As We Remember
"Ralph Geidel, a retired firefighter, was among the thousands of searchers at ground zero from the start. Wearing his old FDNY coat, a photograph of his brother fastened to his firefighter helmet, Geidel checked for patterns and signals that might offer clues to hidden remains.
"You look for something that doesn't belong among that rock, the concrete, the steel, the papers and all the other stuff," he said. "You just kinda develop an eye for that, something that doesn't quite mix with everything else — certain shapes, like hands.
"I found a lot of hands."
It's hard to believe that after 5 years some families are still in limbo with regard to their lost loved ones. It's illustrative of the scope of our loss to realize the search goes on;
"The search for remains was concentrated at the 16-acre World Trade Center site. But debris, human remains and jet parts also rained down on the surrounding area, and some bones turned up on nearby buildings; authorities checked nearby rooftops for pieces of humanity, but some structures were damaged and could not be inspected thoroughly.
Then, in the last year, workers preparing to tear down the Deutsche Bank building found so many new bone fragments that officials sent a group of experts, including Geidel, to comb the roof, which is covered with a layer of gravel that authorities say camouflaged many of the smaller pieces.
"Now there's this faint glimmer that perhaps we might have something," says Lynn Castrianno, whose brother, Leonard, has not been found."
"It's almost as though he existed, and then he didn't — there's no real tangible proof that he was there, and that makes a difference in the grieving process ... it's like that final goodbye has never been said."
If you've forgotten the devastation if 9/11, if you're in denial about the threat of further devastation, perhaps this little reminder will help you wake up.
UPDATE:
If you've forgotten about the goodness of Americans, this is a must read!
God have mercy on the souls whom are still searching for their loved ones that never made it home that fateful day.
I am still in shock. Maybe that is why I am so trigger-angered at silliness. Who knows. Who cares. God bless America, and God bless you, Dagney.
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Ralph Geidel is a hero to all of those families whose loved one's remains he recovered. He and his wife Barbara put their own lives on hold so Ralph could continue his efforts; they've endured financial hardship, especially traveling back and forth from Northern California, and as a result of the cancer we all believe he contracted working in 'The Pit'. Ralph met his illness with incredible strength and courage, which I believe is how he's lived his entire life. When we look for a true American hero, let's all remember Ralph Geidel. He has been a true inspiration, here in California as well as NYC. Our prayers are with him.
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Dear Eileen,
Thank you so much for your warm and tender words. You are right, of course. I still have to get to that point where the anger is not the first thing that comes out. Most days I am. This month? It's too close. Too much silliness. And I waste it on them, instead of grasping the beauty of our true heroes. That is why I am thanking you. You have reminded me and helped me. God bless you.
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I am assiting 2996 with collecting permalinks for the project. I can't find yours, if I have overlooked it, please let me know, otherwise it will be listed as no tribute and passed out to someone who can do one.
Thank you!
mommy2mymunchkins@yahoo.com
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When you hit "more" to view the complete post, the permalink will appear in the address line. Just copy/paste.
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