On the night of 9/11 Guardian Angels volunteers ran down to the pit. We were on the outside patrolling because there was no way yet to block off the area and check people’s credentials coming in. After about a week of doing that every night we then began substituting for the first responders overnight as they would take a few hours break before returning to the pile. We joined the bucket brigade which continued non-stop. The debris had to be removed and put into buckets. Engineers at the scene were afraid that jackhammers or any other equipment might cause vibrations that could bring down some of the surrounding buildings. The air was heavy with toxins and the fires continued to burn under the rubble for many months. After a few days of working the bucket brigade the Guardian Angels were able to use nearby Stuyvesant High School as a place to shower, change and get some sleep. We were there from Day 1 and we developed friendships and partnerships that will last for a lifetime.
Every year we return to pay honor to those that died and the many that have gotten sick many years later after working the pile. The first picture is of the original Guardian Angels group in 2001 that was part of the nightly bucket brigade. The second picture is of the NYC Guardian Angels as we assembled in the dome which is part of the museum that now is on the original site of the WTC.
