nmah5251.xml
Title
nmah5251.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-10-21
NMAH Story: Story
SSG Christopher D. Braman
September 11, 2001 Rescue
On September 11, 2001, I (SSG Christopher Braman) was on the phone with my wife who had called to tell me that two planes had just crashed through the Twin Towers in New York. I told her not to worry and that I was fine. I said I love you and I hung up the phone. At that moment, the building shook and smoke filled the hallways with panicking people. I immediately went across to the other office and yelled for everyone to get out. I went into the kitchen area and turned off the stoves. The doors were then secured and locked.
I came out the emergency exit on the side of the impact. At that moment, a DPS guard came stumbling up with a woman and a baby. I grabbed the baby from her and we walked about fifty more feet where I laid down the woman and the baby. I noticed that the back of the baby's hair was shortened and singed. The baby and the woman were covered in ash and appeared to be in shock. The woman did not speak and the baby was playful, but silent. At that time, the guard yelled to me to get the EMS. I ran towards the point of impact, where I noticed an ambulance pulling up. I yelled to them "I need to get an EMS and that there was a woman and a baby that needed help". As I ran closer, a DPS officer with a stretcher was carrying a woman that was burnt from the back of her head to her knees (bright pink in color). I was helping to place her down. As I pulled my hand away from her back, the burnt skin had pulled away from her back. The EMS told me that more help was on the way. I noticed that fire engine #61 was putting out the fire from the aviation fire engine where two men were being pulled out. At that point, I ran between the burning fire engine and the two burning vehicles on the right. As I looked up for a moment, I saw images of motionless people in the windows. I immediately said a prayer "Dear Lord, please give us the strength for what we are about to do". At that point, I met a man (Colonel Ted Anderson) at the point of impact in the fire and smoke-filled area. He and I grabbed a woman that was sitting down clapping and choking because she could not speak (found later to be Ms. Sheila Moody). As we rushed her to safety, I noticed blood from her nose and her mouth. She was covered with ash and appeared to be badly burned. We continued to shuttle victims back and forth to safety. Colonel Anderson told me to get a body board from fire engine #61, and when I returned, a civilian (Terry Morrin) was standing next to him. Together, we continued around the side trying to find another way in because the entrance area that we had been going through had collapsed. People were watching and panicking.
At that point, someone from the crowd yelled out, "another plane is inbound and to get the hell out of there". We noticed a DPS officer on our left side coming out with a man who had his left eyeball hanging out of its socket. We continued to try to get back into the building to help our fallen comrades. A general ran up to us and told us that we were not allowed to go back in and that we were told to evacuate the area because there was an incoming plane. As we were forced across south parking towards the tunnel that leads underneath the freeway to Crystal City, we noticed a group of men with stretchers that were being forced to leave the area. I (SSG Christopher Braman) yelled to the men for them to stay together, regroup around the other side, and to get back to us as fast as they could. Colonel Anderson, Terry Morrin, and I (SSG Christopher Braman) ignored the plea to get back to safety and we continued to push forward towards the area of impact. Page Two
At that time, the Sergeant Major of the Army (Tilley) instructed me (SSG Christopher Braman) to throw him behind the parking cement barrier if another plane were to come in. Colonel Anderson and I noticed a medical triage being set up where the two firemen from the aviation fire engine were being cared for. We noticed an FBI agent standing there and Colonel Anderson told him that we needed to keep going back in. FBI agent White said that he would take the "butt chewing" and for us to go back in. As Colonel Anderson, Terry Morrin, and I (SSG Christopher Braman) started running back towards the impact area, we were instructed to move 500 meters back because of the plane that was in route. We sat on the 110 freeway watching the building burn from the point of impact to the other side of the aviation tower. Colonel Anderson instructed Terry and I to stand fast and to figure out a plan of action. At this time, more medical help had arrived including medical doctors, nurses, and anyone willing to help. With the changing of new chiefs of the FBI and FEMA, we had organized in teams five different times due to the chaos. When a plan of action had come about, it was already nightfall. Colonel Anderson obtained a fireman's face mask and had gone back in with a fireman. When he came back, he informed me about the victims' bodies and the ankle-deep water everywhere. At that time, we were informed that the 3rd Infantry would come to relieve us and for us to go home.
