This saddens me

[GOLDCYLON]

Never forget folks, the first responders to this national tragedy and all the troops along the way.


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cops-dead-from-9-11-illnesses-outnumber-officers-who-died-in-attacks/

[FU]

NEVER FORGET. :Eagle:

[John Boothby]

:saluting:

[WB9MCW]

VERY SAD INDEED

During the time when the World Trade Center was planned and constructed, asbestos was a very prevalent building material. It was highly heat resistant, easy to incorporate into a number of materials and relatively inexpensive. As a result, asbestos-containing products like insulation, drywall, steel and fireproofing materials were incorporated into a number of structures within the World Trade Center buildings. An estimated 400 tons of asbestos were used.

When the Twin Towers collapsed to the ground on September 11, 2001, a massive cloud of smoke, dust and debris released these hazardous asbestos fibers and other toxic substances into the air. Asbestos fireproofing materials from 20 stories of the towers came showering down on New York City. According to reports from the EPA, the implosion from the towers "pulverized asbestos to ultra-fine particles."

The World Trade Center Health Registry estimates about 410,000 people were exposed to a host of toxins including asbestos during the rescue, recovery and clean-up efforts that followed 9/11. People most affected by asbestos at Ground Zero were people assigned to rescue survivors. These workers were among the first on the scene and the last to leave the wreckage. Search and rescue workers and others responsible for cleaning up the debris in the months after the towers collapsed were also exposed to asbestos.

FULL ARTICLE
http://www.asbestos.com/world-trade-center/

[FU]

The night that the towers fell was a somber one for us. My group of longtime (childhood buddy's) met at our local inn just because we knew . See , we have quite a few NYC LEO's & NYC Firemen in the crew. We are a large group so the chance of losing one or more was high. After being in the establishment patiently waiting too see who made it out. After a few hours I went outside. It was very unusual not to hear anything but fighter jets scrambling across the sky at high speeds. Only to see my then 90 red ZR1 covered with a white powder. WTH ? Rubbed my finger on it and knew exactly what it was , asbestos. Called my wife and had her close the windows in the house and turn the A/C on. She said "I know how you feel but it's a beautiful night tonight. The windows are open". I then told her that there was asbestos in the air and to close the windows and turn the A/C on.

I can tell you stories for hours about what went on during that nightmare. But as you see......writing isn't exactly one of my strong points. And I apologize for the rant.

NEVER FORGET :saluting:

[JThomas]

The night that the towers fell was a somber one for us. My group of longtime (childhood buddy's) met at our local inn just because we knew . See , we have quite a few NYC LEO's & NYC Firemen in the crew. We are a large group so the chance of losing one or more was high. After being in the establishment patiently waiting too see who made it out. After a few hours I went outside. It was very unusual not to hear anything but fighter jets scrambling across the sky at high speeds. Only to see my then 90 red ZR1 covered with a white powder. WTH ? Rubbed my finger on it and knew exactly what it was , asbestos. Called my wife and had her close the windows in the house and turn the A/C on. She said "I know how you feel but it's a beautiful night tonight. The windows are open". I then told her that there was asbestos in the air and to close the windows and turn the A/C on.

I can tell you stories for hours about what went on during that nightmare. But as you see......writing isn't exactly one of my strong points. And I apologize for the rant.

NEVER FORGET :saluting:

No need for apologizing. :thumbsup:

[Hog]

It sucks that performing your duty leads to such negative consequences. Any true 1st responder, runs into situations that others run from. Highest respects to them and their families.
At least with the civilian 1st responder stats are known. The military isnt so forthcoming with their stats. The Guld War Veterans didnt have it so good either. Such a range of signs/symptoms that the syndrome named Gulf War Syndrome was coined and entered into the medical books.
I guess the Nuclear/Biological/Chemical (NBC) detectors that were pinging and ignored, actually were detecting some nastiness.

Within days of 9/11 American/Canadian Tier 1 Special Operation Forces(SOF) were on the ground overseas. They were the tip of the spear of the offensive operations.
Both countries SOF recieved a US Presidential Citation for their actions "over there"during these early months., even though the Canadian Government wont confirm or deny that Canadian SOF (JTF2)were present.
This is the Presidential Citation that our unit and the US units received for the early ops in Afghanistan.
http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb373/Paul_Schermerhorn/kbar_zpsf14907cb.png (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/Paul_Schermerhorn/media/kbar_zpsf14907cb.png.html)

I found a ditty about the Presidential Citation
The Navy Presidential Unit Citation was established by Executive Order 9050, which was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt Feb. 6, 1942, and promulgated by Navy Department General Order Number 187 Feb. 3, 1943.
According to Navy regulations, "The Navy Presidential Unit Citation is awarded in the name of the President to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and cobelligerent nations for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy. The unit must have accomplished its mission under such extremely difficult and hazardous conditions to set it apart from and above other units participating in the same campaign. The degree of heroism required is the same as that which would be required for award of a Navy Cross to an individual."
The regulation further stipulates that "Presently, the Navy Cross is awarded to a person who distinguishes himself or herself by extraordinary heroism not justifying the award of the Medal of Honor. To warrant this distinctive decoration, the act or the execution of duty must be performed in the presence of great danger or at great personal risk."
For more information on Naval Special Warfare visit www.seal.navy.mil (http://www.seal.navy.mil).

Around this time, our regular forces were training for a possible deployment to Iraq to stand along side the Americans in Iraq. When our Government decided not to support the Iraq war, those same forces went to Afghanistan in Dec 2002 instead to support Operation Anaconda. During this mission a PPCLI(Princess Patricial Canadian Light Infanty) sniper (Arron Perry) broke the Vietnam record of2,526 yards which was set by Marine Carlos Hathcock in Vietnam, in 1968. In March 2002,the Canadian Perry's shot was a confirmed 2,526 yards. This record of longest confirmed combat kill was furthered out to 2,657 yds days later by a sniper team mate Rob Furlong.
Here is Mr Furlongs actual TAC 50 rifle
http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb373/Paul_Schermerhorn/tac50_zps5403f9aa.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/Paul_Schermerhorn/media/tac50_zps5403f9aa.jpg.html)

This record was bested by a British sniper in Helmand Province Afganistan 7 years later with, 2 kills, a 3rd shot hit a 3rd Taliban holding a machine gun. The confirmed distance was 2706yards although it took him 9 shots total to range the targets.

These attacks are the "Pearl Harbour" of the 21st century. Our lives will never be the same again. The ground was American, but the sadness and anger was felt up here in Canada. There were 24 Canadians killed in those towers. I didnt know what to do, I was bouncing off the walls wanting to do something. Then we got the call, its the call that every Military person trains for. No one "wants" war, but in this case, there was no other choice. We were pumped to get our "Black Cadillacs"(what we referred our boots as in the Infantry) sandy.

I'm proud of the job that the Police/Fire/Ambulance services did that day, and every day. Also to those brave folks that perished in flight I'm also proud of the way that our countries came together when NORAD territory was "attacked". I will never forget that day, nor the way that people from all walks of life came together and helped one another.

Highest praises to all 1st responders and all military personel involved. These people deserve any and all support that we as a society can muster. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD) and other mental illnesses as well as the physical illnesses that 1st responders and military people experience deserve the utmost treatment and support.

:usa::handshak:CANADA