The following is a conversation with Niels Jorgensen. A new york firefighter over twenty one years, whose their ground zero of September eleventh two thousand one he was forced to retire. because of the leukemia he contracted from cleaning up ground zero. This podcast tells his story. The story of other great men and women who were there that day, some others. We talk about a part of a new limited paca series that niels hosts called twenty four twenty with twenty episodes for the twenty years since nine eleven the support despite guest. Please check out our sponsors in the description as a side note please allow me to say a few words about the terrorist attacks. As september eleventh, two thousand one. I was in downtown chicago on that day lost in the mud

The business of an early tuesday morning at that time I was already fascinated by human nature, the best and the worst of it exploring it. Through the study of history and literature, in the years before. As a young boy growing up in russia, I saw chaos, uncertainty and desperation in the soviet union of the nineteen nineties, wrapping up a century of war and suffering, but after coming to america. For me there was a sense of hope, like all of it was behind us, a bad dream to be forgotten as we enter into the new century Eleven Saw the news that the second playing hitting the towers, my sense of hope, had changed. I understood that the twenty first century, like the century before with to have its tragedies, its evil, doers its wars and its suffering. Unlike the history books, these stories were involved,

Of all of us, they will involve me in, however, small and insignificant a role, but one that nevertheless carries the responsibility to help. I became an american that day a citizen of the world. I thought, the common humanity and all of us. I felt the unity and the love and the days there followed, I think, most the world shared in this feeling. The we're all in this together evil cannot defeat the human spirit. There were many hero sung and unsung on that day and in the year, after often, politicians fail to rightfully honour the service and sacrifice of these heroes. There's much I could say about that. I don't want to waste my words on the failures of weak leaders. Instead, I want to say

Thank you to the men and women who rushed to ground zero, to help who put on a uniform to serve. Who make me proud to be an american and a human being and give me hope about the future of our civilization here on a small spinning rock that, despite the long odds, keeps kindling the fire of human consciousness and love as usual I'll do few minutes of ads now no ads in the middle. I try to make these interesting. So hopefully you don't skip, but if you do, please do check out the sponsor links in the description. It is the best way to support this podcast. I use their stuff I enjoyed. Maybe you will too. This show is brought to you by a new sponsor an awesome one called rocha. The makers of glasses and sunglasses that are,

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including sapiens and homo deus by of a hurry, but there's countless other ones. I use blinkers to both preview books ever read yet and review books that I've already read so go to blinkist dot com, slash legs, to start your free seven trying it we represent off blinkers premium membership as blinkers. Dotcom flashlights, spelled blinkers, be ally and k. I ask tee: thou com slash lex: this is the lux treatment by gas in here. My conversation, Niels. Jorgensen. Take me through the day of september, eleventh two thousand one as you experienced it as you lived it.

September eleventh, two thousand, and one was a bright beautiful, sunny tuesday morning and late summer, ah has a lot of folks who go to the beaches in new jersey called the short summer, so everybody's left there for, but they were still beautiful enough to enjoy the weather. I left my house about the six thirty in the morning. and my four and a half year old daughter, ah said to me daddy, which truck eu driving today, the fire truck the oil truck or the boys had truck, because I had three jobs: the time on most new exceed five thousand, police officers e m s. We are you'll, make the most amount of money. So in order to live in that city you have to, I have to hustle and my wife stayed raising the children so what I said you should be safe, because your own,

Truck, I said I'll tell is gone and oil truck that day, so she sees should be safe today, daddy, so I left. Undone work for this great company on a nor shore, staten island, colin fuel, very nice people. Treated me very well, and I was my first day back. really for the winter season. You should get laid off couple months in the summer of things now to heart, oil. so I took the truck started, my route that day and the plane hit the tower. So initially I'm like. Oh, it's, probably some silly lear jet pilot and he veered off track to get a better picture for a client. Then he had the building, probably hitter. Bad turbulence: gust of wind through windy down in that area and hands. So that was my first thought to positive for second, Six! Thirty! I am you, wake up. You leave and then a plain headset. Eight forty five refers Five, a m yeah. I just Just think how you ve phrases

How did you hear that a playing hit? Something I am I'm a big news. Video guy news guy. They were both men. since I was a kid and I had the news, radio on the local new york radio station and as I was driving, the truck, I heard you know a emergency report, this just in aircraft has just struck the world trade center and where quinlan is located. It's on the north rim of staten island, which is right on new york harbor, and you could see statue of liberty no mile or two away in the distance, an impasse status towers. So I just literally stopped the truck and looked out and saw the the smoke there is smoke, always dark black smoke. It was just yeah. I mean it was burning fully at that point and the Jeff fear of what the hell happened or I was. I was initially scared for anybody involved.

I realized, I said: there's gonna, be lots of fatalities, obviously, depending on the size of the aircraft agenda. oh that the business day there had started, probably at eight eight thirty. So those buildings should have been pact at that moment. So that was a thought of crossed my mind, but from our our being responder perspective. If you're off duty, normally you do not go to a scene, they dont. You too, because of accountability in safety. Ah, beyond reporting will handle it, and if it's something very horrific, they will have something called a recall which is any police fire, wider or yes. Personnel is obligated to go to their and immediately check in with their command get gear and stand by and await orders for deployment or to remain in that commands for routine duties. How often, throughout his chin other been recalls

I believe that one prior to outweigh second, the nineteen sixty eight riots I simply- and maybe in the seventies there was another black out and riots and remember my dad talking about it and he asked Always said Just remember some bad goin down. Don't just rush in you you you will wait. The recall or at the very least, if there isn't a recall you get here firehouse and because it show up somewhere, there's a good, and that no one knows you're there, and now you in your well intended ah moving it's you, you get lost or trapped or no one's looking for you. So that's the whole thing with you know, checking in and now that you're with a squad- or you know a group of guys and Everyone knows you know: hey, there's nels there's lacks ok they're on the steam, so I said I

we're going to need us. It's probably going to be a fifth alarm and you know there'll be two hundred and fifty firefighters there they'll handle it. It's going to be a bad day for those guys, but you know our guys take on some heavy stuff and they'll be fine. Few minutes later on the second plain, he knew immediately, I'm like ok under attack, so I just feel the truck back and I told my boss have to go. He understood he knew something was way wrong and I just was flying at the time actually had a yellow volkswagen and kind of a goofy com. To be driving, but I loved it of a people who are just listening. You kind of a big guy. Well yeah. I can definitely need to lose about fifty pounds not mean and now we're your ring as as my hands as my beloved friend Bobby items would say to me, I was driving around in a cloud wagon and he also says I have a. We have been wavy hair, do wavin by by banks Bobby

oh yeah he's a great friend. Yes, I took the volkswagen and I flew in- and I was had noted, where's annul bridge and hit the broken queens expressway. and my phone rang in my wife. Normally doesn't the curse raises and she was yelling at me and she said: don't go in there go to your firehouse will first she asked where she knew. I was on the way, but she just want an aware and I sent him on I'm on a curve which is sixty fifth street on the brooklyn queens expressway called dead man's curve week. We actually used to do a lot car wrecks, there and I was hitting a curve pretty fast and then right around the curve as the exit to the firehouse and I had to decide what am I driving right in to the battery tunnel to the city. Am I going to fire and then I said, but I have no idea. I I'm gonna

ineffective. How do I show up with no gear? No protection? You know so she said. Do what your dad would father recall going to firehouse. I hung up the phones, I love you gotta go and I didn't want to fly ass. Glare, listen to her. I had my father ringing in my ears, my dad fearful guy he's eighty two thirty four years and you have to fight for it Here he came down and stage none attitudes and former he's thirty. Eight back in that gonna, thirty, nine, nineteen, seventy eight and now this guy here he's my hero Yeah he was going to die to send them home. They said you there's really not much. We can do go, get your affairs in order and he says the dock after young, kids and and she she call them couple of hours later she said on my. I got

It would seem catering and now they have a new are new drugs. We want you to be a test pilot eyes. He said the dama he's gotta heavy broken accident. I'm a fireman, fiametta matter pilot! She said. No! No. We want you to try this drug out ass itself. If it works, we may have some success, but if not he says yeah, I'm gonna die. So let's do it. So, every every two weeks for four years. He now he go for treatment, but he was assigned to it. Job after that, after the cancer tumor removal- and you know the heavy treatments get up every morning, four o clock in the morning and he died. He walked down to two trains Instead I won't take a dream and anita. Take the fairy caused the harbour any get off, looking at the towers and then he'd take.

Subway into brooklyn and every other thursday he leave that new duties amazon, reverse route and he gets the cancer of santa, my mom and meet him and I listen fusion and within two hours. Violently ill for a days really value and I just remember on- goes tenure. I was ten years old and he just gathering darkened doubt me. He be so second just go in and wipe the vomit whose face strikes give a little water, but he couldn't take it down, thrown up and. Sorry, you start coming around little bit: drink dollar bill on sunday morning he put his role, barney cut down, mama, make em black coffee and toast he set up what news watch game Monday morning he go back to work needed after four years.

and I is eighty two still here: He said that your dad men of a few words boeing. He talks their profound. So yet what what Words were ringing in your ear when you're driving It's always remember, saying kid: they give the recall you going. the firehouse, don't go away, you think you should you go to the fire out. You follow your orders. The do the smart thing do your job as sir. every time we hang up the phone, it's firemen talk, he say love! You keep love My dad couldn't tell me he love me until long. I told him when I first got on the fire upon earth. Twenty to my dad grew up now tough household. My granddad was a good man. What a tormented man he sent away from home at twelve years old. He wasn't denmark and I'm named after him. Grandpa knows- and I I think, is demons

took up a large part of his life. He is his anger, his wherever it was his fear. I we got the sense that maybe when he was a child, he was it an apprentice. Baker would living with strangers working for them and we we think. Maybe he was abuse, that's why he took it out of my my dad my grandma, my answer, but done they. They made it up to each other. At the end of my grandad's, life were granted turn out to be the best grandfather ever he I think he tried to heal and he'll everyone by his change of behaviour. So he's proof that die. You can't change. You can improve if you work on it, but I know goin off track. Your boy tell you for your man of senior. You say in your twenty is to tell you to my daddy. I am I didn't alone. I got a job, he had a go, I was too out. We call tour duty. That was great great love. It. I got your just remember: keep law, you always keep love and keep low means

stay down below the flames. flash is over and it's it's burning you. If you stay up high you're gonna get burn badly, but if you get down on your belly and you crawl, you'll get out. so he'd always say that when you hang up the phone- and I said well, I love you pop and he says well thanks good said. Well Can they do in nice, depression any did now, every time we talk, he says it. So you know you know that they talk masculinity and want nod, and now my dad is tough, tough guys with a soft edge. And that's That's how you brought me up. You know too well be a protector. I hate police bullied really badly as a kid, and I really hated it, and and now I find myself, sometimes throw myself into situations to protect People that are being you know. violated in her, and I I just can't walk away from it, but that's my dad.

My dad do is that you know just a great guy but anyway, yes to listen to you, therefore see you! You probably want to rush right to the to the towers, but you went yassin, anyway, I got I I did. I listen to him. I listen to my wife. I went to the firehouse and it was really strange. It was eerie because of the computer dispatch system was was still beeping, which meant it sent a dispatch and the truck received it later what team my trow company received it and they left their guy, serves this beautiful old building built in the eighteen eighties, what a spiral staircase just a narrow, old, brick garage and it was empty, and I just heard the computer chirping and I looked down on It- it has a lot of one fourteen respond version west world trade center aircraft into building. in our guy. I just hope dynamic, That's right because this does now was to towers and are they were burning

they were free, burning and- and I knew this is really really bad and I got on the phone and I call command right away. I called the fortieth battalion in all chiefs chiefs. Age said: look you don't get. one guy sign of men to the journal. as a journal of daily events, Every everything that takes place in firehouse, twenty four seven has to be logged alive. myself is common in reporting the report of a duty and as the guy I just came in. I logged them in and then one of our lieutenants took command. We grabbed up a bunch of gear and he basically told us get twelve guys get a city bus and get down to the battery the battery tunnel. They they said, would probably be closed. There was threats. It was going to be blown up to get to the brooklyn bridge and So we did we gotta city bus. We flagged it down in the bus driver said I'm sorry, I can't give you the boss, I will drive you and he took us suddenly stopped

engine to one which is just about a quarter? Down the road from us at our affiliated engine company and maya, my child. Her best friend I hear johnny short was. He was a sign here. He was on shift and are then they went through the tunnel, and now we picked up those. The off duty guys from two one one, and then we kept going down for everyone. We picked up to thirty nine crew, and then we Tell the down a bridge hand on a lot of traffic. Is a lot of people fleeing coming over the bridge and wave solid affected, the the and was the mood like I was sorry were because just prior to get on the bus, their first tat went down. So we we, we figured that I heard one fourteen my lieutenant

sobered him on a radio, and here he, some fourteen than hat on your frequency. What's new, will you need us, and they said I tell Tallyho It is our nickname, tell yo respond, investing westerly compost. Now receive your orders, and I heard dennis t Tallyho time for and dennis little while, after that, they were proceeding to go in to I believe it was. I get this mixed up and I'm sorry. I should notice, while the back of my hand, but sometimes it's just such a haze, but The second tower hit was the first one to go down and dumb. They were heading over to go in it and all of a sudden he looked up and he saw like what he thought to be disintegration. Turn the guys around is to run just run, don't look back, don't look up, go sprinted as fast as I could, and now they drove under a fire truck

and the guys that were sprinting behind him Many feet away were underneath the pile that was ten stories deep day. They were killed and just further into that pile was his rookie son who Dennis rookie son was working a lotta want or five, which was my first command and department. I worked for proudly serve for three years. And just aside them was my child. My best friend John short in his his open to a one in the date they were killed. And a strange irony to one to that is that Dennis dennis his son, thus junior was workin on any say, yeah. Under the wing of a senior may, as we say, seen, a man is guy with a lot of experience and hitler.

