2 20 41 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I was interviewing for a job with the Girl Scouts and was speaking with the executive director of the NE area. During the interview, we heard crying and screaming from people in the offices next to us. A women came to the door and screamed that we (the US) were under attack. She said they were bombing the White House and New York City. The interviewer immediately stopped the interview and explained that she was an officer in the Army and needed to report to her supervisors. The next thing I remember was leaving in bewilderment and listening to NPR trying to understand everything that was happening. I went directly to a hotel lobby and asked them to turn on the tv. That is when we saw the two towers in smoke. People started gathering and we all stood quietly, watching. No one moved until the first tower fell. Then most of us screamed at the television and at the reality of it all. RC Story: Response I waited in line to give blood. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story22.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2004-01-28 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 128.227.50.254 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story Dear Family and Friends, Home, sweet home! Arrived home last Thursday evening from NYC after a 3 week assignment volunteering for the Am. Red Cross. My job was to interview families, friends and acquaintances of ”missing” or identified people who died Sept. 11. I also interviewed the families of passengers of those ill-fated flights, those who were injured fleeing for their lives and the “suddenly unemployed”. I was assigned to “Pier 94”, a 100,000 sq. foot massive structure, all on one level on the same body of water as is the Statue of Liberty. You may have, or will hear of it in the news because that is where all the major agencies as well as the Am. Red Cross locate themselves. It is also from Pier 94 that families are escorted by boat to “Ground Zero” for closure. They, the families and friends of loved ones “lost” or “missing”, congregate in a special room called “the staging” area. It is there they receive or choose a bouquet of flowers if they already hadn’t brought some, and a teddy bear. They will be “briefed” as to what to expect. Accompanying them are a support team consisting of Red Cross Mental Health and Red Cross representatives of various religions. They are all escorted by uniformed and armed State Troopers. All board a double-decker boat which takes about 30 minutes to dock near Battery Park, within walking distance of “Ground Zero”. They walk, wearing their hard hats and goggles to the site. Face masks are available. Soldiers stand at attention saluting until all pass thru the boundary gates, climb up some stairs to an observation area. It is from here that those who lost loved ones have the opportunity to gaze across all the destruction, cranes, bulldozers, smokey areas and workers to say their last goodbyes. Many are weeping, others clutch themselves or each other, and almost everyone is dabbing tissues at their eyes. It’s awesome and terribly sad. After 15 minutes or so, they turn to go to a makeshift memorial. No one is talking. It’s quiet except for the sounds of recovery taking place at “Ground Zero”. Families and friends leave a picture, a note or letter, a teddy bear, a candle, or some special momento and flowers on the huge collection of all that has been left my others before them. They are allowed a few moments there. They return to the boat. It is quiet. No one is talking or making eye contact. Oct. 11th. My first day reporting to Pier 94. I sure wasn’t prepared for what I was to experience that first hour. All along the perimeter were pictures, yellow ribbons and letters along with flowers and stuffed animals displayed on the boundary wall. Written words such as “Have you seen....” or “missing” or personal notes from children to their missing parent or parents, or brothers looking for sisters, or sisters searching for brothers, or friends asking for information etc. On an on. Overwhelming! Then a gauntlet of 3 check points. I had to open by backpack and butt bag and show my ID and Red Cross Badge at the first check point. 2nd check point, show again my badge and ID as well at the check-in table where my name would be cleared for entry. German shepherds everywhere. Well-behaved, but everywhere. Armed military, police, state troopers, NYPD Community personnel, SWAT Teams and others from neighboring states. Every day another kind of uniform I hadn’t seen the day before. My first day inside, I was given a tour. There were huge areas marked off with red and blue carpeting. The red areas were areas marked off due to the kind of assignment they had. DNA testing was done there and death certificates were given. Also, there were many booths marked “Legal” for legal counselling. I was taken along the right side of the building where there was a cafeteria serving families and friends only. It was clearly marked that no videos and cameras would be allowed. Also, there were childcare and child counselling provided for those families or friends who wanted to take advantage of it. This was provided by a national religious group; Church of the Brethen, I believe. I heard nothing but good about the service they provide. I then continued down one side of the far wall which was massive and long. There was no standard ceiling. Like a huge open facility, a kind of wharf type of building exposing metal high beams. This particular wall was covered with more letters, cards and notes with heart wrenching messages. Hundreds of teddybears arrived from Oklahoma City and placed along the wall on the floor continuing down the huge corridor of the building. It was stated that they were a gift from those who lost loved ones in the Oklahoma bombing. After passing various areas partitioned off for the agencies represented there, I came to my side of this huge structure where I would spend my next 3 weeks anywhere from 10 to 12 hours a day, with one day off every 7th day. I worked in the “annex” a special private area dedicated for families and friends of the “lost or missing”. It was quieter there, more private. However, there were hours when I wouldn’t have a family or friend of a missing person, and I would go to the huge pool of people and be assigned an individual next on the list. The stories of “fleeing for their lives” or of seeing horrors took up time even before I could begin the paperwork required to open a Red Cross Case. But it usually went that way. And that was OK. I wasn’t required to meet a quota. I would be introduced to my next client and would ask them to follow me to my desk. Forget the usual openers ie “and how are you today?’” kinds of greetings. Not appropriate. I’d ask if they waited long. They usually did. Then I’d ask them if they’d like to use the restrooms, would like a coffee, had they eaten, did they have children at the care center and would they like to check in on them before we started? Many were not aware of the free cafeteria. Local chefs would come in and prepare really nice food for the families and those all affected by the disaster and for the Staff Cafeteria on the opposite side of the structure. It had huge family style table clothed covered tables with fresh flowers every day. There was also a huge bank of telephones at tables and thru out this huge building for anyone to make a call anywhere in the world FREE of charge and NO time limits. Incredible! Each day I walked to Pier 94 from my hotel on 57th & 7th. It was a pleasant walk, especially since it was autumn, an Indian summer as they say, no rain. I’d get my coffee across from my hotel and walk the 20-25 minutes to the Pier. I’d drink my coffee and mentally prepare myself for the long day ahead. I would arrive at Pier 94 by 7:10AM in time for my 7:30 briefing. Then by 8:30 I would have already had breakfast and ready to begin. I can’t go into the individual cases I had. It would take pages and pages. My function was a tech in Family Service. I processed families and friends of missing people by opening an ARC (Am Red Cross) 901 file. Then with my supervisor’s assistance, we would prepare the ”Cash gift” paperwork as well as addressing immediate financial needs. This would sometimes take 2-3 hours and could be very emotional for the families. Wives of fireman were escorted by 2 firemen from her husband’s battalion. They would do most of the talking and the giving of paperwork, ie death certificate, bills, mortgage and loan papers etc. One department was so pleased with the way I handled the whole interview, that they came back and handed me the NYC FireDepartment badge they all have sewn on their uniforms. I was so touched and honored. My supervisors were fantastic! They made me look great! I learned so much. I interviewed many families and people; sons of fathers who died, brothers of brothers who died, wives of husbands who died, lovers, sisters, Aunts, nephews, uncles, fiances, friends grieving their loss and all other combinations of relationships. The injured were a whole other story. Their nightmare continues. The horrors they saw while fleeing for their lives. One woman I interviewed lost her front teeth and fractured her tibia as well as losing her job. Another saw an airplane part plummeting to earth and causing grave injury to another, and others told me of the sight of people and paper in the air. They could only shake their heads in disbelief and downcast their eyes. Do you wonder how I managed? Me too. I’m just now beginning to process and integrate the whole experience. I cry more easily these days and I thought writing this would be good. And of course I have Eric (my husband), my family and friends. LIfe feels a bit changed for me. It’s for the better, but just how it’s changed in the long run I can’t say for sure. I know my priorities have shifted. I notice things, colors, and people’s faces more than before. I take time