09/17/01 - Summary of suggestions re: WTC incident, Sandy Haber

In a message dated 9/14/2001 11:53:19 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Horwatt writes:

Dear Family and Friends: I am writing to tell you about my experience as a Red Cross Mental Health Disaster Response provider. I have to talk about what I've seen.......

I was sent, as were Diane Goebbs, Rosemary Burns, John Gualtieri, Sara Regan to the Pentagon. My particular location was ground zero, about 500 yards from the torn up part of the building. The sight of it took my breath away. Here are some very bizarre things. The windows of the building remained intact. They were only broken by the Rescue Workers. You could look into the side where the building had been torn off and see that the rooms were chaos. Everything was blown up. But in the corner, intact, still standing was the Marine Corps Flag.

While there, the building began to burn again. A hotter fire I've never seen. Smoke and dust was everywhere. In an instant, the Fire Department was there with their hoses. The water was so powerful, I'm sure it would kill a man should it be trained on him. That fire was out within 25 minutes. Then a large crane went up over the building so that they could make sure it was, indeed, out so that the workers could go back in. The power, the professionalism, the efficiency and the speed of the personnel was magnificent to behold.

I was located, as I said, about 500 yards away under a tent named Fort AP Hill. Don't ask. I don't know why. When I arrived, I felt small and insignificant. What in the Hell was I going to do with my pleasant smile alone? What I, in fact, did was hand out roast beef sandwiches, Gatorade, towels soaked in cold water, dry towels and, for the female personnel working arm in arm with their brothers, sanitary protection for those difficult times of the month. I gave them scolding for not drinking water. I gave them hugs and kisses. They gave me their thanks, their stories, and their thanks over and over again.

One man pointed to part of the Pentagon to the left of the trees. It was unmarred by the soot that covered the building just six feet away. He said that had been his office. It was so enclosed because of security, he had not heard of the WTO bombings, and when he heard the noise of the impact on the Pentagon he knew something was wrong. As he ran out, he was told the story that there were terrorists and they were being bombed. As soon as he could, he had to go back into that building and disable the computers because they WERE STILL RUNNING and contained top secret material. He'd been there since the beginning and wouldn't go home because he had to be there.

Another man, dressed in the white suit of those who go in to get the bodies, came for a sandwich. He said he worked in that building in his real life. I asked him how it was to go in there and see those who didn't survive. He said that their spirits were gone. It wasn't them lying there, just their physical remains. He was just helping to take them out of the Pentagon for the last time. I actually understood what he was talking about. It is us survivors who are really going to pay the price for this.

He then told me he weighed 215 pounds with only 13% body fat. He was strong, cocky, and could have been my son, if I'd had a son. I told him, "Whatever, you don't take a fruit bowl with those potato chips, I'll break your kneecaps!"

I have to say the American Marines, Sailors, Soldiers, FBI personnel, the ATM personnel, the Police, the Firemen are some of the strongest, best, brightest people around. They kept coming over to thank us for being there.....I helped a guy find size 40 skivvies (in the Govt. we used to call it "...and other duties as assigned"), and he acted like I'd given him the key to the city. I marveled that THEY were grateful because I was so grateful they were there. It was an honor to be part of this effort, and I am going back today because I can't stay away.

Sally Horwatt

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