To watch over. You make sure you don't you we're off like idea of laughing and talking and now you know your often you get yourself hurt. in a more than ninety? Ninety three bombing heavy metal was my senior and I was the young guy and his wing, and he protected me and towards the end of the day, looked around. He said kid, it's a bad day. You should they didn't, do it right. They blew it up in the middle. If they did it in a corner, they would have dropped this building, half mile now, a canal street, but don't kid yourself, they'll be back and they'll. Do it and they'll do it right next time and so strange and so prophetic, because he was there with him and he died with Dennis. He knew it.

And like night. Ninety four way to train a manual, what a picture towers, what a target and is it not not a matter of if but a matter of when be prepared and hunting is like people knew, I wouldn't stop and I soon got off the boss but just prior to that, coming over the bridge is second, how is gone now and which is destroyed. Because we, like our guys, are there they're all when there now we've feeling like cowards, because we got there late and and we were thinking, is five guys and again, because he was a tenth tenth along a assignment which means fifty sixty fire trucks, five to six as per you lookin, at least now, as you More tend alarm, plus multiple wars

There was a dispatch, basically equivalent of five to six hundred firefighters, figured out they're all thoroughly in aragon or the police officers, port authority, police and nypd police court officers just up the street from the court's transit cops from train tunnels like just what we knew everybody was governor and are not a gun What you saw, what what were we looking at? What did it look like, so you saw bull, and they you knew that many that one I've until one. Many of those guys are in the dead. What are we going to do what he was in her to hear realised at that point, we need to realise that they had gotten under that truck. We thought there all gone, but yeah it looks like it likes it. Look like it looked like a movie. She with just end of the earth, destruction he's just massive piles of intertwined steel. What was

after the steel and and you know there was no cement, it was all just dust and he was just a burning pile of dust and concrete and and plastic, and it was just everything was just pulverized and it was It- was truly hard to mentally compute that, like it was like what and then there was just fighter jets cup of fire just just circle and And you just heard the flying by over your head literally see the guy banking to turn around the brooklyn bridge, unjust, common back, I'm like wholly shoot. We were under attack and we we couldn't really get concrete. and tell us to what exactly we knew planes. But then we kept here- and there was multiple device- since there was devices, in the battery tunnel, and it was devices on a george washington bridge and in the subways- and it was just it was just chaos. It was mean we kept it together, obviously cause that's kind of. We tried as what we do, but the

They just count them. Barrage of different reports was wholly sheath, and then, as we were being deployed, it was a little frustrating, but they were trying to take command and send us in groups now because they realize we have to start searching this. Does you could hear the the alarms on it on a scott air max the pact. We were to go into the building, it has emotional arm and if you stop move thirty seconds, it just sounds like us whining. You know this. Dreaming bell like it just keeps going down, and you could hear multiple units of those going off and you like wait a minute. This guy's with those like where Are they in its emanating from underneath the pile, and you know it was it was just surreal and I truly like. But like a war zone, I mean I was a soldier and reserves may never saw combat and would never claimed that I did. But you know

trains retrained for a lot of situations and we trained in real life atmosphere. Why not- and this was just beyond that by leaps and bounds. It was who is bizarre Did you see the towers clubs as we were coming over the bridge, the first one? We will. Deploying from fires? We had a totally historical down, anxious and you know we were so involved in and getting gear together and getting ok. You know team set up and okay you're going to be with these two guys and you can just yell the skies and looking at me, I dropped to my knees and I started praying like what the hell's wrong. I said I couldn't even say the fourteenth are in there and they're like what the towers gone. Then all you when the tv was just as pile of dust, and I guess cause they didn't see it going down. I probably thought I truly lost it and, and then.

then the realisation came music while the towers now so now it was like while this is really on, so we just took off and got that boss and are, if you thought me, the guys and one fourteen word dead. If you thought that what did you think to die. If you're rushing into the towards the rubble, I as crazy as it sounds. I never thought it. The other tower would go down. I said: ok, maybe some freak chance that one went down but now I gotta get built so strong. It was in a tower so many times and I make dinner open the tough for russia windows on world and upset now, there's no way, like like how the hell did. This won't happen, but I ain't, but how part time mentally processing that the building was gone and and and believe me, if, if you dont, have fear

this industry and police fire military than you're you're, kidding yourself or your day everyone. I don't care who is as tough as they artists in that Nobody has a certain level of fear with doing this, I don't care? How long you do? It is always that chance of something on bad- and everyone who does it has that certain amount of fear. But at that point it was such a feeling of disbelief. That fear wasn't you in kicking in. It was just like what the hell just happened and I You think it was almost like a shock and any just stay that whole day. So the building is before clauses is burning issues. Birmingham in upper floor Is this? You know optimists, seventy eighth up to the eighties and and it's you know, there's the way the the cut was on a plane. It wasn't just straight across it was, the seventy eight than your own up to maybe the eighty six than you know, then the jet fuel

down and was burning down, and it was people on the ground who were doused with Jeff you what was already burning and they were led on fire on the ground. It was, it was just and seeing how vast the destruction path was a firefighter. What are you supposed to do with that scale of fire or at? I think the first bosses in the first chiefs were just going to do their best to get as we we get hose lines. What would our whole theory is? War tactics is to get water at the fire at the base of the fire and get the truck many, which is the latter company there, the guys who break the doors now put ladders up this enough to get them. To where the life is most expected and get them out of their. So I think the chiefs tactics at that point, one

Let me get multiple engine companies. Let me get four five: six, whose lines fighting this fired: massive fire and let me get fifteen twenty truck companies up there, just yoke and people out of there. Are you running up the stairs things? Not working guys had a walk up. Eighty eighty? Ninety hunter flights of stairs and there's audio of officers and fight. Speaking to each other on a radio two thousand are fortunately, at that point in time we had very, very bad communication system. We ve been fighting for years I used to get radios that work properly. We couldn't because it was a lot of money. We fought for years to get the full bunker firefighting suits, which is the pants and coat we used to have just coats and his roll up rubber boots and guys were burning to death, and we had the. fight and unfortunately, we lost three guys in one vicious vicious fire and ninety ninety four and then,

They finally said enough enough give these guys the gear, so It's a strange phenomenon and any first responders. and in a military world. It's really one of the most important things that takes place in society, the most pertinent organizations can't get the funding. We need it's crazy, they'll, throw money at every And thing, but when it comes to gear equipment, protective equipment, trucks, this couldn't get This all the way you can take care of people saw in since nine eleven the wars in the middle east have cost america over six trillion dollars and the amount of that money that was spent on the soldiers in this case, the first Ponders is minimal compared to the us nothing take day they let's stay close down. I believe it's either seminary

in may of two thousand and two. Close down nine fire houses in new york city for budget reasons, we haven't even finished cleaning up the world trade center site and they slash the budget and still to this day have not reopened those firehouses. There's a million more people now living in new york city than there weren't, two thousand and one and the fire protection is, is way less than it was at its it's a sin. It's really a sin cast. You had a difficult question, so there's this famous some photograph of falling man. So many people had to decide when are

the fire in the fire, with the to jump out of the building or to burned to death. What do you make of that decision? Will you make of that situation? Those people who jumped those were acts of sheer desperation. I've I've been fires, then, and just minor burns but minor. You know in situation, but I've been trapped or caught somewhat ended up in a burn center for some nothing, nothing serious at all but like, but I I for those brief seconds half a minute. was, thank god. If I didn't it and have my fire, your honour would have been burnt to very, very harmful level. Those people were burning alive and they the choice of either to stay there and burnt alive or to launch themselves and some of them all for them, but they they had a few folks. They won't show in any more because they say.

I know why an offence and people what they had a couple folks that took umbrellas and he took garbage bags because they thought that it would slow down or accept, at acceleration rate to the ground, and maybe just maybe they wouldn't be killed. And that's to me a true sense of desperation for humanity I'm going to die either way. But let me take my chance- and I dont know The exact number of those folks who did that, but our first member of the fire portman killed firefighter Daniel surface and two sixteen was struck by a jump. And one of my dear friends was ordered to help take him and they knew he was passed away because he was hit by a bus The flying missile I mean in one hundred and twenty miles an hour body lands on you, those those two bodies and are crushed, and they were ordered to take a firefighter and bring him across the street.

Engine? Ten ladder? Ten? It was literally firehouse less than a hundred yards from the facade of the treasure from the traits in a complex. They literally right there and There was plain parts that went into that: firehouse landed into the front doors onto the roof, but the building itself was not destroyed So it was used as a many command centre for quite a while. So my friend was ordered to take Daniels body in respect and bring it over to this fire, and give it some semblance of dignity and lay it out on one of the bunk room, the bunks we have in the bunkhouse and just cover it with a sheet and put aside please firefighter, killed. not disturb and then we'll get to him later, because obviously does operations gonna go on for days and my first, it such a great, great, wonderful guys so still to this day, phil guilt, because if they were

taking his body out with it respect dignity that they did. It took a while, because you know just it's a tough situation. His latter company has come over the bridge this the famous picture of latin woman. Eight you see this tractor trailer. Fire truck is the one where the guy in the back also drives, and it's a zoomed out shot, and you see the brooklyn bridge and you see only the fire truck in the middle, and you see the two burning towers in the distance with his engine. When he was just ahead of them on the bridge and the only reason at engine company lived is their initial duty assignment was to take that fire fighter and bring his body over it's like them. Sorry, we don't leave anyone behind these guys, as we some guys say it's all about the guy right next year and nothing else really matters

when a guy right next to you goes down it stops you get that guy to safety or, if he's dead, you get him out. So we not timeframe that saved his. life, but that's a heavy burden carrying out for the rest of your life. Could you say if I were help am I dead friend, I'm dead. What did it look like at ground zero. What did it feel like? What is it smell like what you said There is a sense that it was almost like a war zone, but can you paint a picture of how much dust is in the air pa hot? Is it how many people are there and and again? How does it feel like? It was just dumb scene of control, chaos control because there was a semblance of command and we were just try to do our jobs.

But it was such a frantic peace because word now digging frantically knowing that their life underneath this pile in its throughout the afternoon This is listening yeah. This was nonstop. You know just nonstop really for four days, but from my particular crew. We literally kept going. We we initially with dispatched over towards number seven, had just gone down and we were searching the post office. That was there. There was reports of people trapped and we paints. It can be searched every single inch of that building to make sure no one was left in here and then we were deployed to the pile and the piles sort of ambiguous, because it was just such a vast vast pile I mean went for city blocks and we were? We were assisting in the retrieval of to port authority. Police officers were lucky enough to survive, but they were trapped. There were deep down into a crevasse and they had to be physically dugout, an extra costs.

it. So there was a couple hundred few hundred guys involved in that process of bringing in equipment jaws of life, airbags to lift steel. You'd just have to cut pieces of steel, it was just a huge operation and we were back toward the logistics and of its shuttling and gear and and bring it bring it in structures bring in an hour. A genuine whatever whatever was needed, and you were trying to climb over this, this jagged pile of debris. It wasn't like you just- walked a hundred feet on on a street with something you are trying to climb over this ibm and and down into this whole in a back up that whole me just to run. One piece of equipment took a half an hour to get two hundred feet two hundred feet: your mind you. Some of these pieces of equipment hundred pounds you know generator for forestalls- is massive motor on a frame.

Unstable grounds real grounds, just just horrible conditions. Fires are still burning aside, you beneath you and at one point I kind of veered off to the side, and I was. this other firemen from my father's old ladder, company one seventy two and whose strange because we were down quite a bit down like seventy feet, down into this ravine of debris and his brother woody here at the time it was like dust, it was like sand just falling down a pile hissing from gas pipes and water pipes and- and I said I hear a hit- a gas lines are here to the sand. I hear that the concrete you have not all what I'll see here. Just a side of us was ladys pop a book and high he'll shoe and someone sneaker. Nobody with it.