now. Slower now. Quality time and my loved ones and friends. The day before the Memorial to be held Sunday 10/28, I came into Pier 94 thru another door. They were preparing the area where staff usually enters for the arrival of the urns to be distributed to all those they were expecting the following day for the Memorial Service. While I was eating breakfast, I heard the sound of bagpipes and trumpets. I walked to the area where they were playing. Hearses were arriving one after another and wheeled carts ladened with cardboard boxes holding smaller boxes containing wooden urns holding “cleaned soil” from “Ground Zero” were being wheeled past soldiers, firemen and police officers standing at attention and saluting while these loaded carts where wheeled past. The sound of all those bagpipe players was overwhelming! Representatives of the various agencies, FEMA, Crime Justice Board, NYFD, NYPD, FBI etc, you name it, was there chosen to escort the ladened carts past all of us onlookers. This went on for about 2 hours. Between the time a cart was rolled past and before another was rolled in, personnel was commanded to be “at ease”. As soon as another load of cartons entered the building, either the bagpipe players or trumpeters would play and uniformed personnel snapped into position either saluting or holding their hand over their hearts, as we onlookers did. It was all so solemn. The following day, I returned to Pier 94 dressed in black slacks and white shirt. I was given a purple sash to wear across my torso and my job would be to hand out an urn to each person who presented a card to me clarifying who it was they “lost”. We all did this with partners and each had a curtained private area with a white tablecloth with a small vase of flowers and a box of kleenex. The urns were stacked behind us along with the military folded American flags. Families were then escorted to available tables whereupon I would request the card and ask them to sign it. My partner choose an urn which was inside a box. The box was almost black about 10” high. The urn inside was made of mahagony wrapped in a dark purple drawstringed sack made of velvet. I would then say “On behalf of the citizens of NYC and the United States of America, please accept this urn and our condolences in memory of the loss of your loved one”, then we would also hand over the folded American flag the proper way we were showed to do. Qivering lips, tearing eyes, the gripping of hands for support, the bent head, the raised head for some and other assorted body postures were the order of the day. My voice cracked when a child reached up for the flag in memory of his Dad. So young and yet strong for his years. Another two, a woman and her daughter receiving the urn and flag for the woman’s son, her daughter’s brother. Both incredibly shaken, gripping each other for support hardly able to utter “thank you” or whatever words I thought they were trying to say as they hurried away. We handed out urns starting 3:00 until 7PM. A very emotionally draining day. I’m home now, but things are different. This assignment changed me I know. Just how I can’t quite say. But it’s good. That I know. I wanted to share my incredible experience with you. I felt extremely privileged to do what I had the opportunity to do. I did my best and I gave my all. Some of those faces I’ll never forget nor their stories. I am grateful and thankful for the little I could do. I hope it helped. For most I’m sure it did. I will never ever forget those 3 weeks that changed my life. Thanks for listening. I appreciate you all and thank you for your love, support and friendship. RC Story: Response RC Story: RC Volunteer yes RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story11.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2003-10-02 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 207.168.76.62 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I work at NBC in Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan. On September 11, 2001, I arrived at 8:00 am to prepare graphics for the Rosie O'Donnell Show, which taped at 10:00 am. It began like any other morning... An associate producer came in and gave me a list and materials for graphics that were needed for that morning's taping. I liked to work with the TV off in the morning. I didn't know what had just happened when the producer ran into my room just before 9 am and asked me if I saw what had just happened. "No, what?" "A plane just crashed into the World Trade Center!" he shouted. I don't recall what I said next, but I do remember jumping up and turning on the TV. Then I saw... the North Tower, burning. I didn't wait for him to say anything else. "I need to go!" I shouted, as I ran toward the hallway. Maybe they needed help with graphics for news coverage... No one knew what to do... there was nothing we could do. We all just looked at our TVs in horror. As I sat down at a computer, I heard someone scream that another plane had just crashed into the other tower. Until that moment, we thought that it might have been an accident. Now we knew the horrible truth. After the plane hit the Pentagon, we heard about the hijacked plane in flight over Pennsylvania. While I was listening to my boss give instructions, there was an announcement from the Rockefeller Center security department over the building P.A. system. We were instructed to evacuate the building. I wasted no time in doing exactly that. I exited 30 Rockefeller Plaza. This landmark building is on 50th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues... a mile or two north of the Wor;d Trade Center. I walked over to Fifth Avenue and looked south straight down Fifth Avenue. I could see the Twin Towers, both billowing thick, black smoke. I remember thinking, "I know that this is real... but I can't believe that I am really seeing this..." As I continued to watch, I knew that this was the worst thing, the saddest thing that I had ever witnessed. I felt such a sadness... knowing that as I stood there, watching this from a distance, that a few miles south, unthinkable horror was underway at that very moment... I walked to a pay phone a called the office upstairs. It was still before 10:00 am. Were we expected to re-enter the building? I wondered. I was told that this was optional. With the U.S. being attacked, hijacked planes being crashed into buildings, there was NO WAY that I was about to go back into 30 Rockefeller Plaza, I decided. I had been told that all bridges and tunnels into and out of New York City were closed down, as were train and bus stations. Maybe I can get home to New Jersey by boat, I thought. So along with a co-worker who also lives in NJ, I began walking west, toward the Hudson River. As we walked toward the river, we passed a McDonald's. I suggested that it could be many hours before we had a chance to eat... So I found myself in McDonald's, eating a Quarter Pounder, as thousands of innocent people died, as the Twin Towers collapsed a few miles away. "The Twin Towers have collapsed..." I heard on a TV that was on in the restaurant. It didn't register. Everything was surreal. We left, and continued toward the river. I headed toward a ferry terminal a few blocks south. There I joined an orderly, hushed line of people. We boarded ferries... no need for tickets... After the boat was loaded, it left the dock and began the short trip across the river. When it got halfway across the river, lower Manhattan came into view. There, where the World Trade Center was supposed to be, was instead a huge, billowing plume of thick black smoke. RC Story: Response Went to give blood. Sadly, they didn't need it. Donated money to relief efforts in NY. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story35.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. anonymously Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2004-07-10 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 141.150.76.206 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story When 9/11/01 happened I remember my mind flashed back to WWII when I was a volunteer with the USO in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Therefore, I went to the USO every Tuesday afternoon to volunteer in downtown San Diego. RC Story: Response RC Story: RC Volunteer yes RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story10.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2003-10-02 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 207.168.76.62 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I woke up to radio news reports of the planes crashing into the World Trade Center. I immediately turned on the television and was greeted by the image of the South Tower collapsing in living color on CNN. I called in to my American Red Cross chapter, the Oregon Trail Chapter in Portland, Oregon, where I am both a local disaster responder and a national disaster responder specializing in Public Affairs. I reported to our disaster human resources coordinator that I would be available to respond. I went back to watching the news, and saw Tower 1 collapse a few minutes later. RC Story: Response Shortly after calling in to the chapter, I received a call back from our Public Affairs Manager asking me to report to the chapter and assist with our local media response. I did so and spent most of the next 10 days working on news media contacts, talking to Red Cross Public Affairs responders already on the ground in New York and at the Pentagon, photographing related events at the chapter such as donor check presentations, assisting with VIP visits, and also assisting the Public Affairs staff at the regional Blood Services center, which shared our building. While assisting on local activities, I remained on call to respond nationally. I "got the call" Sep. 20 to respond to the disaster relief operation at the Pentagon, and departed Sep. 21. I spent the next week on site at the Pentagon, photographing the recovery and relief activities, supporting