27 February 2002

New York City Fire Captain Describes Bush's Courage at Ground Zero

Washington -- President George Bush's visit to "Ground Zero" following the terrorist attacks that destroyed the twin World Trade Center towers in New York City on September 11 took "real courage," says New York Fire Department Captain Daniel Daly.

"The president put it on the line" when on September 14 he climbed atop the rubble left by the collapse of the two skyscrapers after terrorists flew two hijacked passenger airliners into them, collapsing both and entombing almost 3,000 people, Daly said.

The area "was still smoking and pretty toxic," the firefighter added. "Also, from a security standpoint someone could have had a flashlight bomb and done some damage. But there he [Bush] was and I can tell you that was really a shot in the arm for rescuers," whom, he said, were literally clawing at the debris looking for survivors, including 343 fellow firefighters who turned up missing and are now presumed dead.

Speaking through a megaphone with his arm around a firefighter, Bush told a cheering group of rescuers: "I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked down these buildings will hear all of us soon."

Daly came to the State Department February 27 to attend the opening of a traveling photo exhibition called "September 11: Images from Ground Zero," taken by fellow New Yorker Joel Meyerowitz.

After viewing the exhibition, Daly told the Washington File, "I think it's a very realistic depiction of what happened -- it brought it all back to me. "The 17 acres [6.8 hectares] of twisted steel, which was terrible to view, became a place of inspiration when you saw the rescuers who were digging through the rubble with their hands," he said.

Sponsored by the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), copies of the show will travel to 60 cities this year, starting with a March 5 launching in London. Secretary of State Colin Powell and Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Patricia Harrison attended the formal opening of the exhibition.

Powell praised Meyerowitz, whose "stunning images," he said, "remind me that our country, our people, and our families are very precious, and that we must do all we can to protect them from the scourge of terrorism."

Daly, who commanded fire engine Company #52 on September 11, said he and his crew arrived at the World Trade Center after one tower had already collapsed and were "totally awestruck at the incredible extent of devastation" wrought by the two jetliners that crashed into the buildings. The planes were carrying full loads of fuel for their transcontinental flights and fires were raging in the one tower that was still standing, he said. "Clouds of snow-like dust permeated everywhere," he added.

The fire in the remaining tower was so intense, Daly said, that firefighters realized "we were in new territory" trying to combat such a large a blaze with limited water power -- so "we just concentrated on getting people out of the building."

The 24-year fire department veteran said he was alerted to the collapse of the second building when he heard a roar like a jet aircraft followed by a sudden "whoosh" caused by a change of air pressure. "We all ran and it was incredible to look back and see them both gone -- it was such a strange, intense feeling." The collapse of the two 110-story buildings caused compression so severe, Daly said, that "concrete was turned into dust and even glass was pulverized. Later, I only saw steel, no concrete or glass."

One firefighter raced to the scene, Daly said, and borrowed a set of equipment from a nearby firehouse. "He left a note behind," Daly continued, "saying, 'If I don't make it, tell my wife and kids I love them.' He didn't make it." A somber Daly pointed out that when terrorists destroyed the World Trade Center, they not only killed 343 firefighters, but also instantly created 500 fatherless children.

The firefighter concluded: "These criminals may have broken our hearts, but they'll never break our spirit -- we're rebuilding."