I said I dunno, I I don't hear anything. He just me neither egos no one's common. I hear and, I said not honoured scotty in the community I mean it's thousands of people him to coming out. He says brother. We would hear call for help the gone, and I still at that point thought there was a chance in the after about the fourth they just said this- is a recovery. Now there's no more is normal. Life does no more chance and then a first night we went full tilt to my crew, my specific prove, twelve fifteen guys and. Four. The morning we just switch, couldn't breathe anymore. We couldn't see we were caved just with it was like if you took flower and just kept thousand yourself and and lieutenant just look eyes. We're gonna go back we're going to get some medical aid

We'll come back in a few hours and we we took a city bus back through the battery tunnel and one unbeknownst to us that morning, this off duty firefighter Stephen siller from squad company one. He he raced down here was pickup and he couldn't go any further because the traffic was stopped up because they had a report of a bomb. So everything was held up and he grabbed his fire gear and he put it on stuff weighs about sixty pounds and he ran through the tunnel. Two and a half miles got to the end of the tunnel. Fire truck was coming in from the other way he hopped on the back. Got him up to west street jumped off tried to look for his his company where they were, and he

never seen again. He just ran through the tunnel read through the tunnel and he he got there to help his his team right so about the teams were about the guy right next year and he's the tunnel to towers foundation. Steve and his his brother, frank, decided in his name in perpetuity. He's got a fund that that now builds a home for every gold star family, for every seriously battlemented warrior for every seriously wounded, first responders, What killed in a lie due? Firstly, spider if they had a home, their paid a mortgage. If they didn't have on they give more an especial. if it's as if it's a severely battle wounded, they give miss mortal because this programme come home with no limbs, and so the beauty of the beauty of stephen in itself. The sack Was that he's now help thanks? the thousands of people in told the towers is incredible. As part of our,

Our mission is to bring awareness to these great people are told the towers what they do have raised tuna. Fifty million dollars to help to help protect the protectors to rescue the rescuers in nay what's become, unfortunately, is somewhat ungrateful society, but they will not forget these great eyes So you are tell stephen story: is one of the twenty people you talk about in the new iron labs, twenty four twenty parker series. If you can just linger on his story a little longer. What does that tell you bought the human spirit, this guy. You know the tunnel couldn't couldn't drive through, so you just puts on that heavy packet and runs what do you make of that? That shows the depth of a romance soul. He do you have to do that he could turn around and went home to his family

nobody, what a shame them but he's one of those beautiful brave people that take a job it really doesn't pay a lot of money and you become a car or a fire fighter. Or nurse or any empty automatic soldier, a marine environment sailor you, when you take these jobs, you don't do it for fanfare. It definitely do for me. me no stoves thirteen brave souls we lost in a week or two ago, not gas, that brand new soldiers moraines, they make twin Two thousand miles an hour but didn't work. Forty hours a week, they work Eighty, he work ninety hours a week, so they make it about six bucks an hour and you know what they sign off and firefighters and cops and medics and any empties nurses marines

room doctors. They don't really make a lot of money. They mean starting salary right now for new york cop, I was in your car for two years. First on may twelve twenty five, an hour back in nineteen, eighty nine to get shot at during the crack wars. If you made eleven dollars an hour with family of four you entitled to welfare back there. So I was just above the welfare level My life- and these are guys it are getting ripped up now, write an end. Look. I won't get its any politics, but like. That says something about a someone's soul that they're willing to take a job like that and get now gets zero respect. So a guy like stephen. What that shows is that the depth of that man's soul and courage and determination, It's hard to be selfless in this world anymore.

Still no alot of self less people that just just put on equipment every day will approve S. Five bunker gear stethoscopes. You know flat jackets military helmets and they going. I do it smiling. Young marine that passed last week. She was photographed and quoted a sand. I have my dream. Job issue is whole left ganny. Maybe, and she was dead a few days later. She was so thrilled making seven dollars an hour, helping people as net huge have yet to me says: that's a true sign of character right there and it's important for society to elevate those people as heroes. Let me ask you about firefighting. What do you think he means to be a great firefighter and a great man, a great human being in the city.

We should like you were in the nine eleven. You know, that's that's kind of a broad terms, some. You know you can go to different fire and they might have a different definition of what they consider a great fire fire, but I think in the industry as a whole, if you wanna put everyone else before you, especially, the team. You know that it was. We said ain't. No, I in team right, it's t e a m and has no iron air. It's all about those. guys and girls next to you. If you can do that, that makes you pretty great you, you put everything I second than you just run into you run in with that team for strangers. You know I ve had the honour of I spent most twenty five years of my life serving humanity, my country, my former city and the people. I work

with giants, and I don't mean that in height I mean, but I mean not in spirit and in soul. I saw some of the most heroic selfless axe and then I saw some of the behind the scenes that was so impressive. We go will find. around christmas and family would lose everything, and even when I was a cop six and you come back either to the police precinct or the firehouse, where the e m s station and someone will put together a collection say: hey guys, a lax, fifty bucks, a man, you know the smiths down the street. Just lost everything. I'm gonna go, get some presence for the kids and some turkey's not one of those guys question that and they were making twelve forty five and now- and they still came up with fifty bucks with our family, proceeded to stop the press will show you right I want to show that humanity that soft edge,

She, when your war, you you need to have this rough shield, this rough exterior cause. If you don't, you die. What a true great five fight over respond or a cop or or military personnel in the rough exterior, with that soft, on the belly, like that, You know, like garcia, thy heart riots, that an that's to me, the true great, while some of them they just have a home. I'm doing you know does no shame and in showing you saw side, you know for you, you got your dad the sailor you back now whenever I wish you'd ready, and I will ensure that took me twenty two years like see your five out of the twenty one august, yeah. What what? Why did you become a fire fire? Ah, my dad I mean I. I was five years old when I went through his firehouse and it was just you know at the time they looked like giants to me, mustaches and they you know and uh trucks truck smelled like smoke and gears.

like smoke and tires and that you know that diesel fuel and that one was like this is this- is what I'm gonna do and then and then they bring in a kitchen and they stop you at ice cream and cake and everything you know, and then I go home to my mom. You know shaken with a sugar cone. she's man at my dad but yeah was was. I was like I gotta do this. It was like the day will like a baseball team in a garage with a truck and these big tools and big coats and helmets, and they were just laughing and having fun and I'm like yeah ma'am doing s, and I knew I was obsessed with it, I was so pissed. The farm is tat, came out nos fourteen, then I couldn't take. You had to be eighty, and was daunting tasked with great it whenever so. My dad, you know now, there's a copy circulating because its old Any good I like this is what your info and I took it- did it like it was real gonna, ninety nine, so pressure

hi, because you can't your fourteen, but I wanted I just wanted to do it so bad and just one to help people I just wanna, be like my? you know like he come home smile and is tired ass? He was. He fought, fires in the sixtys and seventys when the city was burning and he still exhausted as he was still be, smiling with the smile at work and asia. I get paid to laugh Joe. I get paid the crisis eyes the man we laughed aloud. We really was that the chop reckons just on ending in its great, if your mind, you tell me really kind enough to give me one of these shirts with one fourteen. Can you tell me that toy of one forty eight intaglio of arm. I wear proudly, I serve the ear not command, and I didn't finish my career there. I I passed the lieutenants test and once you do, you have to leave.

the story behind tally, hallways back. What world do two, this gentleman in bad jack jack wasn't. Airborne ranger anna Father law is also one of the parliament and he knew jack and jack. Came home, jack jump normandy stormed up through the battle at a bold bostonian and he came back greatest generation as they all dead and aid. They got jobs and went right to work and they retreated better, backed and vets And he got on in new york city fire department and he got to sign a lot of one fourteen and a first guy do radios back then, and when jack he would drive the truck europe there with the officer he the lieutenant or captain solve the

washes off the truck you. You operate the radio for them as the driver, someone a call them and they say in a later one. Fourteen respond in a fifty second street third avenue structure, fire you're supposed to get back and see the line, one fourteen ten four, but he refused to do that. He'd, say later on fourteenth tally ho. that's what they yell when to jump out the point. So all these years later it stock and dumb that's a little bit braggin right, foot, three hundred fifty engine and truck companies and homely of city, fine of homer, Pretty much the only one that call but a nickname when a radio, not in number, so it tweak some guy. Off and other places you know they. May I ask you tell your: were you know, but it's just die? Yes, it is a great great harry. gin and we're really proud and yellow. Shamrock was He was irish and a lot of guys back Dan. Were where irish immigrants from the air

from the neighborhood, and they will actually take the that fire truck the church on sunday and park out front in and one guy woods stay the here to radio in case they gotta call so yeah. That's the proud history! He said that if I were this around new york, am I getting a little, but it might get a guy from the bronx girl tat. I was screw you in its. If, at all events, we like that, you know we like to kill each other back. before you know. Geyser manhattan was a guy's brooklyn. Yes, your buildings told stories in the guise of manhattan, tolstoy tall buildings, no story, you don't like an assessment that it's all that allows ocular ball breakin, it's good stuff, you know Let me ask, I guess a difficult question suggests that back, and the events and nine eleven on the side of the people that flew into the towers. What do you take away from that day about the nature about human nature, about

in evil? How did that change your view of the world? I I witnessed evil. First hand, remember later on? Well into that night, we were trying to help get those please she's out a member looking up at the building sentry twenty one, the store runs along the east side of the towers and it was still there and you know the debris had come down right almost to the edge century. Twenty one is this old story department store in new york city and the sign was, is there and it was still lit up like someone in the arm was broken. And but I think some of it was actually still lit up. And I just looked around and I was like this is this: is a war zone like we're at will and any new we knew were attacked. We heard the fighter planes and you know,

back. Then it wasn't the extent of communication network and we had cell phones what they were. The old school flip phones- and it was no news on omen. So plus we We didn't have signal downer anyway. I couldn't reach my family for, like twelve thirteen hours and my dad had. The PLO down to the fairy terminal to retrieve bodies he was written. But he still went and they deployed him. Go be basic, the morgue transport, guys they expected to be sending hundreds and thousands of bodies across on a ferry may send a piece after trailers as mobile, morgue and die, that never happened, because there were no bodies to take their all buried, So I saw evil for a fact, and I dont know how someone can inflict such. then, revenge or our eventual act for in the name of anything,

of religion in the name of a cause and a name like what the hell Will you ever able to make sense that where men are able to commit such acts of terror in the day, he's in the years after Relax our having you know my mom's and I still have a lot of family there, and you know my my great uncles, One of them was dragged out and shot norm. He lived what, but just based on a rumour that he was in the ira. and I was happy to see what happened to my mom's people, because they they were there the demise brutalized by england- that time, what blown up bombs and an killing. Since in the name of that, doesn't make it right. I couldn't justifies something like I can see you I was a cop, I was a soldier.

you never want to take life and in those jobs sometimes you have to, but you don't do it. Vengeance you'll. Do it with a thirst? You do it because it's necessary for survival. when you do it out of a blood lost out of a thirst out of a cause? That's evil! There's something wrong with you. I have no. I I respect life to the highest level. I mean I'm very life is sacred to me: it's precious it's beyond! It's not commodity, it's a gift But to take life just so randomly so there's something wrong with that person and- and maybe I'm a conflicted soul, but I would have no I'm seeing someone like that put to death because they do not deserve life

There's theres many many children around the world that are being taught to hate someone who's different than them just because the person whose allegedly teaching them says so I don't understand what that start suggests, having a basic gone respect and appreciation of the other human beings. And yes, that starts with empathy. So yes, one of the reasons I love this country. Why joking that I'm russian, maybe you could The same is you being irish? Is year if you truly an american and that's, why I consider myself very much an american and one of the reasons I love this country is it serves as a beacon? I still believe it serves as a beacon of hope and that empathy and love are for the rest of the world. That, like hate is not gonna get you far too long Sha LA farther- and I still think you know sometimes it

easy to on the sea. The press. mainstream media. You could see soften networks because he can make so much money on division, sometimes because it makes so much money it's easy to think like we're really divided. I honestly don't think we are that's just like only the very surface level things we see and what it is that your abs, your hundred percent, right, that these people are maximizing off this whole division right. They wanted Why did they want people angry? Because it sells, you know a lot of these people that are in charge of certain organizations, while they all seem to have nice cause a nice houses, nice vacations and they are constantly cha convinced, everybody that we hate each other to me.

He's a fireman analogy right. It's like a little camp fire and if you just let the embers flutter dealt, don't go out. But if you take a little cup a gasoline with those embers blow right up the face and that's what a lot of these politicians alike These media folks are doing because there's something in it for them and I think there is possible defeat them with great leaders with great spokespeople of great human beings having a voice. One of the parties, Things of the internet is more more People have a voice, and I also believe in the certainty erika, but in the world the good people outnumber. They ask was away grieve. All these days. When I take the assholes, were you know over run on us, You know why. I think what the doubtful. All of the world is his ego and arrogance, and people that thing to have better

then that other guy, my parents raise me, you know, to be this way. My mom is such a sweet, gentle soul. She is an immigrant. She came here at sixteen years old. She helps everybody but herself right, she's, just one of those people she's. sick. He got parkinson's, you'd, never knowing she still flying around her candle, complex helping. Everybody says what she does she love to help people but she's, been in their shoes, she's been poor. These sick. Her husband was sick, she's she's had all sorts of suffering and loss in her life. My granddad died my mom was ten and she was one of ten children at survived that a fourteen she knows hard times, but she so appreciate the good times and the goodness of this country, young dumb. the fire department and police department, military taught alot about empathy and

China really feel for someone and put yourself in near their situation I'm in the years back. I was much younger five in April you five years on a job agenda. I was sent down to the next firehouse over to fill in. You know we Get sent around randomly when they needed extra guy, and I said can banging on a firehouse door and in it I'm an apartment next door. They said there wasn't an older woman that was unconscious, so we dispatch our ourselves and we ran over with the medical kit- and it was an elderly woman. Laying there on a bed and choose was obviously not breathing. Shoes are using echo arrest and in all the gentlemen that was. hold your hand, justice in control, we crying and it turned out. It was her her husband and they were married for sixty five years an arm.

