Most of us experienced that painful day through our televisions, radios, phones, or computer screens. But while the nation watched in shock and sorrow, brave volunteers stepped forward to perform extraordinary acts of service, placing the needs of their communities and country ahead of their own safety.
As we approach this quarter-century remembrance of one of the darkest days in American history, I believe we must also honor the volunteers who helped carry America through those painful days that followed.
Real heroes.
Real sheroes.
Ordinary people
who answered
an extraordinary call.
Albert Davis’s Getting to Ground Zero: A Volunteer’s Storyis not just a book — it is a living memory of what it took to help hold America together when everything seemed to be falling apart.
From the Introduction, I was rooted.
“September 11th –15th, 2001 I wanted to see it with my own eyes. That was my motivation. Heavily guarded police perimeters that had quickly been set up, within hours, miles from Ground Zero, prevented me from getting anywhere close. Even the press was restricted from seeing many areas. Becoming a volunteer seemed to be the answer. Ironically, all over the city, volunteers were turned away, in what must have been record numbers. In spite of the obstacles many citizens did become volunteers and some volunteers managed to get all the way downtown to Ground Zero. I was one of them.”
— Albert Davis, Getting to Ground Zero: A Volunteer’s Story
This is not history told from a distance.
This is history written from the dust, the smoke and the human heartbeat of Ground Zero.
Davis brings us into those early days after 9/11, when ordinary people stepped forward in extraordinary ways, joining firefighters, ironworkers, medics, police officers and construction workers who descended on the site to help however they could.
What this book captures so powerfully is the spirit of service: people forming bucket brigades, searching through rubble, working through exhaustion, grief, confusion, fear and danger.
These were not just rescue efforts.
They were acts of love.
Acts of unity.
Acts of determination in the face of unimaginable loss.
Too often, the story of 9/11 focuses only on the moment of destruction. Albert Davis reminds us of what came next:
The volunteers who stayed,
Who labored in toxic conditions,
Who sacrificed their bodies and peace of mind,
Who paid a long-term price for that service.
Many later suffered from what is now known as World Trade Center illness, lasting health consequences caused by exposure during the recovery effort.
And that is why this book matters so deeply.
It honors not only what was lost,
but also what was given.
Not for fame.
Not for profit.
Not for recognition.
But because human beings saw suffering and answered the call for help.
Those volunteers reported to the front lines of a different kind of battlefield, one filled not with enemies, but with grief, smoke, rubble, heartbreak, courage and hope.
I am especially grateful that Albert Davis is still here to tell this story.
That alone makes this book a blessing, because so many who stood beside him are no longer with us.
His voice stands as a living reminder of what it meant for Americans to come together during one of the most painful moments in our nation’s history — helping all of us find a way to rise again.
As we approach this 25th anniversary of 9/11, I invite everyone reading this to share ideas on how we can best honor the quiet, selfless work of the 'grand and glorious' volunteers who stepped forward during that time and beyond.
They deserve a special place in our remembrance too.
The best film on World Trade Center Illness we've seen yet
"Immune system cancer found in young 9/11 officers - Yahoo! News" http://bit.ly/3w91eC Mon Aug 10, 6:13 am ET "NEW YORK – Researchers say a small number of young law enforcement officers who participated in the World Trade Center rescue and cleanup operation have developed an immune system cancer. The numbers are tiny, and experts don't know whether there is any link between the illnesses and toxins released during the disaster. But doctors who coordinated the study, published Monday in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, said people who worked at the site should continue to have their health monitored."
The problem of World Trade Center Illness is now without warning. The first solid evidence was a beautiful, young, successful with a fine family New York City attorney. Her name was Felicia Dunn-Jones and she is the first person acknowledged to have died (2/10/02) from World Trade Center Illness. Her name was read along with the other victims without mention of the addition during the 9/11/07 memorial.
"Citing "accumulated scientific research" that linked sarcoidosis to ground zero exposure, Hirsch wrote in May, "the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has thus concluded that Mrs. Dunn-Jones' exposure to World Trade Center dust on 9/11/01 contributed to her death and it has been ruled a homicide." reports USA Today
After months of bounced emails from elected and appointed officials about World Trade Center Illness, this site went up in February, 2002. The the death toll from 9/11 is rising as a result of the World Trade Center 1, 2 and 7 being exploded.
World Trade Center Cough and World Trade Center Illness are real health issues occurring since 9/11. People are dying and the government was, until recently saying the air was safe to breathe and the water safe to drink.
The White House told the EPA to alter the health report about what the people were eating, drinking and breathing. Officials quickly assured folks that the air was safe to breathe and the water safe to drink. They didn't even begin testing for toxins in the first few days, when the count would have been the highest, the reading most accurate of the quantity of toxic exposure. Why the sewers, who are suppose to be testing local air quality did not have readings for 9/11, is beyond me. Both Red Hook and Newtown Creek may have numbers. Also, Port Richmond and Owls Head were without obstruction and may have records of what was in the dust there.
World Trade Center Cough is a condition resulting from breathing the toxic materials released into the environment. World Trade Center Illness is a condition that includes respiratory, digestive and other problems resulting from exposure to the WTC dust. I've posted a piece on my blog, that explains in detail how WTC Illness is affecting folks.
