story1223.xml

story1223.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-08-19

My name is Irv (Tiki) Rolon I,m a cosmetic patcher for cement products working for the Bricklayers Union in Rochelle Il. I grew up in Williamsberg Bklyn until I was eleven then to adulthood in Flushing Queens. I had just arrived at the Jobsite, at Pearl City Il. when my wife Connie called me on the cellphone and told me an airplane had just crashed into the World Trade Center. Imediately I turned on the truck radio and what I heard shocked me, disturbed me, and emotionally touched my heart. After listening for a while I needed to go to do my job. At the work area all the radios were tuned to the news stations ansd we all heard what had happened not only in New York but also in Washington D.C. and in Pensylvania. I was standing on a ladder when another worker came to tell me the news, I told him I had heard as well. He asked me your from New York aren't you? I said yes. He continued, You probably know some of the people at the scene, I said yes probably. My heart sank and I wept qietly to myself. Even now I still feel the pain of all those people and my beloved America. God bless this land. I now realize how fragile we all are. God save us. When I got home and was able to share with my wife and children the events of the day, and actually watched it on TV we all silently cried to ourselves.