The Brothers at FDNY, L7-E16, Part I-C, by Melissa Chavez
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Editors Note: Writer Melissa Chavez visited Manhattan during the Christmas Holidays last December. She shares her experience of visiting Ground Zero and talking to several working at the site. By Melissa Chavez with invaluable support from Lisa Tidrow The Christmas season brought more visitors to the area as night fell. One could distinguish them from those who worked the Financial District during rush hour – stockbroker types walked quickly from office buildings to catch buses and hail cabs while out-of-towners arrived, heading toward the 16-acre site. Seven- foot high fencing offered virtually no visibility, except for deconstruction of damaged buildings, cranes and lights. The mood was hectic, yet somber. them to write back to the kids. “You start thinking about choices you make and start realizing that life could be very short…start wondering about time wasted… things you haven’t done, things you should be do- ing. It seemed like I had all the time in the world. Now you think about what kind of person you are, what you can do to help people. People all day long are saying, ‘Thank you.’ ‘Can I get you a cup of coffee, buy you something?’ “The first two or three weeks, I was here every day, 20 or 30 has to come to something like that.” An officer for 15 years, he admits many officers don’t talk much about the attacks’ effects on them. That’s very hard, he says, as is attending many funerals. “My parents are very pos- itive about anything I do. My mother doesn’t like me being a police officer, but they’re ve- ry proud. It’s something I’d do if I wasn’t getting paid for it.” (At press time, Officer Knapp still devotes most of his waking hours at the site, often working 16-hour shifts.) when you’re going to leave. I live one day at a time, try to live the best I can and treat people fair, the way I would like to be treated.” How has he explained the attacks to his daughter, 10, and son, 5, and reconciled fears for their father working at the site every day? “This was not an act of God, for sure. These were some evil people that committed a sin. I always tell them that God will protect them over evil, so they have nothing to worry about. I was brought up a Christian. I just believe in a higher power today - a loving, caring higher power. I always believed because of the miracles He did in my life. That’s what’s helping me cope with this. “In this area here, people are closer. The farther you get away it’s like back to normal, before it happened. A lot of attitudes are still together. You “We Can Do That”, Part 3 of 3 Recovering at Ground Zero Officer John Knapp, NYPD I was amazed at the patience and kindness of NYPD officers, National Guard and volunteers guarding the per- imeter who answered continual inquiries of visitors paying their respects. Men and women in boots and hard hats and firefighters exited St. Paul’s Chapel nearby, a restricted haven of quiet from the worksite and street traffic. A busload of Indiana college students gathered on the sidewalk. Soon, a welcome chorus of heavenly voices brought relief as Christmas carols echoed between tall buildings. Officer John Knapp, NYPD “Everyone has been much better to us since it happened – very generous. If you go over to the church, you’ll see letters from kids from the elementary schools and all over the world. At police headquarters, they hung them all over the walls. I’ve got a bunch in my pocket, more in the car. I don’t want to see them thrown away.” Boxes of Christmas ornaments made by children worldwide wait at St. Paul’s. “They’ll be on my tree this year. I bring things home for my nieces and nephews to read, and I try to get hours at a stretch… go home for two hours and come back. The vol- unteers, the do- nations – they don’t have to do that. Kids don’t have to write letters to me and people don’t have to feed me every day, but they do.” Will renewed national unity last? “No, but I hope it will last for a long time. Police officers come from all over on their own time. Here, it’s a little bit tighter. It’s upsetting that it Specialist John Hall, U.S. Na- tional Guard “I take life one day at a time and take nothing for granted,” says John, a soft-spoken 40-year-old of Brooklyn. “I look at how these people, on a normal, beautiful day, woke up and went to work and look at what happened. A lot of kids’ parents didn’t come home. It has allowed me to love people more because you never know know, keeping it real.” San Jose Fire Department Mario Minoia - “It’s brought us closer together as a fire department. Every firefighter that used to bicker about little things, well, that doesn’t matter anymore. That’s why we came here. We’ve gotten closer amongst ourselves and we’ve come here to pay our respects, kind of like a pilgrimage. A couple hundred guys from our department keep coming out, five and six at a time.” Brian Demare - “We come here, meet the guys from New York and they take us in as one of their own. I would say that maybe it wouldn’t have happened prior to this, but it’s definitely changed. Losing this many guys in this incident, we’ll never forget and, hopefully, the public doesn’t. We’ll see. It’s a gap that they’ll never be able to fill.” Jeff Una’Dia - A married father to three children, Jeff said he believes in Jesus Christ as his Savior. His perception of the aftermath of 9/11 is that those who have strayed away from religion have gotten closer or more in touch with it again. “There has to be something for people to hope for.” Specialist John Hall, U.S. National Guard San Jose Fire Department members, from left, Jeff Una’Dia, Mario Minoia and Brian Demare. 58 Paso Robles Magazine, April 2002
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Transcript of The Brothers at FDNY, L7-E16, Part I-C, by Melissa Chavez
Editors Note: Writer MelissaChavez visited Manhattanduring the Christmas Holidayslast December. She shares herexperience of visiting GroundZero and talking to severalworking at the site.