normally we were just respectfully ass, the family members to just step side and let us do our work and I realize that he wouldn't leave her side. So, like I gave the crew awake and they were doing sheep. Norm, what they had to an end. I just let him keep holding her hand, and I should serve you you could you just come over just a little bit, so we can work I held his hand ass. He held her Hers and- and I said sir said you do you faith and he did, and I said, would you like to pray with me for your wife and He said I would like to so. We we said the lord prayer And- and you know I just ask god to protect and bless her, and I think you re. eyes that she didn't have a chance, but we still gave her that that,

and so making it. Oh god only ambulance, and maybe maybe it was wrong to try to make it look like we could save of what you know. You can't really not not try But the one beautiful moment was, he thanked me and he was almost ok with it at that point like he wasn't. As of sat, he wasn't as this fraud because I tried to just human eyes that situation of what we would trying do we were trying to do our best, but we also tried to be compassionate to his sadness and it just I walk. Wages feel so good, and even though it was a tragic situation and she did pass that you know he he came by no thanks days later and down just harp can put you know, there's there's just it's just happens. Many times throughout the country every day, people get that opportunity, as a response to be that last bridge, the family and the loved one, and you only get that opportunity

want sometimes- and you really have to do to me it's like your moment to shine. You know you could just be very varied, dismissive and very rude or you could be compassionate and show hey I've, I've I have a mom, I have a grandma. Have you know, and just in your mind that that's who you're working on and that's who you're with so that moment of compassion the moment of empathy and even if his brief gimme the thing that saves the person from suffering make the difference between in suffering in overcoming in the face of tragedy. Yes, like I feel That, even though obviously his loss was still huge, it just made it a little more bearable and don. You know try to just take his grief, towns, the lower level- and I made me feel just feel really about doing it at the powerful way to see the job over first response. Of course you have to deal with certain aspects of the tragedy, but is to provide somebody with that moment of compassion,

yeah, and you know I made it a little habit because sometimes with faith, it's a little bit of a tricky subject, so Every time I had someone who died, which unfortunately was many many times I would. I would just touch their hand and just say a little quick prayer and just say: look. You know, I hope you moving on to a better place. I hope if you did have faith, that it's it's it's strong as you. part and if you didn't have faith. I hope may be your last moment that you found solomon and you just found some closure, so I was just my little milo ritual, I think I just you know I felt it was important that That person, even though they were strangers, had some one else, just sort of hoping the best for them in their last moments, emerging cancer. You had a rare leukemia due to arm.

all the work you did at ground zero. Can you may be talk to the experience of just breathing through those days and what that was, like? being unable to breathe being overwhelmed by all of that. In the air. Yes, on the first day, especially We we didn't have equipment, we right, you know we have breathing apparatus in and we were handed little. Sixty nine cent hardware store dost mask. Little thin paint mass that would just get sweated up and fit. You know sticking to your face within thirty seconds, so you would do just there were useless and what what you wanna feeling like was that you? U swallowed a box, a razor blades, because there was glass and it was cement, and it was just so caustic and I I remember that night you know when we went back just to get some medical relief for the few hours,

walk up the hill to the firehouse because they dropped us off like a block away Down an engine to a ones and quarters- and I want to do- the fireman as were walking up the black or are struggling with having a hard time breathing in just a minute fell I was dying literally it it's, it was pretty bad Just remember that one guy going out we're all dead, and I should not. Now we made it, we made it. He was now you don't get a kid. He said we just breathing poison after poison for four hours and that went into days and then went into months. He says we're all dead men. This is going to take us all, and I I I thought he was crazy and then now years later, like starting in all three or four guys just started coming down with these really rare and advance cancers, and then it just it just stopping coincidence with the number of guys they were young one, one first guys mcnamara. He was thirty, three or thirty four

and he came down colon cancer and it took him quickly in two thousand. It was in two thousand and five- and I kind of said to you know, friends and family. I feel like I'm running through a minefield, and I wonder what my I I'm gonna step on. My my cause, everybody's gonna, get sick and it wasn't feeling well from too I was in an aid on just. I just couldn't put a light and I couldn't put my finger on it, but I just wasn't right. And in two thousand and eleven I felt my medical, my blood's, my blood came back for rhythmically wrong and they put me off the truck but die. They struck me out monster. Doctors fire upon in one of them, said my spleen in gorged, because there was probably drinkin myself the deathlike, as he said most of the guys

did after nine eleven, which was pretty wrong of human stereotypical, not just to stereotype, into categorizing guy. Couldn't care ass. He just you so crude and nasty, and then my one doktor was my doctor on outside she. My blood pressure was to forty one. Forty, my spleen is about the rupture, She didn't even show up for my appointment and I went down passed out. The paramedics responded she the two an argument would appear paramedic because for big ego ambition tell him there wasn't really anything wrong. When he's looking at my paperwork on this guy's got leukemia and He overwrought or you re me out an air down a broken methodist and are the doktor the charge for in your physician. He says you know even because you're in a bad way- and I said what is it

any for eating. As I need, I need a little while to figure it out. He goes, but you probably have one of the few different types of looking here he said our drill, anti hip, take marrow and find out, and he said ah, but in the mean time will get swelling on spleen down with some sort of rapid met. Since and what not, because my spleen is about the rupture. I had no blood platelets left, which is your clatter, so I basically what a bled to death and. I found out from my team and doctors that I had about forty eight hours to live on and that really set me. I was infuriated because I was telling him for a long time that I was sick and the doctors failed the few doctors in the beginning, the algae I felt very betrayed and, and other guys had died.

and I I had a I had it out with that one doctor. I basically told her she was fired from my case and she's pretty politically in charge person, and I didn't care. I jeopardize my my job for it, because it was my life got a sense that she didn't. It didn't really matter forty and have any empathy. As you say, it was dec. So why for her? Why for a few others was there not a special cares, especial compassion for forceful Well, humans, but human beings in your position, especially a firefighter a first responder, you know lex. I think what it is in the department. Their title is just to get us back to duty as quickly as PA the ball when we are either injure sick because happens, then, is your replaced, It is now and over time so you're out being paid on medical leave, but then they need to replace your

what and across more money. So I think it's just behooves to get as many personnel back and especially in the summer time you know they look at it like all. Maybe you want a few extra days off to were you know, though, the beach and are this one doktor, he tipped his hand back as it. like I was drunk and an alcoholic beverages a busy summer cause. I asked him to look at my spleen, which was still out of my Adam in like a football, and I see usually sir, how dare You assume that I'm I'm abusing alcohol, because you know alcohol. Sometimes will present itself as the spleen is, is engorge and having an issue, she automatically justice That was my situation. Wouldn't even give me an exam, and I was horrified. I was so angry amendment punch this guy out and I literally with screamin adamant and an executive officer came in to diffuse it and said

me to another doctor and when I showed her my paperwork, she was horrified she was like what did he say and shit. Ok, golgotha, irregular doktor tomorrow was one department doctors in and she just it was just an indifference. It was like I don't know. I was shocked at the lack of compassion, but you know what that being said and passed it. I didn't. You know life moves on the team of doctors. I ended up with the methodist and my subsequent oncologists doktor pewter myself. World class just incredible human being my doctor, peat is just a love him. I just love and like a friend like a big boy Like a father. Like my my primary quality care nurse mike nunez, which just incredible human being and any new. I was frightened because I had to get two and a half years, chemo compressed into seven days, or I was dead these

massive bags came on, never stopped and agenda. they burn the minute, the minute they wanted to your body. You felt like you a burning to death from the inside out and mike. When my came in to help me up. He said look, I have to wear hazmat suit. The stuff is so caustic that, if it, if it drips, it'll burn whenever it touches- and I was like but MIKE you- you can but then in my body, how how the hell is it not going to kill me? He says no, no. This is exactly what it's supposed to do. Trust me so when he prepped the ivy to to get it flowing, it spilled onto the tube, tube started to smoke and burn, and I want, I said, no f in way. Might you're not put anatomy no way no way and he goes listen Let me get another one when we started over here where it has met you looking at me and I ll go, and this is this is insane and he goes. He looked at me took my hand, and this is now. If you don't take it you're dead, he says you,

those three kids, I'm sorry. I have no other option you dead and I said I might ok any hook me up. and you know what it was. It was like you know if you do drink alcohol when you have like a shadow. Won't you strong, strong type spirit, and you start feeling that burn while the minute he keep the hit me in vain started going up my arm burning and in my shoulder crossed my neck into my had crossed the rest of my body within a minute down on my feet. rising in pain for seven days and I was praying die. I was the seventh rescue and six months to come down with the rarest leukemia. There is only five one cases in all north america year, seven of us came down to six months. Two guys died during treatment, seven responders police fire.

Two guys died in a first couple days in a treatment because it so vicious. You liver, your heart, you kidney something or fail, and I was and I was praying, but I wanted to die in so much pain and I wouldn't take painkiller because I know People were to misuse and I just didn't want to go there and. Finally, on the last day I gave I gave in I said, please I I can't do this anymore. I was literally like jumping out of my skin and they gave me something but had burned out my mind, burned out. My body I couldn't hear could barely see it was vicious, but it worked and minor is especially they just were so dedicated and devoted, and I and I was not an easy patient cause. I was in a lot of pain. It was was bad and was drove my friends, my family crazy, was just it wasn't good, but on our first night I had a quick vision of all these people that I loved that were dead. That died

lot of them, a trade I saw Johnny. I saw a sword friends, I grew up with the less It was my my mother in law who had past six months before she died of shoes in a coma. at a stroke, should a horrible horrible, ass, six months, a life, and it was unfair because She was so religious. She went to church every day, devout catholic woman and all of a sudden it's here and she's smiling, and we used to talk a lot. You know it's the irish thing like the gab, the gift together enough. She used to call me a boyfriend because we'd sit thought, for hours, about books and about movies and about food, and I love this- is my friend she saying oh, my boyfriend's here and then all of a sudden smile, and this is how my boyfriend- none away. You idiot, don't guess, he's Ready he doesn't want you, gotta go back, got things to do

alex known and none had heard so much. Please please take me and she laughed. She goes. No, no, not yet I'll see you and she just faded away one of my doctors on my team. She she was. She had your problem, religion and that's. Ok. I understand that you know. I'm not a I'm, not a preacher. I have a faith, but I don't preach it. I don't push it. I just you know, live and let live so. She sent in this shrink to see me and I and I was messed up from the chemo I I knew what I was seeing. I knew what I was saying and he was he was. the jewish gentlemen. He was, a rabbi also in a synagogue. Ashley responded in the district and he knew one fourteen. We want it to be I blogged, oh yeah, I see tally wholly come down the street, you know, and he asked me tell him the story and I did and he started laughing and scare me

This is docket for my really crazy. He says no, no. He said I believe you, my friend, he said we we share the same god. He goes. We we work in the same. cooperation will prevent the development of society The urban you did see you anymore he's your faith. Is that strong? He said. I've had many patients expressed the same sentiments He said so I want you to listen to her and fight and be strong, and he said so what else? Why talk about I sit If the document that messed up, because no no, he goes, they pay me for an hour and only took twenty minutes. So we watch the yankee game together as I do, but but it was just again it showed the human condition here. Here's these two men have two totally different faiths, and yet we share that that bond of faith then he had empathy and he had sympathy- and He keeps he saw me and many other patients, so he just didn't assume and he and he gave me a

they are shake, and I will always be grateful to him for that. The range of this, the paying you had to go through with leukemia, put off the days of nine eleven. After did your faith can challenged. You know likes. It was strange I it was times it was so angry. You know, there's a range of emotions, the anger, the denial that in the list of that- and this is the weirdest thing it was- it was mostly. I knew my career It was over and they retired me out of a job that doctor I got sick august on nine october, they told me I was out and by the time I was processed in used up my my leaves, and whenever you want to say I was I was. I was officially retire in january about two. And less than six months. and on their work and my dog one day, my rescue greyhound too, I misuse such a saw god. She lived to be almost thirteen katy anna me walk in.

In the snow, when I got the call, I was retired and I looked at my katie. What am I gonna? Do she just looked up to were going to go on a lot more walks? You know, and I was so sad I was so sad. so angry because I lost my priesthood a load help and people are really likes. I would have done it for free. I would never tell me a bloomberg that right it s all about the block ripe. What like an old honestly, I would have, I would have been in europe, see firemen. I would pay them do you know and I wasn't allowed anymore, that's it you're over twenty years and you have cancer. You know back when my dad got sick. They let you hang around ten twelve years in an office, but not now it's about the bottom line. But I was more depressed. about losing a job and almost losing my life like as crazy as us You know and adjust the as more than it I mean it's it's away man is also your family your father, you're you're, carrying towards

your father's! All my friend, I love my and I laugh we work twenty four hour shifts the other. You cook, you clean your breakage and shops. Mindlessly I mean it was I love those guys so much I mean I. I hope that my kids in any one that I know care about. I hope they can experience the bond of that brotherhood. That I experienced in my life. It was so god I I I would give anything out back just yeah about new york. So when I vow forty have never lived in new york. I visit I've always wanted to live there forbid. Ah, this is a very different experience to have really lived in new york for many many years, but the there's a few friends of mine that our from they get somewhere action is yours fear that there are a bit saddened. Perhaps this temporary, but perhaps not then seem to think so of what new york has become.

