Thomas oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, August 17, 2010

About

Thomas was a reinforcing ironworker who had worked on projects in the World Trade Center many times over the years. When the towers collapsed on 9/11, Thomas knew ironworkers would be needed to cut and bend the steel beams so that they could be cleared away. Early the next morning, he went to the Armory in Manhattan with others from his union to await directions. While waiting, they were told of the grisly sight of dismembered bodies that would confront them on the pile. After some time passed, they decided to just go to the site. They waived down a city bus that was not in service and the driver took about seventy of them downtown. There were no supervisors at the site, so they just started cutting steel. Fires were still burning, and the air was filled with smoke. They were only given paper masks. Thomas had expertise in hazardous waste, and he knew the pile was a hazardous site. He had never seen destruction on this scale. He worked on the bucket brigade, focusing on the task and desperately hoping they would find someone to rescue. The pile was very dangerous and unstable. A piece of steel fell and cut off the finger of someone working nearby. He worked ten hours a day for several days as a volunteer. If someone thought some human remains were found or a cadaver dog discovered a scent, Thomas and his colleagues would go to the spot and remove the steel. They never found an intact body. When paid workers replaced the volunteers, Thomas left. Thomas feels that the…

Archive

Library of Congress, in Library of Congress

Licence or status

Rights statement at the Library of Congress, as the Library of Congress states it.

Credit

Library of Congress

Language

English

Country

United States

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