Tribute month continues on this ninth day, August 19, 2011. Today, there will be a look at the timing and logistics of the slaughter. We will get “down and dirty” and look at even the debris created.

Once again, turning to New York Magazine, we find that:

The initial numbers are indelible: 8:46 a.m. and 9:02 a.m. Time the burning towers stood: 56 minutes and 102 minutes. Time they took to fall: 12 seconds. From there, they ripple out.

Even the mere reading of that excerpt, is chilling. People are in buildings over 100 stories above ground. In less than one hour, in less than two hours, “death” shows up. The end is highly probable and inevitable.  I can imagine that those who were there for meetings, had just had the moderators/organizers making sure that coffee had been served or available, probably just about to pull out the power point presentation. Then the floor and walls began to shake.  People are probably puzzled at first, thinking that the “big one” that is a California expectancy, is about to hit New York City. Then those with cell phones, in the second tower, find out news about what happened in Tower One.

In some instances, it probably became every man for himself. I choose to believe that in the majority of cases, it became one helping another. We have many reports to back up that belief. John O'Neill, recently appointed head of security at the World Trade Center was such a one. His was a complex story, at the FBI, of a “square peg in a round hole.” He felt that something would happen at the WTC. It did. The bodies, including his, and the debris were there to prove it.

I can envision those who believe in God, praying to Him, more for their family members, to comfort those family members, than for their own personal safety.  After praying, does one sit and wait for death, or do as some have said to have done, and vault from the buildings? On the subject of vaulting, there is some controversy as to whether folks jumped or were pushed/forced from the building by the force of gravity. USA Today reported:

At first, it seemed like debris. Large objects were falling from the top of the World Trade Center's north tower, just a few minutes after American Airlines Flight 11 hit.

The “debris” turned out to be human beings hurtling through the air.

New York magazine reported 1,506,124 tons of debris eventually being removed from the site, and that the fires burned 99 days after the attack. What a conflagration. On almost the tenth anniversary of 9/11, there is a positive story about “debris.” South King Fire & Rescue is in the news because two of its firefighters are using their personal time to bring a beam from the World Trade Center, for inclusion into a memorial at Station 64. Firefighters Sven Schievink and Scott Mahlen, I salute you. You are my new FaceBook friends.

Firefighters and our troops are two of my favorite public servants, maybe because they save lives, sometimes at the expense of their own lives. I saluted both in my book “Thoughts of A Proud American.” The following excerpts are about firefighters. Never in the real world, would I have believed that almost three hundred fifty in the fire fighting profession, would have lost their lives in a single day. In the movies, anything, including this, is possible. It just does not happen in real life.

343 firefighters, along with other “service” persons gave their lives in

service to their city. At one point, fairly recently after 9/11, I purchased a

National Enquirer Magazine which listed the names of these heroes. Every

day thereafter, I took four or five names and I focused on those names for the

day. I tried to imagine the persons behind the printed names. I thank them

all for saving almost 25,000 of their fellow citizens.

I have also given to a fund set up the Los Angeles Firefighters for

the FDNY. I trust the firefighters. Heck, I would trust them with my life!

I turned in another $175 to the company where I work and will get a

match. This amount is from my fundraising efforts for 9/11. It is going to the

Firefighters 9/11 fund. Once again, my coworkers came through and bought

my baked goods. Thank you guys!

Thursday, 1/24/02

Firefighters for the 300 fire stations across NYC will be traveling across

the country in March, to thank Americans for their support in the aftermath

of 9/11. Wouldn’t it be nice if we can all see them!

Sunday, 6/23/02

This is an interesting piece of news. Fire Departments here in the US are

receiving e-mails from foreign universities asking for information about these

Fire Departments, including major routes?

I never heard any more reports about those inquiries, so I am assuming that nothing came of that. So soon after 9/11, I was suspicious of anyone and anything – justifiably so.

When I thought of the destruction of the man-made towers, the hymn For the Beauty of the Earth seemed to be a good selection for today. Evil men destroyed towers made by men, and lives created by God. But, the evil ones can never wreak sufficient destruction to make even a dent in the work of the Creator of all. He continues to create. They are dead.

This whole world is Our Father’s house/world. May He continue to bless America, and His children throughout the entire world.