Covered its losing some of the spirit of new york. Do you have that sense? Do you have a home for the city that has been so the fighting to what is america. You know my heart broken I moved to new jersey many years ago, but I still have close attachment to new york. My my parents are still ere many may family members and I've since now moved to tennessee I needed to go somewhere quiet. I wanted to hear my foot. To solve and I'm in the middle of a beautiful farm Rural area and middle tennessee and arm so they probably call me allow back in new york believe invite it's not. The same. City and its sad, you know I'll refrain from the politics in the yard and finger pointing. but it's a mass compared to what it was and arm. I d broadway theatres

security for many years and I started to see it slide like lake with stuff that was happening. Like public, urination, indefinite duration and just like tourist, don't want to see that right and an arm I had an unfortunate incident dome. Two years ago I was jumped by for teenagers common off the subway. We and they were pissed off because I was wearing american flag had and I I I I'm not really sure why, but that it left me, I got out of it. Ok, but I was taken back. They were literally videoing it and the kid was just thrown shadow punches at my face wanting to beat me up- and I finally looked at many eyes- and I was like ooh boy, a little too old for this and bodies a little looking down for chemo and I find it. You said I I just I do not want to go home. Just work to seventeen hour shift as a stage hand

so take him back. I was so insulted, I'm saying you know I spent my life protect in this city and now, attacked like for nothing. The images I gave up, and maybe I, You have given it a little more time, but it some. I know its turn into an angry place. It's turned into do, I think, there's a lot of people that Getting me rest since they need in a sense it is a lot of mental illness. Does a lot of homelessness is a lot of violent, people just roman around the streets and it's not good. It's not safe and tourists or not gonna, come back east just leading up to the covert I had some poor say me. I won't be back and now I can only imagine that it's just gotten exponentially worse, but I hope there's a chance. It'll swing back as it is is the gateway to the world. My grandfather came from

and mark you. He landed in l, a silent and the twenties american success story. Twenty five bucks in his pocket didn't speak a language had a sponsor family in Beirut, brooklyn and he made it. You know he ended up dying on a bakery at one point and then an apartment building, and he did pretty well for himself or for an immigrant who was poor and my mom. my irish mother landed in the same neighborhood beverage brooklyn sixteen years old worked as a cashier fifty sixty hours a week in a supermarket and finish school at night. Married, my father, firemen, and I you know live the american dream and it was all it was all from new york and my my father's mom was from irish immigrants, and are they all landed analyses while my mom didn't? Because it was close at that point? But it's it's. There's people breaking down the doors to come to this country right there. There there's no one breaking down a door

if this is. This is a problem. I am people that are grateful for being here and it's against our political straight down about straight down the middle facebook. If you don't like it here, I'll show you the door now should a plane ticket I mean. Would you want to live back in russia compared the here? Would you might because of family ties, I mean if you had no ties to russia, or would you want go to china right now and possibly end up in a labor camp for right, there's people boston down the doors to get to this place. It's not perfect. It's got it's flaws, it's got it's blemishes, you know, and but it's a damn great place. It's the best country in the world yeah and some of it, as so. First of all I have for new york. I think that culture is very difficult to kill. I think you will persevere and I think ultimately the same story when new york, as with the rest, the united states, it has, dude leaders- and I am always hopeful

the great leaders will emerge eyes. Rick the kind of leadership we see now. on the kind of conversations we have now, I think, has to do with the prosperity and comfort and in the face of hardship. I think great leaders will emerge and yeah I just think ultimately in the long arm of history willie, Personally, I should become rich station, become rich in the process. I ain't you shouldn't, go into political office, as a you know, an alleged you know long lunch box kind of guy and and come out die. You know eaten at the best steakhouse in the world. I mean that that's the problem with politics right My irish grandmother, god rest or used to say let us politicians there are like dirty diapers to fill a shit, anita stink and it's true I don't give a crap what hearty therein in and power, we had a big. These guys beg them for federalism, nation, to cover our medical, both right. There's a gentleman John feel from the feel good foundation,

this guy- is a lion of a man, a general, but with a soft, big, great heart and John John is a former construction worker who came to the nine eleven site the day after. He was one of those guys caught in the steel with torches and craning. It added air wonders hard hats that just that never got the credit than the praise that that we did as responders, and I don't mean that as a knock responders right I mean we lost thirty, seven port authority police officers. Twenty three am I pity officers about a dozen Emerging medical technicians, paramedics, record officers for new state courts and to federal agents, and I hope, and through an employee training of city firefighters, we lost a ton of responders, but three

we work is thankfully warrant killed in that process, but does hundreds of now who are dead from illnesses? Is they came down to recover our people and the civilians and the poor lost souls that were killed at work? That Yeah and John literally almost lost his foot in a construction accident at the site. An eight thousand pound I beam, tore off. Half of his foot ended up with massive sepsis, six months in a hospital hundreds of thousands of a medical bills and then no one wants to buy there's, a guy gonna lose his house lose his life was everything and now the never forget it started quick and he went on emission formed his feel good foundation his last. They must feel effie, ale filled with foundation and this man

Literally went to washington dc with his army ass. He called it, and I was honourable to be with him a cup only couple times. I wish I had dedicated some more time to it. And what was with. Is he set out on a mission to get initially what he did ass. He got funding to take care responders. When that limbo, who couldn't get a medical bills paid, who could make em mortgages? Who could make a car payments who couldn't make their childcare payments with John just took it upon his own, get donations and take care of you. While you were suffering I got a call when I got out of the hospital your cake, you need anything I said. Who is this? Just don't feel I said: aren't you that construction work yeah, you need anything I'm pretty good right now, I saw appreciate forming again a few weeks. I shall feel anything like this guy's not accept what these people who needed stuff.

And he was getting it done and he, with his army, had to chase these politicians through the halls of congress to get funding to cover the medical bills. I was getting sued four hundred and twenty five thousand dollars my month stay in a cancer ward. And I can't believe it. I said women. I haven't insurance. The on all this is this: is terrorism related? We don't cover that so Usually them workers caught will cover your onto the injury or illness honour leukemia not covered on that. We don't cover that. So then a ping pong game starts, am literally have people showing up taking pictures of my kids in front of the house, I went and grabbed the guy one day by the collar of who the hell. Are you certain private investigator? Do we put in lena his property due to in a non payment of a bill. I said: ok, I understand, do your job. Let me bring my kids inside. Take all the pictures you want. Don't step on my front law and I will- I went in a house.

I closed my room, my door, my my door, my room and I cried. I said I can't believe this. I spent my entire adult life trying to help people Of myself- and I can't even get my medical bill paid- will John field on my medical. He finally got these politicians with his team firefighter reefer, whose, since died fort with terminal cancer for nine years in a wheelchair litter. At the end, came out a hospice to go finalize. Getting us discovered detective. We sufferers, who testified days before he died from congress. and one bunch other guys that were really really sick and we had to shame these people into signing on. Luckily we had John Stewart come on and literally just just how these guys and shame them an embarrassment and what it all stands.

From was in two thousand and six, the first of death that was dead. And to be linked to nine eleven. There was others, but the first one it was officially linked was in new york city police detective, who initially the city said he died of advanced lung disease. His lungs were protruding, I've, his body and use on painkillers, and it was so bad at the end that the doctor said just drawing them up snort him drink it whatever you need to do to get instant relief so when they found the talcum from the pill lining in his lungs. They said, oh no, this is opiate abuse. You didn't. He didn't die lung disease, so they said and the mayor was corner saying he is not a hero. Shame on you, Mr Mayer, he was a hero, father, who was a retired police chief married up with the field they foundation and John Stuart and re pfeiffer, detective arrests and they got us, will cover, but it took soul.

Like she was so heartbreaking. These people, who were lining up three deep politicians, three deep to catch a picture, whether responder, so they can tweet hashtag, never forget and hashtag, get me and hey how my doing all that bull crap they were nowhere to be freakin found. I figured, I literally witnessed them hiding in cloak rooms down hallways away from us? Does freakin cowards s? Cowardice will again his linger on the John stewart thing that immediate reactor John stewart, ah his testimony before congress over the benefits for nine alone. First responders, I mean now there's a lot of important human beings in the story, but he has a big voice. He spoke from the heart. What do you make of that as the money, or we was far felt? I mean you here look look. I me John John was a you know

polarizing guy right do certain things like over two years. He was cutting edge and I might not have agree with all of his. You know why yes I'm sorry, I don't know like we all, but, but I tell you I found him is funny I enjoyed is humor. I would love to you to have a conscience knows very well, but moreover, guy where you can have it could have a difference in opinions. That's a beautiful thing about the firehouse kitchen. I mean I could get raucous inlet now I don't know it's all different situation, but lean back in the day. Some forty. But John John literally just took his talents. You would think he was speaking. The heart of a fireman or a cop or soldier marine. You know someone there, but I think he especially I got to so well and re? Had this stack of mass cards from your funeral cards they give out, looks like it. You know a larger budget,

this card, as laminated and re, had a stack of them. He would carry around. I think, with close two hundred cards. And John saw it, and he said what's that he says these are my cards so for what he says for my brother's funerals. He was like, oh my god, you've been to that many. Surely he goes yeah this. This is just the The ones I made like, like you know, and john I think was- was just stunned. I not John actually had that stock cards after after re past and, like said, look this look at. Look there's gonna be more these cards. We one guy, weak or girl, one one responder or recovery worker, or someone who actually reserve I did down near if more than one week die, it's one day dying on average and on average two People were diagnosed with a nine eleven cancer or disease right now. That's the worst part is theirs:

It will mean diseases flying off the graph and you're not covered under the legislation by the grace of god. My cancers covered. If my If my cancer comes back, I mean I'm in emissions technically incurable, but I've been blessed him ahead. Stana headed stuff, going on ten years, If it comes back with a vengeance tomorrow and takes me the least, might my wife will get my pension and be able to live her life without fear, but my fur, who are suffering from these advanced or means their wives get nothing their pension dies with them and we're here. been that that John and his army can king shame these politicians once again, I have the kindness and decency to cover these autoimmune sw. You know, They are throwing a lot of money around that a lot of things lately and this has won the day and anyone who lives in a balance who really need it and John had

strong wind, they did their jobs. Do yours talking the politician yeah it. it's a strong wake up, call that it's not about the twin the social media, all that kind of stuff. It's the have a job to do, and you have to. is that compassion? the mountain form of money, of helping people- oh yeah, that were there for you when you needed help. Well, we had a I mean I might get ordered an of one homer. When we had a car, christmas from our western say where, but he prided himself once and he was a retired cop, busy gap Twenty two years he's No one! The legislation I witnessed a cop who is dying, get out of his wheelchair and said: hey brother,

I got a half a million dollars in medical bills and I'm a short time are. I got a few months. The live, who the f is gonna, pay him dollar right there, You say you're, a cop, you show me you're a cop and you sign that paper and a guy started tearing up the congressmen and he signed it, but he had to be freakin shamed and you know what he said. Well, this doesn't really confront me. This is pork. As far as This is concerned. He goes. Oh yeah. Do you notice ten guys from your district who came across the country to help us that are also dying? He had no idea no idea and necessary part about alex to it's a failure and leadership. You know I mean, I think some people for Mickey mouse just cause. If you ran, I mean I know offence against mickey mouse. I, like him, he's a good guy right. I mean but like like allegedly allegedly support without area. You know, but seriously like I.

Look at the look at some of the key issues sometimes ago we were trying to see you, sir. I think the way government a structured is People who are centres of people who are in congress, think they start playing a game to each other and they lose track of the connection to the city, to the people to basic humanity. You forget, even when you think of you, some as a cop, you forget what are like the cops and that the other p, servicing the community actually experiencing all that the troubles are going through and how they can actually be hope because you touch them If she living you're not talking to them you're living among them- and I mean that's a natural part of the system, but I think that's why a character in great leadership is important, as you say, leave the game of congress and you go back to the people. I mean that's what the country you know, it's like the george washington idea

is, if you're, not playing a game of power, you ultimately see yourself somebody who's servicing this country service in the community, and that requires talking to the people in their time of hardship. Will you you have some people, some people serving and in in congressional districts? Don't even live in that district, I mean. So how are they going to empathize they're, not even driving through there on a daily basis, and- and you know again it when, when anything becomes lucrative from a financial standpoint, it blurring people's vision. You you have to take the potential of becoming rich out of pocket, Six politics is public service, police and fire any amassed by public service, but ca. Some firemen emetics, don't walk out their career with gazillion

dollar contracts with this company in that company, on that board of directors and this board of directors they walk out with a pension, and that's it and you have to wonder at the intentions of people getting into politics at a truly going into to help help the human condition or on a chair to help their own damn condition with their while in their pocket book. I tried it We put the latter lately, you know with what I'm sitting in the summer the go ones in it. That's our job as a society, salary at the good ones, that's that's it, and and- and that has to do with the ideals that we all of it. A number of conspiracy theories around the of nine eleven. Do any of these hold true to you, or do they just frustrate you even angrier. I've been asked this by a few different people in my life. This is my take on it right. Your manner

it's a mammoth occasion, so you allegedly allegedly what yes, but you you know you're in a very, very intelligent man and what I believe took place is this: a structural steel will fail at a sustained ten. sure of fifteen hundred degrees, fahrenheit- and I dont know exactly how long that would have to be sustained, but that's the temp right diesel fuel, kerosene, fuel, kerosene based jet fuel, which was the ignition their burns at twenty two hundred degrees fahrenheit. Oh, that continued burning of that diesel that Jeff fuel but kerosene based. You know it's all kind of similar. Exceeded the temperature needed for that steel in the structural members of the trade centre to fail.

in my heart of hearts. I would hate to ever think that somebody affiliated with our government with someone of agenda would perpetrate. That crime in that tragic just destruction of humanity and property for some other form of gain. those planes ran into those buildings. Four hundred fifty miles an hour, they will load. with thousands and thousands of gallons Jeff, you number seven trade centre had the back up for the emerge. See management system for the city areas it- emergency generator. In that complex, which had a twenty five thousand gallon tank of diesel, continually run for weeks to keep the normal one system. The backup system going in a case of a catastrophic event, well that tank and said

and heated up from the fire that was already going on from the aircraft debris coming into the building. So once that diesel became ignited in seven now, you had enough temperature to fail that steel. In that so I would like to truly believe what I learned from the minimal fire science knowledge. I have from my career that it was Just a matter of it burn too long, it burn too hot and it failed. If you look at the way it came down, it came down as it was designed to in the god forbid event that it was to collapse it if it came down pancake in upon itself if it had failed horizontally and just spread out side to side with those buildings would drop for a quarter half mile the canal street,

You know like sly and the destruction that could result of yeah, oh my gosh, I couldn't be so much worse. I mean you would have taken every building and from that point all the way up. But in my heart I liked it is believed that it was just a fire burned too long to heart. You know these. These claims caused shock. Will damage upon impact in both buildings and just a matter of time and then you think about it, you and all the plastics, all the carpeting. All of this If that was burning, honest floors, you add that to that followed, I think you just had enough the color exit, and you were in a building seven for part of that day, I was just after it came down as well We were aside it and we weren't in it or next to it when it actually did come down, but moments after we were there and again I

