story7290.xml

story7290.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-13

On the evening of Sept.13. 01 my wife and I were watching the TV news when the newscaster said " we have all the volunteers we need and all of the supplies so please dont send any more -------except for those special resperators, those of you who use them know who you are, call this number, and a number was flashed across the screen. As a retired Asbestos worker, I knew they were talking about High efficiency particulate air "HEPA" resperators, I called the number that was on the TV and the person I talked to said they did indeed need the HEPAs. I then called a friend in Springfield Mo. and asked if he would get some resperators for me. I left the next morning and picked them up. I then started calling on my cell phone to other people in the business My next stops were, Indianoplis In., Dayton Oh., Charleston W. Va. and Pittsburg Pa. When I left Pittsburg, my truck was full, so there was no need to make other calls. I got to Roseland N.J. I stopped at the police station and slept for a couple of hours. When I awoke, the policeman on duty escorted me toward the Lincoln Tunnel. On yhe New York side I went to the staging area. When the people there asked what I had I answered "HEPA" resperators. they immediately escorted me towards the towers. All of the films will show that before Sept. 16 the workers were wearing paper maskes, after that date, they were wearing the HEPAs. on my return home later that nite I was listening to N.P.R. radio when Margot Addler was interviewing a worker comming out of Ground Zero. "What did you do today" ""I pulled out three bodies but they were micro""What do you mean, micro"" You know, pieces, we have been doing it with masks, but today someone brought resperators" That made my trip home a little better. When I got home I learned I had been nominated for the Presidential Medal Of Freedom, by a journalist from Branson Mo. by the name of John Simpers