Posted by Charlie S (206.159.160.38) on October 03, 2001 at 22:55:21:
Hello Tom, Tom here, Before I start if anyone but Tom is reading this maybe you should let Tom read this first. I put in 4 night's at ground zero, they were 4 of the toughest day's I have ever had to do. I had brain surgery in 1986, and a disk removed from my back in 1999. We started at 4PM and finished around 8AM-ish every day, I did every other night Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and they needed someone for Saturday. I am used to doing 15-18 hour day's this is to much on a person, It was total havoc, we were doing lighting for the area's they were digging at, mostly by hand with 5 gallon pail's. Everyone was great, I was thanked by fireman and Policeman many time's, they made me feel that the job I was doing was very important, LOL, I know they needed the help but the job these guy's do you could only do out of love, no one could do that job for money. They had other volunteers, some were Salvation Army, and This other truck parked right next to it was this Ministry Group, Serving coffee and snacks, and prayers, great people They were both parked on Church St. and Vessy. Down on Liberty St. the Burger king was opened and serving food for free with all kind's of snack's people had donated, next to that was were the Cop's and Fireman would report for assignments, next was a Triage, Then a restaurant that the front window's were removed from that was turned into a mess hall, wow the greatest food, one night they had Pork chop's, fried chicken, baked chicken, Quiche, a couple of kind's of macaroni, and this guy came down from a farm upstate NY with fresh carrots and broccoli, he grew, there was a couple of Chefs cooking volunteering from restaurants the were closed, there was a couple of young ladies helping out serving food cleaning up tables spill's, Yes I said spill's a guy dropped his soda and out came a mop, the one lady came over when we were done eating and asked if she could clean off the table, right away we looked around thinking someone needed the table, there was empty seat's around, she looked at us and said it's OK I just didn't want you guy's getting up to throw away your plate's, sit and rest. The next night they had Broiled Salmon, The food was great but did not make it worth being there, but the people did. Next to that was "Home Depot" a place you get supply's next is a firehouse, that is in terrible shape. The dog's are something else, They have people sponsor them, training them costs a few bucks, FIMA has 11 home base's across the U.S. and the were from every where down there, I have talked to the Fire Chief in town about raising enough to sponsor one, how much I don't know but I am trying to find out. As far as what I did, I carried diesel fuel to some of the generator's that the fuel truck could not reach, unloaded and loaded Light's and cable,ect from a truck I was assigned to, wrapped cable, started a couple of generators and put the light's on when it got dark. I know if you don't know this but on Law and Order I drive a car I pick up Jerry Orback and Sam Waterson, once and a while I pick up an other actress or actor. Carry anything LOL, no way. You have children, my Father used to tell me I was being taught to listen because someday I would have to do something I would not want to do but would have to. What a jerk, I had no idea what he was talking about, now I do. I only gave you the light side, Sorry for rambling, Hope all is good with you. Tom
Horrible and wonderful things from our world--Charlie