I would like to believe that it just it was just a few, was going and it just took its physics took its course and any failed, so physics and size aside its heart both. I would like to believe and it's hard to imagine the amber. You would be so evil to orchestrate parts of this from within the united states government as very difficult for me to imagine. You know what the next day people and I won't elaborate all get into it. Then he any any controversial subjects would have you there's some people that dont have any problem at all perpetrating any level of evil. People like you and I are hearts and we have depth of soul. We we couldn't imagine it, but there's other people wouldn't even be a second thought. I mean if some I've seen some horrific incidents in my career, that I go home shaken my head at nikon

Human beings are just they're, not wired right. You know, I mean look at animals, I love animals. I of dogs, especially, and I I see this dog park when I hear crane, fly airplanes now and something I wanted to do, and as a door park, cushiony airport and sixty dogs bones flying up in the air and shoot toys and sticks near running around having the time in your life right. they're all getting along then, and I hurt me charlie they're not violate each other they're, not cancelled in each other and and are gone. We really need to learn from these dogs like right and, like I just yeah I mean sometimes it sounds crazy, but I think they are better. There are better species, and people unless they're rabid, they don't heard on purpose stable in old and will cut you off in traffic and throw you to middle finger, and I get a what justice they just don't do these these acts of humanity that sometimes are so vicious. What do you think these costs

whereas if there is of wishes a lot take hold Why do you think so many people believe some version of different conspiracy theories around nine eleven? Well, you know like me, things in life. It leaves me little conflicted. I have to say this. I am at the point now I don't know who to believe anymore, so I could see that late lending a hand to someone who is already a daughter, going. I looked at the exactly this where they don't want right. I mean you, don't look at this whole virus like poor. Do you believe like what to come from you know like and an end. You know if you plant that seed, it's like that. campfire we're talking about earlier right? You just toss a little gas into those embers. You got a fire now. I also think this a lot of people when a hell of a lot of time on his face for really bored on the tour

combined yeah man, you know, like I look. I was at three job, Charlie right. You one guy used to say to me anything but but home I go ny. I got deadlines responsibilities. You don't like that's desperate it comes down to is like I mean look, we all. We all have our hobbes and things we like and you know little nuances and that's what makes us special were unique. Every person is unique being, but I also think some people, just just they want to cling to something like we all want to feel it AP didn't belong to something. So all of a sudden you, you group up with these people, and you all believe this fervently like yeah yeah yeah. You know they did it. They took it down and took it down, and now you stuck on yeah and what happens is when you're in company of people- and you start telling each other the same thing. Often you freaking believe it I mean if you keep

let me I got a gray had here, I'm gonna go, you know what I do, but no I don't I'm not that wavin bob I do but like this, but you know I think, when you or here in something often you stop believing it, but I'm not gonna, I'm not to doubt their intelligence, I'm not to doubt their intentions, but I just don't see it as being plausible. I just I am there would be two too big of an operation to successfully happen. I you know, I may not do other things that. No, I I won't say it on the interview there but, like I have my doubts about certain things. You know that that I mean conspiracy theories take hold for a reason, because some of them are true. no yeah a hardening is just the knowledge ones around. What would you do have facts right. Are you no longer have to central Europe facts when you'll have figures and you don't have science it's hard to take someone's word. I

I had a conversation with someone while back right and the guy's likened the just just dedicated atheists, and he thinks I'm an idiot for believe in god. and he's like yo you're, one of those jerks who believe in creation- and I said well, I I do well. What about the big bang theory? not that he's going on his diatribe about the science and the gases and the chemistry and I'm gonna. Do I barely got through high school chemistry slow now and he went on a tangent and also my stop the whip, hoo hoo, created the gas in the molecules and stuff you talkin about in a collisions And he was furious and stormed off and I got em and again I had no facts, had no figure. He didn't either, but but I stopped them, but sometimes when you can't show some people need to see something

yeah tangible. They need to see it in her hand to believe it and asked us a real hard thing about faith. I see it in action. People restore my faith, I say to myself what I can't be that many dummies in this world of this, so many billions of us believe in this high powered as high right, I mean in any you said you said earlier, like you, ve viewed, believe most people are good and I do too the bear out shine the good because the bare get the press right. We if it bleeds it leads. That's just you know like think about, how many more damn zombie apocalypse movies. Can we make right? I don't even know it was that many zombies and it just It's like every other show is just guys, like you know, bashing, each other's heads in with bats with nails in it, and it's like. After a while, it's like a cashier, you gotta get a new bogeyman. You know right like what seriously like but meanwhile, whom associations getting better and better, we just like making hollywood movies

they will get better and better, but would treat each other worse and worse. You think what all this technology and all the knowledge and all the cycle. what the hell is going on. Sometimes I I really want to see the good and I think, maybe maybe the level of bad that we're seeing was always existent it's just now. Everything is instantaneous news and flashes and tweets, and this and it's like you know what. Why would the technology we have? It's also come to the light, so you you get to see all these vices it almost. I think, that's step one of a dealing with. The problem is revealing it in his full beautiful light. Oh yeah how much of a bickering species will. Fifty years ago, guy, like me, loves to talk how the hell, I've got an opportunity to have someone listen to me and have right island. Others may is a goal but like, but you didn't have that arena. You didn't have a lease thinks, my grand the nels god rest him he'd, nine, nineteen, seventy nine I mean it.

you didn't even want to have a check and account he would walk to each store each the phone company, the gas company, this company at and pay the bill person he didn't trust the bank man. It was like the he now. Eighty, ams this tat. He would be as well to be just like I'm. I love my dad, but to watch him on his ipod. Is common He said that he calls my niece's boyfriend who's, the tech guy Matt Matt. If you listen he's the greatest he'll, have this poor guy in a form like ours, like the second, you walk in to see my folly, my kids, a baby straighten out this bad and then its comical because I'm looking at my dad, he was born when hitler started. We were too I'm going seen all over that all my grandmother was born in nineteen hundred czechoslovakia and she ninety eight and wholly to stuff she saw and spend a life just as it is incredible. But but what troubles me some?

As with all of these advances in all these devices. This is what I say to my kids: look up from the phone and look up right, because we don't talk anymore. I saw a girl, literally anyhow should say I would have. I saw person literally just about walk into an open, manhole cover texting, and I'm going that's scary because Your your awareness is, is gone and, and- and it's I've been at restaurants, with groups of people and attacks and texting each other to sitting on your side of the table. I'm like put the freaking thing down have a conversation and that's the thing we ve lost the art of conversation. You know like, like my wife rings She has a running joke. Google has a lot going on up there and I'm like yankees. I I really am inquisitive and excited about life and love to meet people. I love to learn. I love and the only way you can. That is to have a conversation. The hilarious thing about

the sea you're. Obviously very charismatic, you got great stories, your great you being thing you're talking to a guy who's. By most, his light behind a computer hiding from peep. No no and I were like trying to bridge my foot- I don't mean others rip, but you know that real. I would never know. That's very engaging you're very like I do not know, but you don't have any impediments to your socially skills you personally and in that and again I don't mean it as a knock to you and you're not, but this is me trying to look up from a smartphone as having these conversations talking to people, I think is, is important. I mean some of it could be it's always hard to know. Some of it could be. you and I being old school. I guess I you grow up before the internet may be. There is joy and deep human connection to be discovered inside this. phone. We don't it doesn't seem that way yet, because the smartphone so new, maybe we just haven't, figured out those those

Sk, as there is a globalizing aspect, is the opportunity for you to connect with people from across the oh yeah in ways that cousins in ireland in england I love it. I get a face time or what's happened and it's like wholly crept it through. Four thousand miles away in a moment. Conversation now I used to say, my grandma in ireland. The letter- I are your daughter she passed when I was ten and on sars Levin and now at centre, a letter a man and- and- and I wait wait about two weeks later this this airmail letter would come back and she called me master nils, William John. I would be so excited whether in russian gas and like like and then I'd have another one, and I just couldn't wait for letters from grannie and now it's like now, that's kind,

faded away. Then I'll, write letters by lower hanrahan due to the way the way this war came about was I I I I wrote some someone to say thank you for cancer research on blessed be alive. I think, you're right. You got a good starting point for any story, but it'll be life. My cancer was one that if I got it fifteen years prior to nineteen upskilling to dollar, I was dead man right In twenty years before there was no drug to treat. I was gone going home to see him so there's this wonderful gentleman that donated hundreds of millions of dollars to cancer research. Mr David Koch, he since god rest his soul, passed away and his conscience she'll guy bigtime business tightened, and you know there was the press was just brutalizing him one day over some something to do with politics. Now I'm a union guy proudly serving

union still in a union, you know and- and he was not normal business- I don't like units, but most guys, like me, working for three dollars an hour. So we like our unions right and I reached out across the table so to speak, and I sent him a handwritten letter to thank him to say we may not agree on everything, but I can't thank you enough. This is just regular dude out there. who is now live in his life, watching his kids grow thanks to generous people like you who believe enough in cancer research, you ve saved my life. Maybe I can't see his exact dollars, but people like him any reach back up Secretary said, oh you'd like to talk to you on the phone and go well he's kind of a busy guy he wants to talk to me is a billionaire when he got on the phone. He was like the greatest guy in the world, invited me up to sloan kettering to dedicate a new cancer wing.

It was like. I was hanging out, my dad and and the sweetest man just so kind so empathy, because he was a cancer survivor, but now he's got the means to help people who've suffered his fate. To a better place- and he was so real and it was so beautiful just to get to know say hey you know what this guy is is a big time guy, but yeah he's just a regular human like you and I you know I'm a guy who want the night college, and I went to the army and a blue collar gonna dude and here's this guy with a mighty like you and he's a wildly successful, billina, a genius. But yet he can sit down. And mix it up with me and know that I was truly grateful and not to me was dislike, wanted one the coolest little below,

they should just I've ever had it was like we were hanging out, I'm barbecues together, but, like you know, it was just. I was so touched by his decency or the basics of the lung cancer reveals, you know it's a fundamental to the human experience is traumas is tragedy, Money who gives a shit about money, education? All that is like we. new inventions. You know life is short. You suffer with the various diseases. and that is a reminder that life is short reminder of the basic human connection and that's why you can bridge that gap. Oh yeah All sparked by henry letter which just is made for It story, and you know what like this: is the commonality between us, a guy with three jobs to a billina. We both had that sense of a sledgehammer to the chest. Boone, you have cancer and you can't breathe for like thirty seconds and then, when you hear

Just about the kick off and you you take a breath and you I'm sorry, would you say back me, your cat, Don't matter what kind? What am I want? My best buddies Bobby's is right now prostate and I got way through many, my bodies, we can't write. My body few became a vet since his first cancer. He was a fireman, is now ventnor He diagnosed me actually over the phone. By the way, when they couldn't figure out what wrong with me doctor huh? He nailed it to the t and we talk and the same thing that that doesn't have my close friends that have cancer. The same thing we say is the fear, so mr coke and I we shared that same sledgehammer to the chest and that same fear and it didn't matter how much money he had and how much I didn't- and you know it's just like the morning and a trade center. There was big time brokers, who

went to their demise right working in these firms- god rest them and it was dishwashers. Shoes me dishwashers up on the windows on the world restaurant on one hundred and seventh floor, making five bucks an hour and a diet, together, it didn't matter it didn't matter. If you didn't get armored car loaded with bills, you were done that day and that's, I think where people need to humanize each other. Just because you drive around in a nice car and you got your G8 and you got this evening that don't mean nothin. when you're going when you're in that vulnerable spot it, you could have you could have more money in older than than the? U s reserves, federal reserve or you could have a welfare check. You going, I learned Can't award, I had people on my word that died on me

I was going around is a little bit of an ambassador because he was trying to. I was putting on a fake. I was putting on a fake. Like I got this, I got this. I was so scared, but when I got past that that seven days of torture and the days leading up to it, I go I tried to comfort the other cancer patients. I just one older african american gentleman. He couldn't talk as he has such advanced, throw cancer. He was my roommate for a little while, but then he got worse. They had put him by himself and you could I understand what he was saying because his throat was just so radiated from the radiation. But if you put your ear down to him, you could make out what he was saying. and I'm not fought in the nurses for maybe not wanting to do that right, it's it's! It they're busy they got upon going on. I can't spend so if he was in need. I put my ear now. Am I find out and I go get it back

So when they move me down the hall. They asked me to come down with my ivy tower. He needed me and I I knew it was bad cause. He just does look was was gone. Ass, it, sir, would you need, and he whispered call my sister I'm going He had only once while and his whole life in north carolina, caroline anyone. I know she couldn't get up. She was elderly and I got the nurse. When I got on the phone- and I called his sister and I said ma'am, I I explained who I was- and I said he he he can't really verbal eyes too well right now, but he wants to say I love you and I put forward.

and he told her love, ernie sam, I'm going home, and- and I was it phone up and I'd I'd should man, I'm so sorry. I should you know notify you and, and I stay, wouldn't allow home his hand and then you know they wanted dressed in and I left them At now, and was sorry he's gone. And then there was another girl, she's young young girl from one year is, I work young african american girl ways to respond that I didn't know I, but I knew her name on anna. She had what I add, what they weren't sure, which one you leukemia zune elusive beast is forty nine of right and each one of them is like get the wrong nuances, its own specific treatment. So they don't know what yeah they don't know what to do for you and she

fused, to let were hit the take them MAO because his vicious heard so much it's like someone bore into your hip woodrow and it is no joke and they asked me to try to convince her to wear. Heard. Let them do that or she was gonna die, because if they couldn't figure out. It was advancing quickly. She was so I I talk to her. I can't I can't I'm too scared I said, but are you more scared to die? She said I am, I said, ok I'll stay with you. I hold your hand, you squeeze it as hard as you want. I said if, if you want they'll, give you like a towel or something to bite on whenever I said, but you get that came out, but you need to do this, so you can get saved and she said kay and they came in and aid this huge thick needle leg does born into you, screaming for her life and she's school.