public functions in the Washington, D.C. area, responding to media inquiries and requests, and creating media products such as the operation newsletter. On Sep. 27, I was notified that I would be going to New York City the following day. After closing out my task at the Pentagon, I took a train to New York and reported in to the headquarters there. For the next two weeks, I worked at our operation headquarters in Brooklyn and at several Red Cross relief sites in lower Manhattan close to the World Trade Center site, including Service Centers 1 and 2 and Respite Centers 1 and 3. I also spent time working at the city's Family Assistance Center at Pier 94, as well as the Joint Information Center at the FEMA field headquarters. One of my most significant memories of this period was supporting the activities in Respite Centers 1 and three, which assistied the thousands of rescue and recovery workers clearing the World Trade Center site. I photographed the activities there, and provided information to our clients on the available services we offered. I was struck by the care and concern shown toward them, even in little touches such as placing chocolates and teddy bears on the cots in the sleeping areas were they could go to get a few hours rest. During the first weekend in October, I also participated in the activities of the "Flight For Freedom", a group of nearly 1,000 fellow Oregonians who traveled to New York City in a show of fellowship and solidarity. During their stay, I attended their rally at Union Square, led a group of them to lower Manhattan to see some of our relief sites and to visit "Ground Zero", did a news segment with a film crew from the Portland CBS affiliate, and marched with them up 5th Avenue in the city's annual Columbus Day parade. I also vividly remember Oct. 11, when I was asked to photograph activities at our newest Respite Center, #3, which had opened a few days previously. To get to the site, you had to walk down West Street from Respite 1, right past the debris pile that had been the two WTC towers. To be right up there as close as 50 feet from what was both a crime scene and a massive tomb, with hundreds of relief workers busily working around me, was at once both awe-inspiring and sobering, especially after I saw the "cross", a twisted, jagged piece of structural steel in the shape of a cross, that relief crews had excavated from the rubble and placed on a concrete pedestal along the street as a sign of inspiration. And to experience this on what was my 49th birthday... Returning to Portland Oct. 13, I continued to respond locally and, as a disaster services course instructor in Public Affairs, began to incorporate some of the early lessons learned into my cousre material. Since the response in New York City was then and still is an ongoing effort, I decided to go back for a second assignment. I traveled to New York City Dec. 10 and spent the next 18 days again supporting our Public Affairs efforts. Since this was during the holiday season, I had the opportunity to experience Christmas in New York while helping our thousands of clients and responders. On one of my days off, I visited a New York Fire Department station near Times Square that had lost a firefighter on Sep. 11 who had the same name as me. I thought this was important for me to do so since I am also a volunteer firefighter. I talked to some of his brother firefighters, and placed several items on the memorial that they had placed at the station. One of the my most significant memories from this assignment took place on Christmas Eve. We had closed our service centers early that day because a local organization was providing a Christmas party for our responders. I had stopped in at one of our service centers in lower Manhattan to check on our Public Affairs responder there, and encountered a client who was running late and arrived too late to see a caseworker. She had had some difficulties redeeming the assistance vouchers we had provided her, and had returned to get the problem resolved. The vouchers were important to her because she needed to take them to her market and get groceries, including Christmas dinner for her family. I could not, in good conscience, let her leave without help, so I pulled out my wallet and handed her my remaining $25 in cash to ensure that she could at least have dinner for her family. She hugged me and said "God bless you" as we both left the building, and I could feel the tears in my eyes as I headed uptown for our party. Since my return home to Portland Dec. 28, I continued to incorporate my lessons learned into my instructor materials and into my local response activities. I archived the photographs that I took for the Red Cross while on assignment there, and have since provided them to the Red Cross Sept. 11 Recovery Program, where they are now part of their permanent archive. RC Story: RC Volunteer yes RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story24.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2004-02-20 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 207.189.99.42 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story As Minneapolis Area Chapter office was just opening, all present and those coming into the building gathered around the TV in the lunchroom in disbelief. It became evident that we would be affected as a chapter in the mid-west also we opened our EOC as a call-center just in time for a flood of calls from the public which went severyal days 24 hours and later for extended hours. A local TV affiliate set up a remote studio in our building with reporters doing interviews regularly with staff, volunteers, blood and financial donors, and with our volunteer mental health team members. RC Story: Response PERSONAL MEMORIES September 23, to October 14, 2001 Response to the 9/11/01 attack on the WORLD TRADE CENTER NEW YORK Robert N. Munson, MSW, LISW Director Emergency Services The American Red Cross sent me to New York City for a three-week assignment to help begin a response to grieving foreign nationals who had lost family members in the World Trade Center attack. The assignment was because I am a member of the International Family Linking On-call Team, a specialty group of the American Red Cross International Disaster Response Team, I wrote emails back to my family and the Minneapolis Red Cross as debriefing therapy for myself. My family and co-workers forwarded them to friends. Several have said that the emails also helped them better understand the depth of grief and the response in New York as I experienced it. 9/25/01 Family Assistance Center, Pier 94, NYC I work on Pier 94 which is the building in NYC where all families who have a missing relative need to come to access any and all services. To say that we have been busy since my arrival at the center on Monday AM is an understatement. Currently Red Cross Family Service in this building has a waiting list of 5 hours for families. We are in a giant pier warehouse building -- set up like a trade show with full carpet, poles with drapes, and some 75 agencies with all their staff and stuff service agencies, government, immigration, FBI, child care, etc. It is a comfortable building in order to be welcoming and calming as can be to the families. The City of New York has done a good job. It is a full city of people in this building -- with free meals for families and separate 3 meals a day for workers. The dining areas are nice (as they can be) -- donated fresh flowers daily, tablecloths, and an ambiance of peace and calm different from the noisy, bustling activity everywhere else. There are clients and workers everywhere. Lots of noise. People come here to access a broad array of services. Security is the tightest I have ever experienced anywhere. You can't get near the place without going through several barricades, body and bag checks -- and once in, all workers need to be separately badged daily even though we have permanent clearance badges. Clients, of course have ID, are escorted, and limited by lots of armed police and military to certain areas. Interestingly, several dogs around with handlers -- not sure if they are rescue dogs off duty or other "sniffers" and working dogs. Outside is where the "wall of photos is that you see on TV -- it is so moving that I avoid spending too much time passing by. Because of my work, I have access to all areas of the city including Ground Zero -- few people Red Cross have the "green badges" for this purpose -- however we may have client work in the area. Fortunately I have not yet been to Ground Zero yet -- fortunately because those who have come back deeply moved. I am not sure I am ready for that yet. Currently, the public cannot get near there. Coming from the airport, we saw other highways closed to the public with the dump trucks in parade taking away debris. They say it will go on for a long time. We have been very busy in International Services -- yesterday was 16 hours long -- so far we are only 6 people in NYC doing International -- 3 are caseworkers like myself who are dealing most closely with the families. So far I have worked with people from the four corners of the world who have lost family here -- and so far only with people living in USA. I speak a lot of Spanish during the day. A man, 20s, just walked in to talk with my co-worker -- he has a 10x12-color portrait of his brother hanging on his neck -- it is a heartbreaking sight -- we see this all day long. We start soon working with incoming international families. Tomorrow promises to be incredibly busy as they have said that they are going to begin issuing some 4,700 death certificates. That will begin a long process of people being able to access many other services, insurance, etc. I must go now. Another quick thought -- we have seen many celebrities come through -- all very encouraging to the workers and clients, and they have been very sensitive to the situation. I'll write when I can. Love, Bob 9/26/01 American Red Cross International