Norfolk and 9/11

I'm at work right now and Rod just copied/pasted this article to me from yesterday. It makes him more excited and proud to become a police officer, and a Norfolk one at that...

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Filed by Mary Kay Mallonee
Norfolk Police remember their contribution to the 9/11 recovery

Sep 11, 2007 05:02

"I will never forget that smell," said Captain Dave Huffman at the Norfolk Police Department, remembering the unmistakable and inescapable stench of decaying bodies at Ground Zero in New York City.

Soon after the terrorists attacked, exactly six years ago today, Huffman cobbled together a small group of fellow Norfolk officers and drove all night. They had no real plan. They just knew they could not stay here and watch the chaos on television.

They approached the scene in stunned silence.

"The sun was coming up and we could see the smoke," said Huffman. "We all just kind of froze for a minute and looked at the magnitude of it."

They got within a half mile of Ground Zero and had to hoof it the rest of the way.

Lugging all their gear, the men passed things they've never seen in all their years patrolling the streets of Norfolk. They pressed on, passing squashed fire trucks and ambulances that only came up to their knees. They passed a dusty, banged up laptop computer that had been blown out of someone's office in the towers and landed about 12 blocks away.

"What really stood out to me were the firefighters. I could see off in the distance crawling into those holes, those pockets that were made when the buildings fell. They were crawling in there, not thinking anything of their own safety," said Officer Dave White.

The firefighters were scrambling to find survivors, but only found bodies.

The Norfolk officers reached the base of that mountain made of twisted metal, crumbled concrete and mangled bodies. They immediately jumped in on the "bucket line" helping to clear away that mountain - one bucket at a time.

"We saw teeth, chunks of flesh, jewelry, wallets," said Captain Huffman.

A firefighter's helmet went through the line at one time.

Office Dave White remembers finding a plaque in the rubble. When he thinks of September 11th, he thinks of that plaque, realizing that at one moment there was a businessman sitting in his office with that plaque on his wall - and the next moment, there was a Norfolk police officer holding that plaque, standing atop a massive pile of debris and bodies.

Sergeant Bill Thompson worked the bucket line next to a New York fire chief. He was an older gentleman and looked to Sgt. Thompson like he had seen a lot in his career.

"He looked at me and saw my uniform and asked me if we had come up from Norfolk, Virginia. I said we had, and he put his bucket down and hugged me and held me. I'm starting to break up thinking about it," said Sgt. Thompson, trying to keep the tears welling up his eyes from falling.

Capt. Huffman said, "I talked to a fireman who had taken the day off and his whole company got wiped out."

As they worked the "bucket line" and helped move countless stretchers to make-shift morgues, the Norfolk officers each noticed the American flags. They had popped up everywhere, waving pride and patriotism for all to see.

People would hand the officers food and when they unwrapped it, they'd find notes from New Yorkers thanking them.

The men worked until they could barely stand any longer. Then, they worked some more. When they finally walked off for a break they were met with something that brought these strong, tough police officers to tears.

"There was a massive crowd of people and all they wanted to do was touch us and thank us for coming," said Capt. Huffman, choking back his tears.

"I was awestruck and happy to be there," said Officer Leldon Sapp.

Officer Rich Deleo is from Long Island. He's been to the Twin Towers dozens of times.

"It was a huge awakening to the amount of terror that is out there, how devastating it can be and how quickly it can take place," he said.

Sgt. Thompson returned to Ground Zero days later with the Norfolk Police Department's Honor Guard. They attended one funeral after another, amazed at the outpouring of love and support.

"It felt like we were family," he said.

Officer James White came home from that unreal trip and soon after his son announced he had joined the Marines to help fight back. His son spent seven months in Iraq and came home safe and sound in February, to a very proud father.

These officers believe that the U.S. and Hampton Roads are more prepared for terrorism now than ever before.

"We can never forget this. Never forget it, or we are going to pay the price again," said Captain Huffman.

This group of brave men ask us now to remember the victims, remember that day, for those memories will help us stay vigilant and safe.