It was approximately 10:30 p.m. when I met a man from FEMA and a Lieutenant Colonel (Lt. Edmundson). They were looking for someone who was in charge of the morgue. I introduced myself to them as SSG Christopher Braman and that I was trained on a ranger combat search and rescue team and that I would stay and help with the morgue recovery. Lt. Col. Edmundson informed me that she was a nurse from the Department of Defense and that she would pronounce the victims deceased. I told her that I would be her NCOIC of the morgue recovery team and she agreed. She gave me a list of items that we would need. She informed me that there would be a meeting at 5:00 a.m. the next morning at the site. I fell asleep on the grass and I woke up with the noise from the water being sprayed on the building. 3D INF Captain Nuerenberg came to talk to me about the morgue recovery team and instructed me that his men would be the ones carrying the bodies out.
Morning came fast and I acquired all the equipment that Lt. Col. Edmundson had asked me to gather from the FBI supply agent i.e. body bags, face masks, flashlights, and body suits for recovery. When I saw Lt. Col. Edmundson, she had just come back from the 5:00 a.m. meeting with FEMA. They were trying to figure out refrigeration for the recovered bodies. I told them that the inspection point area had a refrigeration storage facility and that I would talk to the DPS officer in charge since I personally knew him. I walked down to talk to the officer and explained to him that I was in charge of the morgue recovery team and that we needed refrigeration for the recovered bodies. At that time, he told me that there was a Giant Foods 50-foot refrigeration truck that we could use. When I returned to inform Lt. Col. Edmundson of the Giant Foods truck, she said that it would work, but that we would need a vehicle to transport the bodies to the Giant Foods truck in the inspection area.
At that point, 54th Morgue Army Company showed up without orders to help. I got together with CSM Cuffey (MDW CSM) and he instructed 54th Co. to stay at Ft. Meyers and not to worry. As we began to set up Camp Unity and organize our morgue teams, the FBI instructed us that we would be going in on the far side of the impact area first. As our teams entered the building, Sgt. Major Butts informed us that he would be the last man out of the building each time we carried a body. Page Three
The hallways were flooded with water, slime, and debris up to our ankles. The hallways became smaller and smaller with every turn we made towards the impact area. The areas were no bigger than five feet with water on the floor and no area to carry the stretchers through. In many areas, we had to carry the body bags through the debris and the smoke-filled room to the men with the stretchers that carried them out of the building. Civilian Eric Jones and I would bag the bodies and tag them for the FBI forensic teams and call for Sgt. Major Butts' men to carry them out. From there, the men would deliver the bodies to the refrigeration truck where the doctor would pronounce them dead and the chaplains would give the victims their last rights. As the next team would come in, we placed Ben-Gay under our noses before we replaced our ventilator masks upon entering again because the combination smell of death and jet fuel fumes were so immense. This went on for three days.
On the third day, Major Pantaleo, (a Marine Corps Major who was inside of the refrigeration truck helping Lt. Col. Edmundson verify the bodies and the tags that I would write in the dark with the use of a flashlight with the FBI forensic team), had noticed a Marine Corps flag hanging on the fourth floor that was unscathed by the fire. We decided to get the Marine Corps flag that represented complete defiance of the terrorist attack against America. Major Pantaleo, civilian Eric Jones, and I talked to the fire chief in charge to see if we were able to retrieve the flag. The fire chief instructed us to use the crane operator to retrieve the Marine Corps flag. We used the crane to retrieve the flag and we walked the Marine Corps flag to return it to the Marine Corps General. While in route, we were stopped by the speaker of the Congressional House, Senator Lott, and a few other senators thanking us for all our efforts with the morgue recovery team and retrieving one of America's symbols. We proceeded to return the flag to the Marine Corps General. The Marine Corps General met us outside of the Marine Corps Annex and we presented him with the Marine colors. He then turned and gave the colors to a man who was anxiously standing and awaiting the flag that was retrieved from his office. Knowing that we returned the Marine flag, it brought great self-esteem to us all. We then turned back to continue our recovery work.
On Friday, September 15, 2001, we were told that the original morgue team was being relieved due to lack of sleep and the amount of stress placed upon us in the past few days. We all looked for a place to burn our clothes due to the amount of human matter and chemicals that were accumulated on them. As we were leaving, we all felt that there was so much more work to be done and we wanted to continue doing our jobs. As I got into my car, I noticed victims' families lingering around the Red Cross tents in hopes to find their family members still alive, but we knew the truth.
Sincerely,
SSG Christopher Braman
Morgue Recovery NCOIC
September 11, 2001 Rescue
On September 11, 2001, I (SSG Christopher Braman) was on the phone with my wife who had called to tell me that two planes had just crashed through the Twin Towers in New York. I told her not to worry and that I was fine. I said I love you and I hung up the phone. At that moment, the building shook and smoke filled the hallways with panicking people. I immediately went across to the other office and yelled for everyone to get out. I went into the kitchen area and turned off the stoves. The doors were then secured and locked.
