Ground Zero New York City October 9, 2007 (text and photos by Dana)
To see Ground Zero is to realize how much it means to be an American.
It will create a flood of emotions as you view the museum and take the walking tour.
Tears for the dead, tears for their surviving loved ones, anger at the senseless destruction fueled by a hatred of our way of life and pride in the men and women.
The men who gathered together without thought of their own safety to help others.
The pride and optimism created by seeing the new Freedom Tower rising from the ashes.
The realization that we can and will come back from the
first attack on our soil and our souls.
First we toured the museum.
Firefighters Uniform worn that day.
This display case shows the utensils from Windows on the World.
It also shows how the intense heat melted the glass and metal.
They now look like sculptures.
Articles found on the site. The yellow strip are photographs of a WTO security guard when he first applied for his job in the 1970’s. They were found on a lower level with many other documents, all intact. The guard was there digging through the rubble when they found his pictures. What are the odds of that happening? The hand of God?
The Lamb of God
This lamb was found on a pile of rubble. The question under him
asks why if he survived , did not all the others survive with him?
A Quilt made and donated by a group of
children.
A window from one of the planes. We will never know who looked out of it and what they saw.
These paper pray chains hang in the stairway to the bottom floor of the museum.
They were donated by the citizens of Japan.
After we toured the museum , we started the walking tour. Outside of the firehouse
building is a bronze memorial. I was only able to capture a part of it , it is very large.
All tour guides are volunteers and all of them are people that lost a loved one or are first responders. They tell their stories and anyone that can not be moved by them I do not understand you. These people lived through a horrible time and came out to talk lest we forget. They actually thank you, the visitors , for coming to listen and to honor those that died.
I saw grown men cry and heard the tears in widows’s voice.
One of our guides was a Bronx Fireman. He is retired now and so far is in good health.
He said the day that New Yorkers lined the streets to clap for the rescue crews as they emerged was the day he wished he was in a suit and tie. For he believed that the average New Yorker who stood their ground, helped their fellow citizens and gave of themselves were the true heroes.
The second tour guide was the widow of a firefighter. He commanded a Battalion whose job was to rescue people from stairwells. He lined his men up in a row and went down the line speaking to each one.
The last friend to see him, told his widow that he saw no fear in the man’s face. He had a job to do and he went forth to do it in a calm manner.
All the men were killed. Two days later one of his tools with his initials on it was found two blocks away. It was passed with love from one firefighter to another until it reached the hands of his widow. This is all she has left of him and that day.
She was teaching 5th grade in Brooklyn. They all heard about it
but of course could not reach the city. By 4 p.m. she knew that she would never
see him again as he always called her.
I cannot imagine this and tears were shed by me and many at the
story.
Today one of their sons has graduated from West Point and is in route to Iraq. The other is a firefighter like his father.
The following pictures speak for themselves.
The first building completed. The first three floors are blast proof. We walked around it. It is the tall thin one.
It is Halloween this month and the workers put a Jack o ‘ Lantern on their crane.
We are alive and we have humor in the most sacred of places.
We fly our Flag . It was flying from every crane at the site and was on the hat or shirt of every worker.
It is our Flag and it should never have to bow before any other flag.
This truck has the American Flag and the message in green is “Helping to Build The Freedom Tower"
The Pillar in the center of the picture , half red, half white.
On the White is engraved The Freedom Tower.
It is the first pillar to go up. The message will be covered by the construction but for all the years to come, the message will be embedded in the tower.
One of the most moving memorials is for eight people that all
perished. They worked for a travel agency, I believe it was American Express.
Inside one of the building is this pool. Around the edge is engraved the name of each person. In the bottom of the pool above each name is a description of the person.
Mother, loving, giving, all the words that the famly wanted.
In the middle of the pool is a crystal. A cord from the ceiling comes down to each name. A single drop of water comes down the cord , drops in the pool and spreads like a tear.
It is without a doubt the most beautiful memorial I have ever seen. Black marble benches are around it for those who want to sit and reflect on the lives that were lost.
In the center of the picture is seated a man in a blue shirt. This is my husband Patrick and he was saying a prayer. He was not the only one.
St. Pauls Episcopal Church is where the first responders were fed and slept for months
How fitting that it was the church of President George Washington.
Teddy Bears poured in from around the world. Each responder was given one.
Each day a bed was made up for a Responder, complete with Teddy Bear.
Many slept here for months. This was all done with the love of the Church members.
President George Washington’s Original Pew in the Church. If he could have looked into the future as he sat in this pew, what would he have thought ? I imagine he would have thought that his service was needed again in defense of his country.
