. I'm
>now home until either tonight or tomorrow when I will again return to
>hell. <snip>
Thank you, Stan, for doing what so many of us wish we could do. I pray
that you and the other rescue workers make it through alright and that
you find more people to rescue. Best wishes to you and your family.
---
Merle Finch SAS Institute, Inc. Cary NC USA
Opinions expressed probably never reflect those of SAS Institute.