Services It would be nice to let everyone know that hotels and the whole city is going way-out of their way to help the rescuers and the helpers including the American Red Cross. I understand that this hotel is providing lodging to Red Cross personnel at a small fraction of the rate they could normally get from business traffic. Of course, business is down, however this is a major in-kind gift to the Red Cross, and a wonderful emotional boost to us to have a pleasant place to stay after working with the families of NYC. I wrote a note of appreciation to the hotel manager and received back a voice mail of appreciation to me for being here! We have free bus and subway passes, and I hear that many restaurants automatically give big discounts (or in the case of Olive Garden free meals) to Red Cross if you show our official ID. I haven't had time to experience that generosity yet, but two of us did take a free bus back to the hotel after working until 11 p.m. We live only 6 long NYC blocks which is nice to walk in the day -- I did today. We started shifts today in International Services in that we have more workers (5 plus an evening local volunteer). I am on the 2 p.m. to midnight shift. It was good to sleep this a. m. -- and I did until 10 a.m. when the desk called requesting to move me. They apparently could rent the regular size room I have been in, and moved me to a bigger room for which they had less call. What a benefit for me! So far the most dramatic cases I have handled involve bringing parents from Ecuador here to be with their only surviving son; a family from Colombia bringing a mother here; a man from Cameroon trying to decide what to do about his parents back home; a new widow and her son who have British passports but whose husband worked in the WTC (World Trade Center), and several others with similar situations. Tomorrow I was to be transferred from this central Family Assistance Center to one of the 3 local Service Centers. However, it was decided that all of us would remain here for a few more days doing our consultation with the caseworkers on the phone -- although "my" service center is only about a 10 minute cab ride so I could go and see a client there also. The security was tougher today -- the crowds of family quite unbelievable -- every possible ethnic and economic group. The disaster affected a complete cross-section of society. Today was the beginning of the issuing of death certificates (or the beginning of that process in alphabetical order up through "D" I believe). There was much more open weeping everywhere you went today than before. Im OK working with individual families -- going through the crowds in the "halls" is difficult. I am glad that I am not working mental health -- they have a very difficult job. Several of the MN mental health workers are here. Duty calls -- need to go. Take care Love Bob 9/27/01 Of Bears, Dogs, and Flags on Pier 94 BEARS: The most macho of men, the smallest of children, people of all ages are warmly clutching teddy bears of various breeds. None are casually carried. They are everywhere. They are a "badge" designating a family member of a missing person as much as the paper stick-on badge on their clothing that proclaims: "FAMILY" to differentiate from similar badges which read "staff" and/or "volunteer". Each day we have a different color badge -- each day all of us stand in lines to be ID. Nobody nobody --gets beyond the single front entrance guarded by police and military, without proper identification. No cameras are allowed. All carry items are searched. Another kind of bear sits against the back wall. It is a wall, which, according to my pacing, is 200 feet long. The wall is covered with pictures of missing family members -- all with hand-written notations: "wearing green dress", "tattoo of eagle on shoulder", "last seen on floor 96 Tower One" . . . . (This wall is different than the one you see on TV -- that one is on the street in front of the building where the media gathers. This wall is inside -- protected from all but family members and people involved in the response.) On the floor like guardians of these precious "wanted posters" sit rows and rows of multi-breed teddy bears. All these bears were sent by the children and friends from Oklahoma City to their new brothers and sisters in NYC. I remember that I visited the Oklahoma Memorial only some 16 months ago at the Fifth Anniversary of that bombing, and how moving that was. The still hurting are comforting the newly hurting. Amongst the bears, there are lighted candles in glass holders and fresh flowers. The sight is amazingly peaceful given the bustle around. All is roped off -- family members are allowed to be at touching distance to the photos -- a rope keeps workers who are going about their business separated so the families can weep in peace. At night, I take a free bus for families and Pier 94 workers back to an area close to my hotel. On the way home we pass by NY Fire Department Station 47 -- it is evident that they lost several of their firefighters. The front is piled with flowers, and candles are everywhere. But the fire trucks are ready and waiting to be called out to the next incident. Many people are standing around quietly amongst the flowers. It is midnight. How can they go home when their dad or brother might be found tonight? DOGS: When last I wrote, I didn't know why there were so many dogs and handlers around -- I thought they had a protection mission in the building. Noting that many were fluffy and less-than-ferocious, I found out that they are all trained Therapy Dogs -- and their mission is comfort. They fill the mission well. I, too, have been encouraged by a lick on the hand. FLAGS: This place is huge. Several square blocks. All around the walls at the ceiling hang huge American Flags. In a way, this seems somewhat permanent, in a makeshift way -- in reality we will be people serving families here for a very long time. It is now 11:30 p.m. -- I just now have been asked to help bring a grandmother here from South America to participate in a funeral for a grandson whose body will undoubtedly never be found. The interview will be in Spanish. I will be here for a while. I am sure the family is more tired than I am. Love, Bob 9/28/01 Family Assistance Center, Pier 94, NYC FAMILY ASSISTANCE CENTER - NYC Current operating hours are 8 a.m. to midnight. We all stand in lines with our own thoughts …waiting to get into the huge building on Pier 94. To get into the building, one crosses a highway, passes by the media area separated from us by portable iron fencing. We pass by the wall you have seen on TV with all of the photos of missing loved ones. Many such walls are all over NYC. Yellow ribbons are beginning to fill in all of the fencing. You wait in line while guards check credentials of workers and ID papers of family members. All bags are searched. Cameras are forbidden. I don't know what else they are looking for. I don't ask. You cross a small parking area which contains the WORLDCOM semi-trailer housing the banks of telephone from which family members can call world-wide for free. Also in this area the Salvation Army has a large canteen and snack tent. One enters the building -- family members in one door, workers through another. Family is greeted by uniformed guards who check papers again and pass them into a line to the Reception Desk at which they learn what services are available and where they are. They get a dated, colored badge reading "Family". Red Cross has a First Aid station there staffed by both nurses and physicians. They are stocked like a neighborhood drug store. Families then go to the service they want, and sit in large waiting areas for the next available government or agency worker. Red Cross Mental Health workers, Chaplains and Therapy Dogs wander throughout the building -- are all clearly marked as to who they are; even the dogs have their own picture ID. Workers enter another door, go to a table where every worker authorized to be in the building each day on a printed list. Those on the list get a different colored dated badge each day indicating what they do. We already also have photo ID indicating the service areas we are allowed to go. We then go to our workspaces. We have what we need even though everything is obviously temporary. I feel my presence here has made a difference to those in grief. I am fortunate to be able to come. There is a very large staff lunchroom, and a very large family lunchroom. All decorated with tablecloths and fresh flowers. Food is abundant and very good. Red Cross Mass Care workers are numerous and never let a serving plate go empty. I have heard the words multiple times while in line for security, but I always find joy when I see people hugging and saying "thank God you're alive -- I have been wondering about you". I am sure that some of the family members who are not as fortunate have other thoughts about those words. -- Bob 9/29/01 Midtown Manhattan, NYC After work last night, I walked the few blocks down to Times Square. I got off at 11:30 -- no international clients were waiting. The city area was packed with people -- unbelievable. One of my co-workers went to Phantom of the Opera AND Aida on her day off yesterday. $25 for one, and free for the other with ARC ID. Her Aida ticket was printed at $90. They are trying to keep shows open, of course, as well as keep the tourists coming here. Also, NYC is openly in love with the rescuers and responders. We are not suppose to show ID on the street (reporters and media bait), but we are told of several places that offer discounts. Subways and busses are all still free for Red Cross workers with ID. So far, I have only taken the subway once. I still don't know how they can put another person into Times Square -- I have been there mid-day and mid-night, and you can hardly walk through. My day off is Sunday, so perhaps I can see some Broadway show. It is 8:20 and I will soon go to dinner. Hagen Daz set up a full "parlor" here today for the workers. I had a waffle cone mid-afternoon. All food, snacks and beverages are free to us in our own huge dining area. The families have a similar area with the same things on the other side of the building. All served by the Red Cross volunteers -- I understand that most of the food is donated by restaurants or at a big discount. They are full meals which have been very, very good. I try to eat at a restaurant or Deli on my walk to work just to be alone and have what I want rather than what is being served at the Center. There are several others from Minnesota here, but I dont often see any of them because of our work locations and schedules. Love, Bob 9/30/01 Some of the People Passing Through .. . A young Mexican woman is here looking for her husband who worked as a waiter on the top floor of the WTC in the famous Windows of the World restaurant. He was the sole support of her, their three children, and an invalid brother in Mexico. I try to help her through the paper of death certificates, return of personal effects, and any other benefits to which she might be entitled. She is not ready. She still completely believes they will find her husband alive. It has now been 20 days. An older Japanese woman sits in front of me dressed in hat, tailored suit, hands folded on her lap, and eyes continually downcast from mine. She is completely stoical as the translator instantly changes my English into Japanese. Her only son worked for the company that lost some 700 of its employees. Her concern is with having something tangible of his to take back with her for the Buddhist memorial service that is scheduled on her return to Japan. The Red Cross will ship his personal belongings. She is very grateful. She stands and deeply bows to me. I bow respectfully in return. A man in his thirties and his wife speak to me in a heavy Polish accent. They have with them his father who has come to NYC from Poland yesterday. He will be here for a week to grieve with this couple, and his daughter-in-law the new widow of his only other son who worked at WTC. The woman before me comments that she is trying to help her sister-in-law as best she can. It is difficult in that the widow refuses to be with, or talk to the man sitting before me --her brother-in-law. With tears in his eyes, the man tells me that he and his deceased brother are identical twins. His sister-in-law cannot bear to look into his face or hear his voice at this time. Hopefully time will heal. One also wonders what it must be like for him to look in a mirror. We are requesting that the Polish Red Cross assist in putting the name of the deceased twin on the headstone of their mother who died just a month ago. My Spanish-speaking client from Ecuador has a running joke. When all this is over, he wants to come to visit me in Minnesota. He is now totally alone in this country perhaps knowing me has been a comfort. When one has family and friends, a familiar country and language, it is hard to image what is it like to have none of those things. Maybe the joke -- the fantasy -- of someday visiting Minnesota can pull him through. Through all the sadness - clients frequently express hope, faith, and the strength to rise above this pile of rubble, which has fallen on lower Manhattan. I feel honored to be with these people and so very grateful that I have something to offer them through the American Red Cross. A psychologist from St. Paul working in my area has just given me a laugh with his hand puppet he uses with children. Surprisingly, you hear frequent laughter on Pier 94. Life does go on. We shall all survive. -- Bob 10/30/01 Remembering The Fallen Interestingly, the work is invigorating rather than depressing while I'm here at the Family Assistance Center. I do, however debrief my mind when Im alone in the hotel, and have shed many tears thinking of those who have shared their stories with me during the day. Language is an interesting thing -- we have translators of nearly every imaginable language here, and all that I have met and used are wonderfully compassionate people. They often come back asking about clients we have shared -- if I know how they are, etc. My day off was Monday. I was going to St. Patrick's Cathedral to tour. Getting there, the street was blocked, police everywhere, and a huge fire truck sitting in front. I stopped to ask the police when I would be able to get inside. He asked if I were going to the memorial. It was evident that this was a service honoring a fireman who died at the WTC, so I said I would like to go in if permitted, and showed him my "get into everywhere" Red Cross ID. I was taken into the cathedral. Entering the door, I was literally, spiritually transported with the smells of the incense and candles mixed with the World Trade Center debris dust of the firemen around me -- still in their full rescue suits and boots. It was a funeral of one of their comrades. The cathedral could barely have held another ten people -- it was packed. The music and the ritual of the service -- including communion, which I took with the firemen -- was a real healing, experience for me. Afterwards the body was taken to the fire truck for a procession of firemen walking behind down the Avenue of the Americas and some of the best known real estate in the world. It was a memorable experience. --Love, Bob 1/04/01 Visitors to Pier 94, NYC The seven (total) of us in International have two small work tables and two computers in an Admin space, and two counseling tables in the counseling areas which are several large draped areas with multiple tables in each. Privacy amounts to talking softly. We are quite cozy with each other most of the time. Perhaps have not mentioned to you that there is quite a parade of notables through here- Madeline Albright and I chatted, Elton John autographed and kissed the cheeks of my female co-workers, much of US Congress has been here. I hear lots of sports stars and Broadway performers I don't know have also been through. But then this is NYC and mid-town Manhattan. Mostly you know them by the escorts and "visitor" badges verses the "staff" or "volunteer" badges we wear. They come to be helpful and supportive. I guess they are to many people. As you know, however, work goes on no matter who is coming through. We were told, however, that if President Bush came through today (he was in NY) that work would pretty much stop -- he didn't come. You know the enormous Navy Hospital ship "Comfort"? It was berthed here right at our pier until Sunday when it pulled out. All painted white with big red crosses on it was very impressive. Most people thought it was our Red Cross organization ship rather than a hospital ship -- I didn't use it as a teachable moment -- I was too proud of seeing such an impressive floating facility with the red crosses so big on it. --Bob 10/6/01 Two Weeks on the Job Makes a Difference I have been here now for two weeks, and I am getting used to many things: the routine of hotel living, lots of walking on the streets of NY, the venders everywhere with multiple types of patriotic goods to sell, the very bright lights of Times Square, the horse & carriage; the mounted patrols, the police and security everywhere, seeing all the theaters, famous concert halls and stores, passing hot-dog and pretzel venders on almost every corner, the noise, the honking, dodging the taxis, the crowds of people. One thing I'll not miss when I return is the noise of the garbage trucks all night long -- even from my 8th floor room they are very loud every night. I see many Minnesotans and many comment on how well represented our state is. Since Red Cross Disaster Mental Health for the Family Assistance Center is based out of my same office area, I see several Minnesotans working in that function. I hear of many others who are here -- but this is a very, very big Red Cross response in many parts of the city -- so seeing people you know is completely coincidental. The other side of my two weeks here is seeing the issues of the clients. Recently we have been seeing more repeat clients -- especially those with multiple problems or complicated issues. This is interesting, however it different than the former parade of new people whom I interviewed previously. For example, I have worked now with four clients needing psychiatric evaluations. The psychiatrists have been wonderful, thorough, and impressive with their follow-up with me. The issues have been when "normal" depression crosses the line -- especially regarding sleep and appetite disorders. Grief can be a very debilitating emotion. Enough for tonight. I am looking forward to my midnight walk to the hotel for some exercise. This has been a day of sitting down -- and the dinner tonight at the ARC dining hall was particularly "comfort food". Bob 10/07/01 On The Sidewalks of New York Hi -- rainy here this morning -- I didn't use my umbrella because of the wind. Anyway it was still a good walk to the Pier. I am getting lots of exercise walking. Even going at midnight is not so bad -- there usually are several people in each block walking their dogs. The closer you get to Broadway and Fifth Avenue, the more police are on every corner, so they are the ones you have to walk through or around. I am a couple of blocks from Central Park at Columbus Circle, so last night I walked along the Central Park Drive past all the big hotels that face Central Park. Even at 12:30 a.m. it was populated and many of the horse & carriage drivers were taking their fares through the area or waiting to be hired. Monday should be interesting in my hotel area since we are at Columbus Circle -- NYC has a big parade, and I would ASSUME it would at least go by the statues and fountains of Columbus Circle. No matter, I will be working. I also walked up Fifth Avenue for a few blocks before turning on 56th to my hotel. Many famous stores -- but I haven't seen Tiffany's yet. They will be changing the hours of the Center from 8 to 8 starting Sunday. Things are not