Many other complications have occurred, including death, i.e. the attorney mentioned at the beginning of this article.
"Felicia Dunn-Jones, a 42-year-old attorney who was caught in the dust cloud while fleeing the collapsing towers on Sept. 11, 2001, died of sarcoidosis, a disease that causes inflammation and scarring in the lungs, on Feb. 10, 2002."
Exposure increases risk, and folks have been exposed to large quantities of toxic material for years now. The City may have cleaned up the pile, but they didn't clean up the surrounding areas, and I don't know how far that dust reached.
Since September 11, 2001, folks in parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have been breathing, eating and drinking the concentrated dust from the World Trade Center. It happened because rather than evacuate, New York City was put on lockdown. The military filled the streets. The people had no choice but to consume the toxic soup, drink the kool aid and hope you survive.
"The World Trade Center (WTC) terrorist attack and its aftermath exposed hundreds of thousands of people to debris, dust, smoke, and fumes. Studies conducted after September 11, 2001, among rescue and clean-up workers,1-4 office workers, 5 building evacuees,6 and residents of lower Manhattan 7-9 showed an increase in respiratory and other physical and mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder.
Many New Yorkers have health problems that could be associated with – or made worse by – exposure to the attack and its aftermath. Primary care physicians need to know how to identify, evaluate, treat, and if necessary, refer these individuals to expert care."
The press copy should have read BUSH TO CITY: DROP DEAD....only this time it's literal. The body count of victims of the WTC is rising, the death toll clock is still clicking, and the government has failed to give an accurate account of how many people died and are dying from the explosions at the World Trade Center in 2001. The standard rate for cancer to develop is between 5-15 years from exposure...which is why we are reading many stories about people still dying from exposure to the WTC toxic dust, much of which was never cleaned up, probably still in old curtains, children's toys and business people's suits as asbestos does not come out of fabric with traditional cleaning.
The people were lied to and told the air was safe to breathe and the water safe to drink.
If you were around Ground Zero during or we don't know how long after 9/11/01 here's the NRDC list:
YET, THE AUTHORITIES CHOSE TO "STUDY" THE SITUATION
AND 5 YEARS LATER GOT BACK TO US!
EARLY DETECTION SAVES LIVES - WE'VE LOST YEARS
The evidence is too precise to ignore. Those buildings were exploded. The pulverized toxins are still flowing everywhere.
As wrongfully imprisoned Ira Einhorn would say; here's the rub. It wasn't just first responders exposed to the toxic dust for long periods of time. Nor was it just adults. Many people lived, worked or visited the area.
In essence, when the buildings were pulverized, the dust spread and was in the air and water as well as on the food. Contrary to what we've been told about the affected area, this dust spread beyond the borders of lower Manhattan. The point in questioning surrounding areas is because bits and pieces of paper from the WTC were found on Long Island - if paper traveled that far, how far did the dust travel? I remember being impressed at the ability to see 3 states from the WTC restaurant Windows On The World. What if the dust traveled at least as far as I could see?
The White House remains dynamically silent on the issue of World Trade Center Illness, failing to address their role in altering the EPA report that said the area was safe. Where is the political debate on this issue? Still no word about when the White House and the EPA will be brought to justice for lying to the people about the danger in the dust.
There are volumes of information about exposure to toxic materials and cancer.
WHAT TO DO?
Demand accountability from the White House and the EPA regarding both lying about the dangers in the dust and putting New York on lock down rather than evacuate. I noticed that it was announced that the White House altered the EPA report regarding environmental safety during the week New York lost its electricity.
Contact your elected and appointed officials and demand a shift in medicine from studying the problem to implementing effective solutions. They know the long term results of carcinogen exposure. Squamous cell cancers on internal and external organs and orifices is what they are dealing with. They also need to pull out what they know about exposure to heavy dust, airborne particulate matter, on folks lungs and stomach, because people ate, drank and breathed the toxic dust.
Rinsing one's system with clean, distilled water and reducing stress can help. Old style medical treatments including hydrotherapy (which boosts the immune system and cleans toxins) and for those inclined, medical hemp (relieves stress, which is a major killer and cancer trigger) should be offered. Provide full medical and life support coverage to those exposed. Legalize hemp and tax it at 20% to create a revenue flow to support the health care crisis and solve other social problems.
Call together many of the metaphysical healers to have a discussion on techniques folks can use to use their minds to help heal their bodies. For example, I've reconnected with Niro Markoff healed herself from HIV/ARC in 1986. Niro's on Facebook. Given her extraordinary work in AIDS and exposure to World Trade Center dust as a result of her healing work, it's time to expand our definition of doctor.
Books to consider for further research on hydrotherapy include:
Rescue workers are already manifesting World Trade Center Illness. Chronic exposure to the toxic chemicals in the dust from the fallen WTC puts the population at risk from breathing and eating residual matter.
When the problem is dirt, the solution is a cleansing. What was called the Water Cure is a common sense approach to dealing with the high levels of toxic exposure.
Jethro Kloss's book, BACK TO EDEN has a chapter on the subject covering the How To.
"Always do direct action.
If you are lying in a ditch with a truck on your ankles,
you don’t send somebody out to find out how much it weighs – you get it off."
