A Night In Ground Zero (9/11) | Non-fiction

UPDATED.

What is a 9/11 Responder?
Let's start here. The United States Federal Government defines 9/11 Responders as all those (whether government or civilian) who worked at Ground Zero in New York City (or at one of the other attack sites at the Pentagon or PA) that performed various tasks such as, rescue, recovery, loading and unloading boats, barges and trucks -- at the World Trade Center attack site or at the morgue. That is the short list. The government may also use the term "NYC Responders" to define us in order to avoid confusion between the different attack sites.

Yesterday, someone wrote, "You should write more about your service. Can you tell me what it was like to be there during and after the attacks of September 11, 2001?"

Warning: Read at your own risk
I kept a journal while working rescue and recovery at Ground Zero, which I attempted to edit a few years ago.

Here's a very brief excerpt from my Ground Zero journal. Please keep in mind, I'm a civilian. I'm no hero. Just a guy who tried to help, and I had absolutely no training in Emergency Services.

This is a brutally honest account of my experience:

Comfortably Numb
Fortunately, the firefighter survived. From the ground, barely able to move, he looked up and whispered, "Thank you." We were battered with so much debris, chunks of concrete rocks, glass, you name it. It felt like I was being beaten up by a heavyweight boxer with a hundred fists. But like a dream, I began to feel nothing. As though, I stepped out of my body. Everything was moving in slow motion and the site became a blur, as I looked into eyes frozen in fear. Black soot and dust covered faces. Gagging, and choking, we were unable to breathe. I had no idea I was bleeding, and I still couldn't feel anything, but the other rescuers and I seemed to have superhuman strength. Somehow, we were able to lift, pull and drag full grown men in their heavy jackets, boots and gear to safety. Then without missing a beat, we went back for more.

The Rising
Later that night, I would see what appeared to be spirits rise above the rubble. I was floored. They were not burning embers. I saw hundreds of flickering lights and orbs. Were they the souls of our dear departed? In that moment, I believed all hope was gone, and I wondered if one of those lights were mine.

The War At Home
Friends, I am also an advocate for the 9/11 community. Some parts of my experience are available at the 9/11 Museum's Registry. If anyone is interested, I will share more excerpts from my journal, and I will include, affidavits, pictures, and everything I can.

Source: Texas Task Force 1

Coming up soon: THE DOGS OF WAR