quite as hectic or crowded, but there are still thousands of people through here daily. The mayor was here tonight, but I missed him. I usually hear about celebrity visits long after they are gone. Oddly, I have not seen a single therapy dog today -- I miss them. I hear they take them along on the excursion boats that go to the observation platform at Ground Zero reserved for family members. The boats leave from here up to three times per day. I am sure that it is a very sad trip. I am hoping that the change in hours will allow me to take advantage of the beautiful health club in the hotel. They also have a rooftop swim pool. I have used neither in that they close at 11:00 p.m. They open 6:00 a.m., however I sleep as late as I can. I have had lunch twice now at the deli that David Letterman often has on camera during his show -- it is right next to the Ed Sullivan Theater where Letterman performs -- it is about 3 blocks from my hotel. Love, Bob 10/10/01 Ground Zero Former Site of the World Trade Center Yesterday I took the subway down to Ground Zero -- the former World Trade Center. This was the first day that I felt I could do it -- I knew that I wanted to see what this was really all about, yet because of all the families and their stories, I could not buck up emotionally to actually go there. I woke up early yesterday, sat up in bed, and said to myself -- this is the day. I quickly dressed as I knew I only had about four hours before reporting to work with the clients. I took the subway south. It wasn't what I had expected. We have seen it all on TV so much -- daily, and almost unrelentingly. It was worse. TV does not portray the reality. I arrived at the fence laden with flowers, pictures, gifts, and letters. People were silently looking at it all, taking some pictures, but mostly just quiet. We are many blocks away at this point. I approached the numerous policemen. I inquired how they were doing: "fine". They checked my Red Cross ID with the green band reading "Full Access & Ground Zero", and opened a gate letting me pass. I did, and walked all alone down the middle of what normally would have been a busy NYC street. Everything was damaged, windows broken; buildings draped in enormous tarps. I could not tell what I was really looking at -- I needed to ask the next policeman exactly where the WTC was -- he pointed ahead several more blocks. The further I went, the worse it got. Finally I saw the smoke, smelled the smells, and walked in the mud. Actually being there was different. I felt sick to my stomach -- tears welled up in my eyes. This is not just a damaged building it is an unconsecrated burial mound. The smoke is still coming out of the hole -- the huge cranes move slowly. The trucks come out laden with debris and need to go through a decontamination spray before getting onto the streets. I could only go within a couple of blocks without obviously getting in the way. It was close enough for me. I went to the nearby Respite Center where all of the rescuers can go for coffee, to sit down, receive informal counseling, rest, and food. Red Cross volunteers were there managing all the needs of the workers. Salvation Army was across the street also helping countless numbers of people. There were so many trucks -- there were so many men dressed in heavy protective gear. Everyone was working -- few standing around. I spoke to some of the police, with Red Cross volunteers, and stood aside as the workmen headed to the relative comforts of the Respite Center. I turned and left. Again, my throat closed and I felt I could hardly breathe, but I kept walking north -- away from that war zone. I took the subway back to my workplace and the families waiting for me. I have even a deeper appreciation of my clients, their stories, and a strong knowledge, and belief of why I am here. Soon I will be home. This memory will live on. -- Bob 10/11/01 Transition Suddenly I am faced with the normal mixed feeling -- I will be leaving here. No, I knew this all along -- after all; I have had my return ticket along with my ticket here. Still, one gets caught up in the work to do, the work done, and now during a transition time, the work still undone. Mostly I want to go home -- get back into the routine of home and work. But another part of me sees the seemly unending line of people coming to the Family Assistance Center with problems that need to be resolved. In these three short weeks, I have learned how to resolve, or alleviate some of their problems. I wish I could help more of them. I am grateful, however, for the talent of the Red Cross people who are coming in to replace us one-by-one. I work at giving them orientation -- but I also know that I can never prepare them for all the things they will see and hear and all the emotions they will feel. Working for the Red Cross relief effort here has been a wonderful, growing experience for me. It is similar to what I recall I have often said about my Peace Corps work so many years ago -- it was on the list as one of the best things that I ever did, but I dont know if I would be able do it twice in one lifetime. Today I have helped ship clothing and personal effects of a deceased man in his twenties back to his parents in Peru. He died at WTC on his birthday. You wonder if his co-workers had a card for him on his desk in the morning. Today I dealt with the psychiatric needs of a woman from the Dominican Republic who is unable to care for her children out of grief at the loss of her spouse. We will be bringing her parents over to care for her and the children; our Integrated Care Team has already assigned a nurse and mental health worker to be with her as necessary in her home. Today I worked with two young men -- Ecuador and Colombia -- both of whom have multiple problems living in the USA which preceded the violent deaths of their respective only brothers. I work with their individual problems. Both have very limited English both have similar life problems, both have current tragedies with which they can barely cope. By chance I am able to introduce them to each other. They go off to have dinner at the Red Cross family dining center. Maybe the next hour will be more pleasant for them. The day passes. I hope my replacement, a young woman who has been working in El Salvador for the International Services of the American Red Cross, will have as rich and rewarding experience as I have had. On the next day, I am in the process of turning over my work for the past 3 weeks to my replacement. As the day progresses, I am surprised three times. My young clients from Ecuador and Colombia come separately to see me, and tell me that their short-term plans have been confirmed and to thank me for sticking with each of them during their worst times. Additionally, my older client from Argentina comes to tell me that his ticket home has been confirmed and he leaves the next day and he thanks me for helping make this possible. As two of these men needed psychiatric interventions for depression during the time I knew them, I was particularly pleased that their lives seemed to be better. It was evident to me on this day with these three men that although there was much work to be done here, some of my work had been accomplished I can now transition back home for a while. My vivid memories of this experience with the World Trade Center international families will be with me for a very long time. See you in Minneapolis soon. -Bob --end-- RC Story: RC Volunteer yes RC Story: RC Employee yes Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story14.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2003-10-27 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 24.123.125.147 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story We lived in Washington state, and had to travel to Indiana to attend the funeral of my then-wife's grandmother. We were supposed to leave on September 12, but events of the day dictated otherwise. My watch was set on West Coast time, so my mother-in-law broke the news to us around 6:30, PDT (8:30 Central Time.) We just could not believe what was going on. When we heard that about the plane going down in Pennsylvania, I thought it was unrelated. When the South tower came down, I didn't know it, but seven people who I did business with became "missing." We were horribly gouged, and a lot of people were scared, but we also saw the best of America that day. In fact, my Boy Scout training kicked in that day when I was able to take stock of our situation, what resources we had, and so on. I'd hate to go through that again, but I am glad for my Boy Scout training which helped see us through. RC Story: Response I wanted to give blood, because I have a rare type (AB +), but the place was CROWDED! There were still lines when the place closed for the day. I cried, because it seemed that all of America turned out there in Terre Haute, people flying flags, volunteering to do rescue work in New York, and in general helping each other. I was proud to be an American that day, and have been since. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story20.