I came out the emergency exit on the side of the impact. At that moment, a DPS guard came stumbling up with a woman and a baby. I grabbed the baby from her and we walked about fifty more feet where I laid down the woman and the baby. I noticed that the back of the baby's hair was shortened and singed. The baby and the woman were covered in ash and appeared to be in shock. The woman did not speak and the baby was playful, but silent. At that time, the guard yelled to me to get the EMS. I ran towards the point of impact, where I noticed an ambulance pulling up. I yelled to them "I need to get an EMS and that there was a woman and a baby that needed help". As I ran closer, a DPS officer with a stretcher was carrying a woman that was burnt from the back of her head to her knees (bright pink in color). I was helping to place her down. As I pulled my hand away from her back, the burnt skin had pulled away from her back. The EMS told me that more help was on the way. I noticed that fire engine #61 was putting out the fire from the aviation fire engine where two men were being pulled out. At that point, I ran between the burning fire engine and the two burning vehicles on the right. As I looked up for a moment, I saw images of motionless people in the windows. I immediately said a prayer "Dear Lord, please give us the strength for what we are about to do". At that point, I met a man (Colonel Ted Anderson) at the point of impact in the fire and smoke-filled area. He and I grabbed a woman that was sitting down clapping and choking because she could not speak (found later to be Ms. Sheila Moody). As we rushed her to safety, I noticed blood from her nose and her mouth. She was covered with ash and appeared to be badly burned. We continued to shuttle victims back and forth to safety. Colonel Anderson told me to get a body board from fire engine #61, and when I returned, a civilian (Terry Morrin) was standing next to him. Together, we continued around the side trying to find another way in because the entrance area that we had been going through had collapsed. People were watching and panicking.
At that point, someone from the crowd yelled out, "another plane is inbound and to get the hell out of there". We noticed a DPS officer on our left side coming out with a man who had his left eyeball hanging out of its socket. We continued to try to get back into the building to help our fallen comrades. A general ran up to us and told us that we were not allowed to go back in and that we were told to evacuate the area because there was an incoming plane. As we were forced across south parking towards the tunnel that leads underneath the freeway to Crystal City, we noticed a group of men with stretchers that were being forced to leave the area. I (SSG Christopher Braman) yelled to the men for them to stay together, regroup around the other side, and to get back to us as fast as they could. Colonel Anderson, Terry Morrin, and I (SSG Christopher Braman) ignored the plea to get back to safety and we continued to push forward towards the area of impact. Page Two
At that time, the Sergeant Major of the Army (Tilley) instructed me (SSG Christopher Braman) to throw him behind the parking cement barrier if another plane were to come in. Colonel Anderson and I noticed a medical triage being set up where the two firemen from the aviation fire engine were being cared for. We noticed an FBI agent standing there and Colonel Anderson told him that we needed to keep going back in. FBI agent White said that he would take the "butt chewing" and for us to go back in. As Colonel Anderson, Terry Morrin, and I (SSG Christopher Braman) started running back towards the impact area, we were instructed to move 500 meters back because of the plane that was in route. We sat on the 110 freeway watching the building burn from the point of impact to the other side of the aviation tower. Colonel Anderson instructed Terry and I to stand fast and to figure out a plan of action. At this time, more medical help had arrived including medical doctors, nurses, and anyone willing to help. With the changing of new chiefs of the FBI and FEMA, we had organized in teams five different times due to the chaos. When a plan of action had come about, it was already nightfall. Colonel Anderson obtained a fireman's face mask and had gone back in with a fireman. When he came back, he informed me about the victims' bodies and the ankle-deep water everywhere. At that time, we were informed that the 3rd Infantry would come to relieve us and for us to go home.
It was approximately 10:30 p.m. when I met a man from FEMA and a Lieutenant Colonel (Lt. Edmundson). They were looking for someone who was in charge of the morgue. I introduced myself to them as SSG Christopher Braman and that I was trained on a ranger combat search and rescue team and that I would stay and help with the morgue recovery. Lt. Col. Edmundson informed me that she was a nurse from the Department of Defense and that she would pronounce the victims deceased. I told her that I would be her NCOIC of the morgue recovery team and she agreed. She gave me a list of items that we would need. She informed me that there would be a meeting at 5:00 a.m. the next morning at the site. I fell asleep on the grass and I woke up with the noise from the water being sprayed on the building. 3D INF Captain Nuerenberg came to talk to me about the morgue recovery team and instructed me that his men would be the ones carrying the bodies out.
