WTC questionnaire staff distribution notice, October 2004

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Last Steel Column From the Ground Zero Rubble Is Cut Down ByCHARLIE LeDUFF Joe Bradley, 57, helped build the jobs or have gone back to the old twin towers, helped remove their re­ ‘*'«It was a night for the working gains and will undoubtedly be here ones, like the AOL Time Warner job •^ople, a brief, private moment to to rebuild. “Don’t ever forget these in Columbus Circle. Others will be -fgflect on their 37 weeks spent to­ days, boys,” he said before the cere­ shaping up in the union halls today other at ground zero. A night to mony as work in the pit continued. hoping for a chance of work. -riiark the end. ‘iWe came in as individuals, and It is finally over and the workers ./' Column No. 1,001 B of 2 World -we’ll walk out together.” went on their way from ground zero Trade Center, the last symbolic “',Let history show that many of to deal with that alone. There were piece of the unfathomable recovery these men and women were here on no psychologists to debrief them, no .effort, was cut down at 8:17 p.m. the afternoon of Sept. 11, having respiratory doctors to meet them. .^yesterday by operating engineers, abandoned their jobs elsewhere in When the column was stowed ironworkers, teamsters, laborers the metropolitan region. How they away, the men and women marched -and dock builders. up the ramp through a Navy honor .: The 58-ton piece of steel from the scribbled .their names and -phone guard, and each worker was handed •'South tower was laid on a flatbed numbers on their forearms those an American flag. The workers >tnick, wrapped in black muslin and first few days in case they were walked past the banner that 'read American flag, and tucked in a swallowed up in a hole and killed. “We Will Never Forget” arid headed it»mer of the pit. It will be taken out Also, let it note these small memo­ for the taverns. ^jomorrow morning as part of the ries. How the workers wept over the There, they talked about the lives nceremony marking the end of the abandoned shoes lying in the streets to be gotten on with. One man talked a^covery effort at ground zero. The left by people running for their lives. of seeing the barber to get his collar aiiorld will participate by television. How people laughed that second line cut properly; he has been'trim­ ^<i-Last night there were a few gov- evening as the ironworkers wore ming his own hair since September. •grnment officials, along with a group cashmere coats and scarves and ‘fe­ Another has a marriage to patch police officers and firefighters, doras from Brooks Brothers as they up. Another talked about making it ,secluding a retired fire captain who burned the steel to brace themselves up to his daughter for missing her j)ad not found his dead son. There against the cold. recital. There was the hunting trip in -was a bugler, bagpipers and a few It was a family affair, and they Canada and baseball games to see. hundred men and women with sad were represented last night The The future to look forward to. .jpemories of abandoned shoes and Reinle brothers; Edward, 60, a ^acrid-smelling smoke and eerie heavy-machine operator; Thomas, -green vapor. 59, a firefighter; William, 58, an iron­ ^^iThe time spent here has played on worker; and Richard, 57, a Metropol­ ^eir minds. Over these past eight itan Transportation Authority tech­ -nrid a half months spent at ground nician. There were others. The Ci­ 'jjlpro, the workers are convinced that priano brothers. The Fossati broth­ ti^ey have seen ghosts and been vis- ers, the Nolans, Bradleys, Grays and Sed by old friends in their dreams. so on. "/They are sure they have inhaled “You found out who you were,” /^bestos and plastics and human re- Joe Bradley said of his time here. jilsins, unsure of whiat the physical “What it means to be an American, ‘^d spiritual effects of ground zero what it is to stand up.” •^11 have on them in the days and There were no speeches in the 'months and years ahead. hole, a smattering of silence among ■'•"''They gathered at Vesey and West the shouts of “U.Sj\.” and “Union, ^rieets around 7 p.m. and fell in line Union, Union” and loved ones calling ^hind the drums and pipes, and by cellphone. The pit smelled of wet TitSoved down West Street into the pit. mild and cigarette smoke. ■Trtie. American flag was removed The work is officially over and the 4i^m the top of the column, folded work done was remarkable. It came ;^d presented to Lou Mendes of the in under budget, three months ahead •^Department of Design and Construc- of schedule and without one serious stidn. The blowtorch was lighted and injury in 1.5 million man-hours. Still, 4»assed among the tradesmen from business is business and the layoffs come quickly. The lucky workers

NMTimes Ironworkers Local 40, Laborers Lo­ cals 79 and 731, Dock Builders Local have already been assigned to new 1456 and International Operating En­ gineers Locals 14 and 15. Each took turns cutting a piece away.

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