In my fingers so hard and so hard, and I said this is okay. Hon, you keep going, you keep going. We got it, it's just ten more seconds, ten more seconds. They got it. They figured out her treatment And they got her onto her road to recovery, and then I spent a long time asking god why? Why do I have cancer. Then I stopped and wait a minute. I didn't die tat day with my friends. Shame on me for asking why of cancer, ten years after nine, eleven, such great ears and I got to watch my little girl being born when John never got to see son. So it was, oh great after that,

I said but now I know why I have my cancer, because I can I can empathize with people who have it and I can try to be their voice when they can't talk, be their shield. To try to take that pain cause I can understand. I could walk their walk. And now I thank god for my kids because it's made me a better human being. It's made me can a lie. Bore lotta anger for, while in my family suffered it. but I really tried to go past that and heel and and part eleven out in the country. Very, very healing for the mind than the soul, but I now thank god for that. Answer because it humbled me. I didn't really need humbling. I wasn't, I wasn't an arrogant, tough, the type of person at all, but

You know, maybe I was running away myself, a little bit working on a tv show and firemen thirty at the time. Well, I was forty two and got sick. You know life was cruising man. It was great all of a sudden. It was like. a blow out on the highway in the middle of the night and you just rear and off towards the girl. You amber die. You reminded the your mortal and that folia, ultimately, connection to all the rest of us: oh yeah, it's a good thing. No one! You, you know cause that's a problem. I think this people running around it again here immortal right you look at it lex right. You look at the heartache in a lot of segments of people at any time like someone, that's got fame and wealth and success and and and and they they die tragically a lotta times it's from a substance abuse or just you know, just to some to some horrible death.

I used to say to myself how the hell would someone with damage money and out which fame and his freakin mansion in it. You know why or laugh. I love cars. My son and I were just recording You know I don't like you guys, got collection of cars and is overdosed because he was sad said and uncle how the frigate you said, but then I stop and go. Oh cake is maybe he doesn't have any idea who loves him. He's got a lot of people clinging onto a cause of his success and, and he just he can't filled void. You know, and then they feel the void with something destructive and I'm not I'm not bashing, people that have substance, abuse, bombs or I'll call upon mean it that way. But what I mean is this. You said that that their level of despair is so high on the surface. They look like they just everything going on it's all great radio humans, the guy legitimate right aim, yet exactly because they want love.

They want a lot, I love and any, and they can't they can't really find they were for others to follow. Was that get deeply lonely and looking for love when we find it? That's what friendship is that's absolutely and that's true for whether you're super rich yeah or super poor? It's all the same journey, my dad too old tyrant you're going to end up working. One hundred guys and you know you'll love a lot of them, but he says when you're, when it's all said and done and you're old like me, and if you still got two or three of them that you talk to and you'll love, and I tell you what I mean, I I I I have thanked the war more than two or three of them, and I I have my six. I call it my six six guys that are going to carry my coffin when I'm gone right cause. I noticed cancer is going to

imac. I know like we, we get multiples right. My friend yvette just got his second. My friend mike's had five in him mike his tour, but I'm I wasn't ready to accept it in two thousand letter of so much more to do and it was so much. I was so scared, I'm like wow. who's going to take care of my kids, and we know they will little thing. You know nine, eleven and fourteen right, what the hell. I have two girls and a boy between a beautiful kids. This is such good good children, the adults now I mean, but you know that my wife's a drill sergeant she she has no mass. You know she's this, this big but I see you're the softie in the family. Well, you know it's funny because it might. My son hit me my son's twenty one. Now he's a good kid. You know nanda. He says to me back when he's like twelve, because dak

I don't want you to be fended, but I'm really scared mom, I'm not scared. You know like I, I cracked up, because it's true that she's got a step. She's got to stand on like a milk crate to reach them, cause, she's, tiny and he's tall, but it's true, but you know, but she was high but fair but loved that she. This is the thing you take any child anywhere from any background. If you love them, you nurture them. You teach them and you guide them. You have a successful adult and see that's the problem in our society. It's not judgmental I'm not judging anyone, but we need to try harder as parents as as siblings as friends, but especially when one were blessed with a child, the site you, you gotta, put that child. First, it's like being a military, personal responder, it's not about you anymore. Now, The team sort out little child is is now the team.

you know your wife or yours signal again other like it's not about you anymore and she s the problem. Is people have a hard time not making it about and you know like now- it's really weird make my kids are nineteen. Twenty one and twenty four- and I hardly want to hang with me because they're busy in their life, we love each other, probably talk I hear me- go on and don't preach and whatever but like, but but they're adults. We we. We did pretty much the crux of what we had to do to to put them into adulthood and I looked back and I wonder why I wish I d worked so much and I wish. But then I say nobody was ok. Why stay home good lessons good? You know just just, but I ought to molly like he says: love is one of the com in the law. Is the most important ingredient honest earth em now and asked that that's the problem What's going on right now, like take politics out of red right, take,

the rising each other against each other and take all that crap out of it. Just air drop a bunch of love right like I'd like I like when I worked on rescue me right now. I love those people somewhere they with such great. We had such a great crew they worked so hard years, celebrity known on are not about. If I was, I didn't really didn't really work out so good. I wear went on to venus, and I am now pretty. And they don't they don't want old guys were waving waving, bye, bye, hairdos, but but but it was funny we, the crew, he became really tight. We had like shoot like eighty ninety people on a on a set right, and you know first, who episode always try feel each other out, because you know you work with different crews, different people- and this is going back starting in two thousand, and the force was different time and I love to hug people cause to me. A hug is a true expression of love and caring. You may not know a person long time. You say I care

You would a hug. Can I get a tiny tangent, yet this is in the midst of covered. When I was in Boston and it was in our masks like triple masks and where I went to see Joe here when if the commission moved to Austin Joe rogan yeah yeah and then, when the first time I see a music. I you mother, fucker aig as hug, yeah and appeal, so we looked horrified that it was hugging. Just him all I'm saying that if you do to public now, it's like it's like you community, but that expression, because I was so you forget how oh yeah powerful that is Though I got some of my buddies. I give them a huge, huge hug and a big sloppy kiss on the cheek, and I I can I love them. They didn't my brothers, you know, but on this set I swear to god. It got to the point and I'm not trying to whatever, but there was people that would come up to me for the daily hug and I said,

What would you do it and I come come a brain in and give them the hug, and they said you don't understand just makes me feel so good. It makes me feel, like you give a crap about my. I really do. I supported it touched my heart that people was seeking me out to get that I have to start the deck there and I remember there was a guy in Manhattan. He was selling hogs for, like fifty cents and antique he got arrested. Ray was bf just before covert, but, like I wouldn't sell them now given the level now I came in, I be kind of concern again to call it a mean, but but like I, I really. think we need that. We need hugging boosts like an each city or each town like because just so many people that just one to know, someone gives a shit about him and that's. The problem is like, like you know, that's what I love about small little towns like where I am now in tennessee I'm not knock in new york and are not can be towns, but I guess it's easy to do in a small area, because it's just not this mass of humanity, but does

stop and check on you like you're out in the road, and you know like I'm continent cleaning or whatever, occasionally I'll roll a one, more attractor into a ditch, because I'm not a farmer too good, but it's easier to fire have a new york boyd daily Really all I was worried. I haven't seen you and I'm like normal. No, but they literally like check on you too, worried about you and I'm going hardly know me, but yet there so caring and it's a problem. That is what I love about my life. I spend a lotta time as it, especially as a young boy and loved lot in ireland at my grandma form, and my mom comes from this tiny, tiny little village. a million nowhere and in the charter. home. She grew up and still my aunt and uncle live, and still I just love it, so much? Is everyone waves, tennyson, similar wave driver? I would urge wave but Michael

I pointed out that your third cousin second remove buying an oh johnny like holy shit. I'm relieved to everyone here right but put like everyone stops to say hello. How are you and I have a problem doing that, because my wife calls people think you're crazy. Why are you talking everybody? I said like I'll, literally stop someone and say how's your day going like I mean I'll randomly on the sidewalk, then it looks a little nuts but like if I'm buying a cup of coffee, or that happens here all the time yeah, Why I love it here: the sidewalk randomly there. No it's just it's just that they will say hi to me. I thought they recognized Mr Rangel, Gary sheer who you are, that is being nice. I was on a role, coming back driving from my family up north down to tennessee. Last week I stopped in the bathroom and it is, it was closed I was was cleaning it whatever she's working so hard whenever research, which we could down the whole is a family, restroom feel free to use it, and she didn't have to do that.

I went down- and I am old- you need a bathroom, you need a bathroom right and I walked back out and I said ma'am I someone thank you for being here today. As his bathroom was immaculate, it was just like my army, bathroom in the barracks, was spotless rape. and I gave her ten dollars? I so rude like you to buy lunch for me today. I said you really didn't have to do me that favor she has no sir. I said no, no. I said I want and she was like a gave. A million bucks- and I say to my wife: now I'm been praying to be a billionaire, because that's a sin I should No! You don't use o goes you, MR me, mister! I did not order. I should you getting it wrong, I said and praying to be like de gazillion here because I want to give all away. We still have a sign in ladder. One fourteen if some other rival truck company stole it right, because that's what we do, he gets sent to cover your district when you're at a fire and now you're stuffed missing any old timers had a scientist. I am content

because if you got a lotta one, forty that was considered such a great place such a great assignment such great guys, you had to be vetted to get. There could randomly go and I was a little exclusionary, but they wanted good guys. I sit. So that's why I'm in life right now, I am tent boy, I'm restless, because I want to really do a lot more good. It's like this podcast, want to make sure that it's not forgotten and I want to make sure that these charities that are really really helping people get recognized, but I'd like to take it a step. Further write. A friend of mine runs this foundation for young folks suffer mental illness and in crisis for someone that we love dearly, and I he's on a mission now to get therapy dogs for really really mentally wounded warriors right

It is a lot of these young soldiers or haven't really hard time, and now they could be out a while. They may have come back in country to three years ago. Now it should start there is a waiting list for thousands of therapy dogs and he said that they can't get enough of them quick enough, but he said when you see the response. The way these veterans just light up when they get these dogs, it just changes their life radically a meeting we and I said that it god. Why don't know how to do it, but I I want be a zillionaire air and I know I don't want. I don't want any picture photo ops just that I just want to go. It alone. dog, there's dog, eat dog, and I wanted, veterans land for it. These vets, who just need a nice clean place to live, so why do we take these old army basis and marine bases and navy bases that had been shut? Did you sit near running away?

I was in the army in alabama. My old fort mcclellan is three quarters vacant. It's sitting here. They just did a documentary It just looks like zombie land going back his zombies, so why don't we take, that and renovated and save that's who are struggling. Guys you're live here and they take the old army well the places where they had all the supplies, or you know, there's massive buildings where you could just retrofit it and make light manufacturing within two weeks give these guys jobs where they live. They work they'll, take care of it military guys they teach you how to take care of that right, how the hell in his country should any vet come back home and be homeless, because now we now have to dedicate near lies six seven, ten, twelve years, five, five six deployments. in seven fifty an hour and then you know they spent seven years old. I get a weapon sixteen in our right here. They they walk out, making thirty five grand.

and now no one gives them a job. No one gives them a chance so very quickly. They end up homeless by no fault of their own, and I don't how that is even passed The people in this country who have given the very most and they're struggling they're hurting that's not fair, and my whole thing is: if, if I can have this dream of succeeding so to speak, I want I wanna try. I want to try changing you know and just just so that's why I'm praying to be. Where there is a letter. Will my wife, my admires mother, father, wouldn't agree either? Could you not both right? same with you, the more the more money you have, the more you're able to help get the help you can put smiles on people's people's faces. I I have to ask you the the? U s invaded afghanistan in october, two thousand, one in response to terror, attacks,

twenty years later we still had a presence and abruptly withdrew all troops. What do you think about this war across the world that was thus sparked by this tragedy whenever you do something quickly without thinking it out, thinking it through and planning it doesnt. Sixty. I understand it we needed exit, I mean how how long we gonna stay over there and we ve lost over seven thousand of our young souls over there for sometimes people. I don't know if the grateful for it or not right I mean I dunno so there's the other element inside to be about that one is defined show of six trillion dollars and- that money is not just money it. It's it's education, it! everything now it's my They could have gone towards for thought the first responders, yet all the service, men and women of all kinds throughout this country and then

the other side, which is the over eight hundred thousand people who died in direct result of this conflicts and not just the american side of the troops. Just people who die in assuming humans got and those humans many of them civilians that spreading hate s, if you have leaders on the other side who frame the death of those civilians in certain ways, adjust spreads hate throughout the world. As you think about this kind. twenty years saga and think, What are the ways that make it has spent be spent butter and what was the way the workers bread, more love in the world versus hate, and you wonder, but then the other side. What is it? I'm not sure who says this line, but damn it's something

like we sleep at night, because there is rough men they are ready to to fight for you. There is some sensible We have to make sure that their strength, coupled with the love I otherwise evil men will do. onto the world. So it is a very difficult decision, but then you look at the final picture. In sake, what have we got and for the six trillion dollars would have a god for twenty years. The thousands of american soldiers who died the the hundreds of thousands of civilians who have died? You don't it it's a it's a troubling subject for me. I am a patriot. I love this country. I love it. So when my soul- and I I was just

the head over to the first iraqi war and we went out for desert warfare training and then it ended. I was at that time, combat medic aside to an armored car unit, so basically tanks driving around and all the personnel carry and when it gets hit, then you you tend to that guy. Try to save his life. I didn't want to go. I may sound like a coward. I did not want to go to war. I would have went willingly if I was sent. To defend my country, I took my oath, I didn't joint military to kill, but if necessary, I would. I use the analogy of cancer. If you have a cancer and you're aware of its presence, and you don't annihilate those cells and take them out quickly. It's gonna spread and he's gonna kill you those evil bastards that food.