Morning came fast and I acquired all the equipment that Lt. Col. Edmundson had asked me to gather from the FBI supply agent i.e. body bags, face masks, flashlights, and body suits for recovery. When I saw Lt. Col. Edmundson, she had just come back from the 5:00 a.m. meeting with FEMA. They were trying to figure out refrigeration for the recovered bodies. I told them that the inspection point area had a refrigeration storage facility and that I would talk to the DPS officer in charge since I personally knew him. I walked down to talk to the officer and explained to him that I was in charge of the morgue recovery team and that we needed refrigeration for the recovered bodies. At that time, he told me that there was a Giant Foods 50-foot refrigeration truck that we could use. When I returned to inform Lt. Col. Edmundson of the Giant Foods truck, she said that it would work, but that we would need a vehicle to transport the bodies to the Giant Foods truck in the inspection area.
At that point, 54th Morgue Army Company showed up without orders to help. I got together with CSM Cuffey (MDW CSM) and he instructed 54th Co. to stay at Ft. Meyers and not to worry. As we began to set up Camp Unity and organize our morgue teams, the FBI instructed us that we would be going in on the far side of the impact area first. As our teams entered the building, Sgt. Major Butts informed us that he would be the last man out of the building each time we carried a body. Page Three
The hallways were flooded with water, slime, and debris up to our ankles. The hallways became smaller and smaller with every turn we made towards the impact area. The areas were no bigger than five feet with water on the floor and no area to carry the stretchers through. In many areas, we had to carry the body bags through the debris and the smoke-filled room to the men with the stretchers that carried them out of the building. Civilian Eric Jones and I would bag the bodies and tag them for the FBI forensic teams and call for Sgt. Major Butts' men to carry them out. From there, the men would deliver the bodies to the refrigeration truck where the doctor would pronounce them dead and the chaplains would give the victims their last rights. As the next team would come in, we placed Ben-Gay under our noses before we replaced our ventilator masks upon entering again because the combination smell of death and jet fuel fumes were so immense. This went on for three days.
On the third day, Major Pantaleo, (a Marine Corps Major who was inside of the refrigeration truck helping Lt. Col. Edmundson verify the bodies and the tags that I would write in the dark with the use of a flashlight with the FBI forensic team), had noticed a Marine Corps flag hanging on the fourth floor that was unscathed by the fire. We decided to get the Marine Corps flag that represented complete defiance of the terrorist attack against America. Major Pantaleo, civilian Eric Jones, and I talked to the fire chief in charge to see if we were able to retrieve the flag. The fire chief instructed us to use the crane operator to retrieve the Marine Corps flag. We used the crane to retrieve the flag and we walked the Marine Corps flag to return it to the Marine Corps General. While in route, we were stopped by the speaker of the Congressional House, Senator Lott, and a few other senators thanking us for all our efforts with the morgue recovery team and retrieving one of America's symbols. We proceeded to return the flag to the Marine Corps General. The Marine Corps General met us outside of the Marine Corps Annex and we presented him with the Marine colors. He then turned and gave the colors to a man who was anxiously standing and awaiting the flag that was retrieved from his office. Knowing that we returned the Marine flag, it brought great self-esteem to us all. We then turned back to continue our recovery work.
On Friday, September 15, 2001, we were told that the original morgue team was being relieved due to lack of sleep and the amount of stress placed upon us in the past few days. We all looked for a place to burn our clothes due to the amount of human matter and chemicals that were accumulated on them. As we were leaving, we all felt that there was so much more work to be done and we wanted to continue doing our jobs. As I got into my car, I noticed victims' families lingering around the Red Cross tents in hopes to find their family members still alive, but we knew the truth.
Sincerely,
SSG Christopher Braman
Morgue Recovery NCOIC
NMAH Story: Life Changed
I was injured, Americans are not victims, we are survivor and I refuse to be a victim.We as survivors should remember that we must teach our children not to hate and to educate themselves. The more educated we are the less fearful we become!
I had chemical pnemonia, and from that I now have Asma,R.A.D.S.GERDS.
I had chemical pnemonia, and from that I now have Asma,R.A.D.S.GERDS.
NMAH Story: Remembered
That the Victems died with Honor and that they will never be forgotten!
NMAH Story: Flag
Yes ,I fly the American Flag. Yes, September 11th has strengthen my Patriotism and know I teach terrorism awarenes accross to children
Citation
“nmah5251.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed November 24, 2024, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/44001.