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2004-01-18 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 207.95.4.118 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story It was the first week of my senior year in college. I was getting ready for my 9:35 class, and I had Fox and Friends on the Fox News Channel on because I was interning at FNC at that time. They were reporting that a plane had hit one of the towers. I immediately called my friend and asked if she knew what was going on. As we were talking, we saw the second plane hit, live on television. We immediately agreed to meet each other on the top of Hofstra's library. From that tenth floor, we had an amazing view of the NYC skyline. I have fond memories of my old dorm, on the 14th floor, with a spectacular view of the city. Now, a small crowd of us watch that skyline fill with smoke just some twenty miles away. Without knowing exactly what was going on, we split up and headed to class. But only a short time into class, a student ran out crying about a parent who worked in the WTC. That's when our professor was notified by his secretary that the Pentagon had been hit. He dismissed us all right away. From there, I went my main building, The School of Communication, where there were several TVs. That's when I first saw the towers collapse. The networks were replaying the video. All these students and teachers were staring at the monitors, in complete disbelief. After the towers fell, everyone's cellphone was out. I remember the landlines being plugged up with calls. My mom was trying to call me from home in Michigan. She was worried because she knew I had my internship in the city. As it was, I had plans to attend FNC's big five year anniversary near Battery Park on Thurs, Sept 13. That never happened. RC Story: Response Since I do not meet the physical requirements to donate blood, I helped my friends and fellow schoolmates who couldn't go home or who had missing loved ones. I stayed to comfort them and talk to them. Several of my close friends at the time were volunteer firemen with the Uniondale FD. I called to make sure they were OK. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story40.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2004-09-01 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 68.55.206.117 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I was home on bedrest, pregnant with my first child who was due in 3 months. My mom called me and said a plane had hit the WTC. I assumed a small plane - an accident. I turned on CNN and couldn't believe what I saw. I stayed on the phone with my mom and we both watched the news and saw the second plane hit. Then the news came from the Pentagon, and then another plane down in Pennsylvania. I was horrified. I was afraid I would never see my precious little girl. There was little I could do - confined for the remainder of my pregnancy. My husband couldn't come home because of his position with the city - they had gone into high alert emergency mode. My mom couldn't drive, so she couldn't come to my house. I stayed on the phone all day with her - watching, listening, praying, crying. RC Story: Response I had been a disaster relief worker with the Red Cross, but obviously could not assist in my condition. Financial donation was all I could do - and pray, and grieve. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story28.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2004-04-08 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 209.214.176.102 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I was in school, and I remember the principal announcing that every class turn on the T.V. He then went on to say that the 1st tower had been hit by a plane. Everyone was in total shock. I was watching the news, when all of a sudden my classmates and I saw the second plane hit. We were in complete shock. A few Air Force jets flew over our school, sending us into total panic. We all thought we were all going to be under attack. Some of us were crying, while others just sat and stared blankly at the television. This whole thing just seemed unreal. I called my parents and they came and got me from school. We spent the reat of the day praying and watching the news. RC Story: Response People in my community were very shaken by this tragic event. I helped local churches set-up special prayer services; and every morning some of my fellow peers and I would gather around the school's flag pole, join hands, and pray for America, and all the families that were suffering, and the victims of 9/11. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story25.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. anonymously Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2004-03-22 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 207.73.91.254 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I was at school and we were told that the two World Trade Centers were bombed and our teachers were afraid that the people that high-jacked the plane were going to bomb our school. Everyone was worried and they were all yelling and stuff. I was just sitting there doing my work but then I got a little worked up because we all heard this noise in the sky and we all yelled. I was glad when I finally got home.... but my sister was still worked up when I got home. Everyone was also talking about it on the bus. RC Story: Response I was worried about how they were going to live like that but our community didn't really need anything extra. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story44.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2005-02-15 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 156.63.200.97 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I was woke up by a frantic phone call from I think my cousin I never asked who called.He is a paramedic supervisor for Queens and Brooklyn hospitals. All I heard was "look....window.....move it!!!!" So I looked, I have a 7"high by 8" wide window view of Manhatten more prominently the WTC. I damn near hit the floor when I saw one tower was billowing smoke. I franticaly got dressed grabed my jump packs and hit the road, I to am a New York medic. I did get threw to him a short time later, around he told me to stay away, HELL NO!! I went in anyway, no way was I going to sit back, it's my job to help those in need, they call "we" come no matter what the incedent. You can imagine how the rest of my day was.....enough said. RC Story: Response I did my job giving medical attention to those in need, providing support in any way required. I was also able to obtain a large truck and got it filled by a local grocery store, water, caned foot, ect. when I had done all I could in the initial phase and it was clear we had a recovery situation not rescue, so I turned my attention to the salvage of ems vehicles so we could continue to provide any emergency medical transports that might arise. In the days..weeks...months ahead I gave all I could to support those in the recovery of the victims, and my comrads who in the face of insanity and horror had the courage to stay in harms way to save as many poeple as they could. One final thing, to the family members of the passengers on flight 93, the fallen police, firemen and medics, There is no greater love of humanity, than to give ones self that others may live. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story16.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2003-10-29 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 162.83.213.89 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I was in jail, watching the TV, when the show that we were watching was interrupted and the news came on and said that one of the towers had been hit. At first, everyone thought that it might have been a terrible accident. But, when they came on and said that the Pentagon had been hit, there was no question about it. As soon as the Pentagon story came on I had to make a phone call, as one of my old Navy buddys was stationed there. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get through for about 12 hours, and when I did, it wasn't good news. He had been one of the many casualties of the strike on the U.S. I still pray that the people that sponsored this will be brought to justice, and be made to pay for these attrocities. RC Story: Response Unfortunately, being in jail there wasn't much that I could do except to make a small donation to the relief effort. RC Story: RC Volunteer yes RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story18.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2003-12-09 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 67.122.190.26 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I heard the news on the radio on my way to work at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. I sat around with a group watching TV for a few minutes and then by myself. I was in disbelief. It suddenly dawned on me that I was a Red Cross nurse, volunteer and Board of Govenor member and had responsibilities. I turned to my assistant and told her I was leaving to do whatever I could for the Red Cross and I did not know when I would return...it could be days or weeks. I went to my local chapter, the Central New Jersey Chapter in Princeton, and told them I was available to do whatever was needed. They sent me to the Red Cross staging center in New Brunswick, NJ. I did not want any special treatment so, I never told anyone at the staging center that I was a board of Governor member. I just told them I was a Red Cross volunteer nurse and was there to help. I must have somehow appeared calm, clear headed and experienced as they gave me the assignment of answering calls from the family crisis line. My nursing skills were well utilized as I listened carefully to the desparate pleas of family members to help them find their family members. They trusted the Red Cross and because I was the voice at the other end of the line they trusted me. I had no easy answers for anyone that day, but I could listen to their pleas, take descriptions for our missing person center, and generally encouraged them to call back as much as they wanted. One man, a father in his 50's, called back to tell me about his son who worked for AON. He described his 26 year old son as having hair so red, that it simply could not be missed as the search for survivors began. He called me three times that day to remind me of the color of his sons hair and to ask if we had found him yet. The family pleas were heart wrenching, but I knew the best thing I could do was listen and offer hope, a hope that all of us as Americans were feeling collectively more strongly than I had ever seen in a lifetime. Later that evening I set up a shelter for a group of Hispanic office cleaners who could not return to their homes in NY. The following morning I was the nurse assgined to a shelter further up in North New Jersey that was in habited by a group of elderly citizens from NYC who could also not return to their homes after a day of gambling in Atlantic City New Jersey. For approximately two weeks thereafter, I did whatever I felt needed to be done, from putting together a mental health referral sheet together for the phone handlers in our area, to hand out brochures on how to help children cope with this disaster, to organizing a business/school help network, to making official visits to the 9/11 Family Center at the Pier in NYC and visit the Red Cross shelters at the World Trade Center sites. RC Story: Response See above RC Story: RC Volunteer yes RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story1.