Was the airplanes one of those airplanes had a little three year old child in it from ireland, when my mom's hometown, a friend of my and whose, since died of a heart attack and nine eleven toxins, he found her shoe with human remains Someone was messing with us because we didn't another's any kids and building is his boss. This does, the show baby shoe and it looks like it's something in a book, but there's no kids and trade center. I went the plane. The little girl shoe. I can never get that. You are my mind. The evil basta departure perpetrated that needed. missiles, strike and rain down upon them and annihilate them like a cancer that they are, what it would which is fascinates me as they'll show video. Are these guys flying around in pickup trucks of fifty cows? On a back, it's like well wait a minute. If you have a camera crew can get this footage. You think all these free

Klingon trains and radar assisted systems can just go good night you're gone, so the cancer kill. The cells get rid of it, get rid of it quickly and go into remission. Like an undeniable show of force that sends a message that gets rid of most of the obvious centres of terrorism and there are no. That's, though, casually offer mention a discussion jocker and down. Maybe romanticize view and mentioning brothers in arms by dire straits and say why brothers in arms, even when it's on the option, side of fighting, which is more vision and going up so the union you saw about world war, two that it's all just kids thrown into the kids

to die in all size, but then presenting that the jacko who was in Iraq he did not see it. As There's an arms which is there's his basic statement is theirs. Evil people and some people don't deserve the compassion. You give him a few chances. There Take the chance, as they have to go because their spreading evil onto the world and so as not were not always deserve a chance own words with deeds. install and believe me, I jackal I'm from way way minor league where the hammer- and I mean this man- was right there in the firing line, but I can understand analogy cause when you think about it right. Those young conscripts back in germany and russia- and you know all the countries where they were being drafted, even our guys were being drafted and thrown into this day were they were.

Gallantly and bravely defending their country. Now, I'm sure the the young germans felt well, hey. Hitler must be right right. Any young russians oh, hey, stolen, must be right, and you know the young americans for a reserve is what must be right, so they were romantically in a sense defending the honor of their country, of their motherland. The difference between those they did have the commonality of you and I were firing across each other from France. The germ are, you know from jail, I need to rush over, which is these two kids who got thrown into this. We didn't freak and ask for this right, but the difference with jackals enemy is no one was attacking their country over there No one was taken your country, oh, maybe in your mind, they didn't want people trying to build their government.

I don't I don't know. I don't know enough about the history there to to really elaborate. We didn't attack them and if a soldier attacks a soldier, that's an understood concept amongst warriors, but when a soldier attacks a civilian now you're after a different beast, and you ve written, happy stuff. If that makes any sense, yeah and ended the the enemy I mean, as jocko explain, see the enemy. In Iraq and just thawed certain parts of the middle east is essentially terrorists. Who are who don't value the lives of the civilians of their own country. They dont, and so is it becomes like this Weird guerrilla warfare slash game of violence that ultimately allows them to gain more power within their country, but they don't care. If they're playing with civilian lives minds. If you have a child, who dies. That's

civilian in their country that could be seen as a positive for them, because they can use that to leverage, more and more power within that country. Left Zoe. when you are fighting an enemy like that, that's a vicious it's an evil enemy. Absolutely it's like snakes are beautiful, but if you go pet, a rattler you getting bit and you get that right, yeah and that's what terrorists you gotta cut the head of the snake off and I feel no don't communal guys to mere anymore. But what we need to do is go attack warfare. we have intel from drones or planes or whatever it is that so and so, and so and so and so on, or driving down and pick up or will take it out do it again to morrow and tomorrow tomorrow. Maybe they'll get they'll get the message after what oh shit he's going or messing around

Instead, a throne wave after wave of our brave warriors brave seals, brave you, no special ops, guys and god bless them for what they do. I couldn't do it. I could not have done it, but they have to be now sitting home. Go what's how my friends, my boy, I do myself like they must feel so betrayed because they passionately went over there to cure a cancer, the cancer of terrorism and now the cancer's back, and I hate to say it, but I think the cancer my style running wild. We need to change our tactics up. This is just, my opinion. I can't see committing all of our guys too, to a continuous, eternal war, but I think we need to do is hit surgically and hit hard at that can that is over there. We are never going to rebuild that region, it's just it! It's! It's

thousands of years of traditions that you're not going to change its just. Some people are unchangeable because they don't want to and we have so many social problems here in our country. I think that we need to fix first, you know I. I heard this spoken in the past by many people. It's like the garden theory. You have your garden when a fence around it, tend to your garden. They may be weeds on the outside of the fence, but as long as they're, not inside your garden, you ve gotten prosper, and I know some people, don't agreed that america first and you know the whole take care of our own, but it's like How are we gonna taken more people now and an eye? I have a human feeling for them, but it's almost the lifeboat theory, how many people can be taken to the lifeboat before the lifeboat itself sinks as the ship is going now. So if we

and take care of our own homeless vets and our own homeless people, and it's just going to become worse and and it doesn't make any sense it's just like we. We need to just take a time out and I think switch our tactics a little bit and invest into helping people here at all. Absolutely l, there's very few as obvious cases, as the first responded, the nine eleven that one one of the things that I really want to talk about these little bit. We vote He talked about the amazing project that you're doing the twenty four twenty park ass. The house we mentioned one story: Stephen seller is their other stories or maybe the speaker high level, what are you hoping to tell and all these different

or is it a weaved about that that connect the. the tragedies in the triumph, the heroism of law of that day. In the end, the days in the years that followed in all x, it seems like the common few themes. The common threads are being selfish. Helping out others, even though they might be a stranger in acts of kindness act of love and it seems to all be weave together with faith. They also to have some sort of faith. We we have one gentleman we cannot and he s a coptic egyptian priest Annie The asian immigrant united states use a port authority building engineer and with his crew, who subsequently passed away. The crew did he effectively rescuing dozens of people on the upper floors and his boss ordered him.

To assist an elderly gentleman who was eighty nine down. Seventy eight flights of stairs to get him out and in stopping on the twenty first floor he figured. They were just wait there for medics. He came across captain patty brown of logic, We three who told him? No sorry, you need to evacuate, and captain brown picked his brain little bit about the structure because he figured it found out he was an engineer. Captain pay brown continued onto to effect rescues and he and his crew killed. But father he's now mark able to eat effectively evacuated, gentlemen. They would to know last survivors to come out of the tower he now has dedicated his life to becoming a coptic priest and saint marries church unease project new jersey. He did this were tall stranger and he said he was inspired by his his bosses who died, and I hid his friends. You don't want

his best friends, was an italian man. Other man was a retired navy, seals, panic man and he apologist melting pot and no one looked at each other that hey what color, what race? What believe for you? They just say: hey, you're human in need, let's go, and you know we, we have all the story about John feel on his mission to to help the rest, anders and we have young, lady maria, whose whose birth father was on flight. Ninety three she had madame and she had this premonition at somebody in our family was killed that day and and and her or daughter, Mom said no, I won't with years later, when she was legally able to find out who are dad. Was she found out that her dad Tom was actually on that plane as part of the let's roll team? And we have a gentleman robert burke, whose an actor sweetheart man he's a gentleman and he's. Very, very popular actor and highly worries our rescue me, blue blood's, gossip girls and

and Bobby. My friend, as I com is, is a volunteer fire. Now this mandate I need to get out of bed at two o'clock in the morning and help people with a stroke or a burning garage or a burning house, but he does because he wants to cause his best friend was captain patti brown and his other best friend was father, Michael judge, who was our child, one who was killed literally blessing victims at the site has just given last rites. Firefighter mentioned earlier danny who was killed and fathers. was in the lobby of the building, giving a blessing frame. God, please stop this and he was struck by the brain and he was killed and Bobby goes on to elaborate about father judges, story, father judges, to walk the streets of new york city, helping aids patients just with whatever they needed, and he was a franciscan friar. They were sandals and a rope there. Just they just live very humble lives,

And it's just the common denominator is loving each other and helping each other. Regardless of you know the carson or not, and really when you think about it, that's how america was made. We we we fought for independence, stranger fought next, a stranger and and fought tyranny, and because they wanted freedom they wanted to be able to. Live, love, pray and prosper, and they fought died alongside of strangers and it's sort of symbolic a weapon at day. strangers from around this great country just flocked in by the thousands to They didn't know who is in that pile, but they didn't care. That was another american. And what Ultimately, I'm trying to do involved in this beautiful project is spread. The message

of doing the right thing? Look at these examples, these brave people who didn't have to especially the city. Means they weren't paid to run back in there and how person, if the person in it didn't know obligation. They couldn't said: hey man, I'm out of here and just bolted, but they didn't so we're just trying to say to people Let's bring back that unity and that feeling of nine twelve changes nine twelve day it was. It was so sad because if we, it was the first dawn, of the sun will be realised this. In a dream, is real and it's not going away, but the beauty. it was. There was thousands of the lined up alone, a west side highway, which sites and american flags anywhere from every country and every race in

we creed and it didn't matter who they were, but they all shared one bond love and they were hugging and crying and thanking rescuers and it brought the morale so high for a group of people that was well beaten down the day before it just started. Lifting the morale make us realise. You know what people really do give a crap. They really do love each other, and now I'm be honest with you. I've been doubt now little bit lately. I still these examples of it and all that lady who helped me last night with the phone and just you know, I know, there's these shining little examples, but sometimes I think We want an out of him Y gotta, give you some advice, says two words that were repeated, often the days in the years after nine love, which is never forget

kill a man. Might I remind you to never forget about nine twelve, I mean those words. Are you talked about that in others people What does it college freshmen gabby? There weren't even born they weren't even born and speak on the twenties. There were too young to remember to understand the events of the day, but I think what that day, as yours describing means it's not about a terrorist attack. It's about the unity that followed. It was tremendous legs I never felt so proud. I was always proud of his country, yeah. I remember my grandpa nails used to walk by see a flag or hear star spangled banner and he tear up- and I say, grant while I cry- and he said I'm not crying He is a joy. I love this country so much Just remember like feel in way I felt that way: nine, ten Well, there were nine eleven, but then a nine twelve hours

so proud of just the people, the way they stepped up- and I just want to try to see if that can happen again- and I hope it's it's not necessary for I have another tragedy to bring that about. Let's do that without the tragedy. Let's just stop and say: hey, you know what let me listen to what this guy has to say. Maybe he's probably won't convince me, but maybe I'll go where you know. I never thought of it. That way. Stop the finger pointing the bickering, the tantrums, the fighting, it's just unnecessary, get you nowhere it's like you know. I was two years old that stomp around cause. I wanted to cook you a piece of candy. I still didn't get it. You know turn blue in the as you know, whatever gotta swanton around what did get the candy and ass? Well, jack, odin, raina, everybody just stop, and around

being a baby. Stop just stop we're really lucky look country, not perfect right now, but it's damn good. It gives us all these opportunities. You know, like I said, no one's russian out again. It's to get out of here the the frequent I got a cousin of mine. I love them dearly. My cousin tony in ireland- and he said, he's It's just a little older me is in his fifties. You said man I should have done it. I shouldn't went to america might I had to America. I went to england. I would have liked ireland. You know here but he's happy in ireland to sit on, but he said well what would a place of opportunity as it's never too yeah, but you know what you get you get tied down, and I understand I thank god. My mom came here. Sixteen I do got my grandpa get on that ship it in his twenties. Twenty seven I think you know well known and not a nickel to rub together. I thank god, design unaware, as I would have ended up no place else. I want to me

and I think that those people like you who rushed towards ground zero to help human beings and I believe that that the human spirit is ultimately, possessed the best this country in the best this world is thank you for the stories you're telling for you, perseverance in that, and I thank you for welcome you to the crew. Ha ha you're very welcome, Pra and take any day you can do the job just fine. I love lifting heavy things, dangerous things, so I'm proud to be part part of this country in part to the tally. no well, you are, you are definitely an attribute to america and we're glad you chose to come here and you know lex, it's it's such a beautiful place. It's a beautiful melting pot. You know if we are all the it would be kind of warring, always right boy, if you really want it. Just it's just such a great place, and I just want to say thanks: it's an honor it's an honor to have someone. Let me

and off and and it'll be even bigger honour, somebody will listen to me and just say hey now. Let me just try to do something good today and you known ass. Does the tunnel to towers martyrs? Let us do good, and I just you know I I got a really big credit card, will guide big balance, I need to pay him back a lot and I need to pay him forward and I'm just gonna say The rest of my days try my best. I don't know where this is gonna go what did a lead into, but I really would like to get those dogs for those vets. Build a village and and just keep going from project a project just say when my father, day comes. And on land air and say you know what I mean made the most that second chance. God gave me way back in two thousand and eleven am, I hope, its thirty forty years ago but even if its thirty months from now, giving it the best shot. So thank you, sir.

created, and now wishing you blessings and success in your career, keep up the good fight and yo as well, back to texas, Paul ilo agri food and no little hot. come on. We don't do so good irish in the sun. You know by the weather barbie. and the people are worth that not a otter awesome. I was down here for some storm relief a few years ago and I tabled I fell in love with the people, a great great state and their yeah. That's me and be backing out for sure thanks a targeted. Thank you, sir. It thanks for listening to this conversation, yells Jorgensen, to support this by gas. Please check out our spots in the description and now let me leave you some words from franklin d: roosevelt human kindness has never weaken the stamina or soften the fibre of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough. Thank you for listening,

I hope to see you next time