story4312.xml
Title
story4312.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-09-11
911DA Story: Story
I remembering waking up on September 11, 2001 thinking it would be like any other duty day, I am in the US Navy. I had turned the television on to watch the morning news while getting ready to go to school when I learned of the attacks. I raced to the school building on base where my fellow shipmates and I huddled around televisions to watch the events unfold.
But, my story isn't about what happened on September 11 it's about what happened May 30, 2002.
May 30, 2002 is the day that the last piece of debris was removed from the World Trade Center site, and I was there to participate in the ceremony that took place that evening.
Firefighters, Police Officers, City Officials, Construction crews and many more were gathered that evening to watch as the last standing cememt pillar that remained was removed. It was a very touching ceremony when at the end this pillar was placed on the back of a flat bed truck and encased in black fabric. It had the look of a huge black coffin. On top was draped the American Flag and a wreath of red and white roses.
All the people then assembled into a parade of sorts. First the firefighters, than the Bag Pipe Players, the Police Offcers and officials and finally the truck.
Officials had the military members who were attending line the rails of a small narrow ramp that led down into the "pit". Behind us was a wider ramp that allowed for vehicles to to move in and out of the site. It was on this ramp that the parade of Firefighters, Police Officers and others walked.
I remember us all turning around as the Firefighters walked up the ramp and lined either side as the others proceded up. After everyone had passed and the truck had gone it was silent for a bit. Then a man's voice came out of the darkness and I will never forget the word's that he said, "Firefighters. About Face. Hand Salute."
The Firemen and women and even some remaining Police Officers were saluting us! That was the most emotional thing to me.
Just that past April my ship, the USS Ross DDG-71, had returned from Deployment after had being gone for six months. We had done our part and gone overseas to fight. But I felt that the men and women who helped in the Clean-Up on American Soil had done the bigger part. They were the real heroes, not us, not me. Myself and my shipmates we were just doing our job. What we had enlisted in the military to do...to protect our country at all costs.
Standing there on a small ramp having them honor us that way is something I will never forget.
But, my story isn't about what happened on September 11 it's about what happened May 30, 2002.
May 30, 2002 is the day that the last piece of debris was removed from the World Trade Center site, and I was there to participate in the ceremony that took place that evening.
Firefighters, Police Officers, City Officials, Construction crews and many more were gathered that evening to watch as the last standing cememt pillar that remained was removed. It was a very touching ceremony when at the end this pillar was placed on the back of a flat bed truck and encased in black fabric. It had the look of a huge black coffin. On top was draped the American Flag and a wreath of red and white roses.
All the people then assembled into a parade of sorts. First the firefighters, than the Bag Pipe Players, the Police Offcers and officials and finally the truck.
Officials had the military members who were attending line the rails of a small narrow ramp that led down into the "pit". Behind us was a wider ramp that allowed for vehicles to to move in and out of the site. It was on this ramp that the parade of Firefighters, Police Officers and others walked.
I remember us all turning around as the Firefighters walked up the ramp and lined either side as the others proceded up. After everyone had passed and the truck had gone it was silent for a bit. Then a man's voice came out of the darkness and I will never forget the word's that he said, "Firefighters. About Face. Hand Salute."
The Firemen and women and even some remaining Police Officers were saluting us! That was the most emotional thing to me.
Just that past April my ship, the USS Ross DDG-71, had returned from Deployment after had being gone for six months. We had done our part and gone overseas to fight. But I felt that the men and women who helped in the Clean-Up on American Soil had done the bigger part. They were the real heroes, not us, not me. Myself and my shipmates we were just doing our job. What we had enlisted in the military to do...to protect our country at all costs.
Standing there on a small ramp having them honor us that way is something I will never forget.
Collection
Citation
“story4312.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed January 16, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/11639.