By Melissa Chavez withinvaluable support from Lisa Tidrow
The Christmas seasonbrought more visitors to thearea as night fell. One coulddistinguish them from thosewho worked the FinancialDistrict during rush hour –stockbroker types walkedquickly from office buildings tocatch buses and hail cabs whileout-of-towners arrived, headingtoward the 16-acre site. Seven-foot high fencing offeredvirtually no visibility, exceptfor deconstruction of damagedbuildings, cranes and lights.The mood was hectic, yetsomber.
them to write back to the kids.“You start thinking about
choices you make and startrealizing that life could be veryshort…start wondering abouttime wasted…things youhaven’t done,things youshould be do-ing. It seemedlike I had allthe time in theworld. Nowyou think aboutwhat kind ofperson you are,what you cando to helppeople. Peopleall day long aresaying, ‘Thankyou.’ ‘Can I getyou a cup ofcoffee, buy yousomething?’
“The first two or three weeks,I was here every day, 20 or 30
has to come to something likethat.” An officer for 15 years, headmits many officers don’t talkmuch about the attacks’ effectson them. That’s very hard, he
says, as isattending manyfunerals.
“My parentsare very pos-itive aboutanything I do.My motherdoesn’t likeme being apolice officer,but they’re ve-ry proud. It’ssomething I’ddo if I wasn’tgetting paidfor it.”
(At presstime, OfficerKnapp still
devotes most of his wakinghours at the site, often working16-hour shifts.)
when you’re going to leave. Ilive one day at a time, try tolive the best I can and treatpeople fair, the way I wouldlike to be treated.”
How has he explained theattacks to his daughter, 10, andson, 5, and reconciled fears fortheir father working at the siteevery day? “This was not an actof God, for sure. These weresome evil people thatcommitted a sin. I always tellthem that God will protect themover evil, so they have nothingto worry about. I was broughtup a Christian. I just believe ina higher power today - a loving,caring higher power. I alwaysbelieved because of themiracles He did in my life.That’s what’s helping me copewith this.
“In this area here, people arecloser. The farther you getaway it’s like back to normal,before it happened. A lot ofattitudes are still together. You
“We Can Do That”, Part 3 of 3
Recovering at Ground Zero
Officer John Knapp, NYPD
I was amazed at the patienceand kindness of NYPDofficers, National Guard andvolunteers guarding the per-imeter who answered continualinquiries of visitors payingtheir respects. Men and womenin boots and hard hats andfirefighters exited St. Paul’sChapel nearby, a restrictedhaven of quiet from theworksite and street traffic. Abusload of Indiana collegestudents gathered on thesidewalk. Soon, a welcomechorus of heavenly voicesbrought relief as Christmascarols echoed between tallbuildings.Officer John Knapp, NYPD
“Everyone has been muchbetter to us since it happened –very generous. If you go overto the church, you’ll see lettersfrom kids from the elementaryschools and all over the world.At police headquarters, theyhung them all over the walls.I’ve got a bunch in my pocket,more in the car. I don’t want tosee them thrown away.” Boxesof Christmas ornaments madeby children worldwide wait atSt. Paul’s. “They’ll be on mytree this year. I bring thingshome for my nieces andnephews to read, and I try to get
hours at a stretch…go home for twohours and comeback. The vol-unteers, the do-nations – theydon’t have to dothat. Kids don’thave to writeletters to me andpeople don’t haveto feed me everyday, but they do.”
Will renewednational unity last?“No, but I hope itwill last for a long time. Policeofficers come from all over ontheir own time. Here, it’s a littlebit tighter. It’s upsetting that it
Specialist JohnHall, U.S. Na-tional Guard
“I take life oneday at a time andtake nothing forgranted,” saysJohn, a soft-spoken40-year-old ofBrooklyn. “I lookat how thesepeople, on anormal, beautifulday, woke up andwent to work andlook at what
happened. A lot of kids’ parentsdidn’t come home. It hasallowed me to love peoplemore because you never know
know, keeping it real.”San Jose Fire Department
Mario Minoia - “It’s broughtus closer together as a firedepartment. Every firefighterthat used to bicker about littlethings, well, that doesn’t matteranymore. That’s why we camehere. We’ve gotten closeramongst ourselves and we’vecome here to pay our respects,kind of like a pilgrimage. Acouple hundred guys from ourdepartment keep coming out,five and six at a time.”
Brian Demare - “We comehere, meet the guys from NewYork and they take us in as oneof their own. I would say thatmaybe it wouldn’t havehappened prior to this, but it’sdefinitely changed. Losing thismany guys in this incident,we’ll never forget and,hopefully, the public doesn’t.We’ll see. It’s a gap that they’llnever be able to fill.”
Jeff Una’Dia - A marriedfather to three children, Jeff saidhe believes in Jesus Christ ashis Savior. His perception of theaftermath of 9/11 is that thosewho have strayed away fromreligion have gotten closer ormore in touch with it again.“There has to be something forpeople to hope for.”
Specialist John Hall, U.S.National Guard
San Jose Fire Department members, from left, Jeff Una’Dia, Mario Minoiaand Brian Demare.
58 Paso Robles Magazine, April 2002