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2003-09-01 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 63.124.222.25 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I was training that day and had a new class that had just started. When we heard what was happening, everyone was so upset and the new staff certainly weren't in any frame of mind to learn anything so we gave them a quick course on beltline and put them to work. This freed me up to work in our Center. We had a tremendous response ( we had so many donors that we had to open up our auditorium so that they would have a place to sit). Our staff worked with such compassion and without any complaints well into the night. Donors were waiting as long as 5-6 hours to donate and for once no one complained about the long waits. Donors were even helping out by manning the registration stations and making red, white & blue ribbons for everyone to wear ( they were incredible!) This was happening at all our bloodmobiles and fixed sites that day. The emotions were running high from both donors and staff. Everyone felt so helpless and wanted so badly to do something. I needed to work to fill the hours until I could hear from my daughter and my brother that day. Both were scheduled to be on a plane that day and I couldn't get in touch with either one of them. I finally heard from my daughter around 1PM and I can't even begin to express my relief when I heard her voice. It still tear up even after all this time when I think about it. My brother finally called me at 10PM that night. He had been helping people all day to evacuate NY city. He lived in New Jersey and worked in NY....He was crossing the bridge into NY and actually saw the second plane hit. He told me that he had a meeting schedule that day at the World Trade Building, but his plans changed at the last minute. The meeting went on and all who attending were lost. He was devastated and spent a great deal of time with the families of those that were lost. September the 11th will be with me always. I experienced such a range of emotions that day....extreme fear, grief, frustration, helplessness, a sense of great loss, gratitude and joy that my family were all safe and such sadness for all that lost their lives that day. RC Story: Response Like everyone around me.....You simply did not think about yourself, but rather the needs of our community. They were feeling such helplessness and such a great need to "do something" and also to be with other people. Some had families in NY and Washington and just wanted to be with someone who would listen with compassion and understanding. We spent more time than usual with our donors that day just listening and crying with them. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee yes Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story2.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2003-09-02 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 162.6.218.122 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story My name is Rob Webb and I live in Bristol, TN. September 11th. I had just gotten out of bed and turned on the TV to watch the Today show. The first plane had just hit and Matt Lauer was stating that they were trying to get confirmation of the plane crashing into the World Trade Center. I am a Red Cross Volunteer and do National Disaster Response so I called my Local Chapter and let them know what was happening and then I called my parents in West Virginia to ask her if they knew what had just happened. Me and my mother were on the phone when the second plane hit and I knew then that something really bad was happening. I went down to my Local Chapter a few blocks away in Bristol, VA and watched in horror as the towers collapsed. RC Story: Response Due to the airports being closed and the chaos I wasn't able to go to New York for Disaster Response until October 5th. I worked at as a 12-8 Shift Supervisor at Ground Zero in Respite Center 1 located in St. Johns University. I worked for a few weeks, went home for a few weeks, went back and worked again as a 12-8 Shift Supervisor at Ground Zero in Respite Center 1. I helped close that Respite Center on December 2cnd and then went to work at the Staten Island Landfill. After a little over a week at the landfill I went home and it took a month of intense emotional dealings before I could go back to help the People of New York again in March. I worked at Red Cross Disaster Headquarters in Brooklyn this time as a Courier for 42 days. I saw the World Trade Center from near the beginning until near its end and met a lot of great people in between. I have several friends that I made while there and still keep in touch. RC Story: RC Volunteer yes RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story17.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2003-12-07 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 68.184.170.218 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story That day I was in the Dallas chapter training for Americorp/Corps Across Texas. We were in the middle of a class when our director at that time, Rena, came in and told us what was happening. We turned on the tv in the room and we saw all the news about it. RC Story: Response We as a group were asked if we wanted to help answer phones since all national phone calls were being transferred to the chapter. I said yes and volunteered to dp the night shift, 7pm to 7am. We were responsible on answering the hotline and take well being information about a missing person.I also went to New Jersey in the month of November to help with the assistance center there. I was there for about one month helping with Mass Care at Liberty State Park, where the assistance center was at. RC Story: RC Volunteer yes RC Story: RC Employee yes Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story26.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2004-04-02 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 4.37.217.252 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I was there when the first planes struck and became a first responder. Professionaly I train military, law enforcement and emergency services personnel. In the days, and weeks that followed, i worked with rescue workers at ground zero and became tremendously impressed with varios Red Cross workers. Now, two years later, I've moved away from NY and have become active as an ARC volunteer in Vero Beach, FL. RC Story: Response I worked as searc-n-rescue on 9/11 and immediately after. For 9 months I continued to serve as a recovery volunteer at Ground Zero RC Story: RC Volunteer yes RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story7.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2003-09-13 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 68.158.228.83 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story I was at work, with my computer on when I recieved a news alert from CNN. I was horrified with the first attack, but like everyone else I thought it was a horrific accident. Then the next tower was hit. I didn't think it was an accident any longer, but terrorism never entered my mind. I didn't know what to think. I had an Dr's appt. a couple hours later and had to leave work. When I got to the hospital, everyone was standing around the tv's as the first tower fell. We all wept. Patients, Dr's, Nurses. I drove home an hour later, with such a sense of erieness, no planes in the sky. It was so quiet, and so scarey. Our lives will never again be the same. With every tragedy we will think terrorism. Isn't that what they want though. RC Story: Response I dontated blood. My husband volunteered for the Red Cross. He was one of the first to be on the security team at Ground Zero. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee no Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story21.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2004-01-25 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 141.149.234.3 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource American Red Cross Museum Stories Description An account of the resource A collection of stories from Red Cross Volunteers who provided emergency response in the wake of the September 11th attacks. RC Story RC Story: Story As I heard it on the news I was paged by NHQ as part of the Air Team Response Goverment Liaisonto give me a heads up. I was asked that once in Dallas to head to NY. Well as we know today the Airports were shut down. Since I could not get to Dallas I return to work and help provide assistance locally as best we can. I did get to NY on Sept 13 early in the morning though. RC Story: Response I arrived in NY on Sept 13 as the Govt. Liaison Officer. As you can imagine the Mass Care issues alone were consuming to a team of 36 Govt Liaisons working in NY. We did the best we could and I belive if it were not for our work timly and effective assitance may not have been met. RC Story: RC Volunteer no RC Story: RC Employee yes Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource rc_story33.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2004-06-14 IP Address The IP address of the device used to submit the item. 172.199.32.15