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Subject: Message from Nora in New York City Author: Nora Manzanares [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] Date Posted: 22:03:38 09/19/01 Wed To all my Xena friends and fans out there, I am having my sister send this message out for me since I do not have access to a computer or time, during my duty here in New York City. I was in Washington DC at the Pentagon on Tuesday September 11th. Without going into too much detail, I am an officer reservist and part of an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (bomb squad) Support Team. All I can say is that my guardian angel must have been sitting next to me that day because we had moved from one training room in the section where the plane crashed to another on the other side of the section. The noise and sensation of the impact is something I will never forget. We were immediately put to work. We worked with the Pentagon terrorist task force in securing the site and then spent the next day and a half attempting to understand the status of any potential explosive or chemical reactions that could be present. After no sleep over those two days and because we were only a handful of qualified EOD officers near NYC, we were put on a transport plane to NYC to work with their terrorist task force. The work in NYC has been nothing less than overwhelming. We have been working almost around the clock monitoring the perimeter around where the World Trade Center stood and occasionally making group sweeps of the area for potential explosive situations. The dust, ash, and smoke only make the work that much more difficult. Twice we have had to respond to a situation that required full bomb padding and that is always scary because you do not know what you're walking into. I am sending you all this message because if my gut and instinct is correct, and I know the level of compassion that exists within the Xena community, there are probably efforts being put together by many of you to help in this time of awesome need. It is my understanding that blood donations are at a max and so the requests are for donations to the Red Cross and the Salvation Army for example. Monetary donations made to these organizations will ensure that the basic essentials will be made available to anyone working here. We will probably be here another week or so and then will be relieved. I can hardly wait to get home to see and touch my family and friends and begin the work there. A two-day trip has turned into a journey into hell and everyday is a struggle in attempting to find some semblance of humanity in what has happened. But we know there will be none. We hug and cry alot and between that and little sleep we somehow make it through but I feel helpless most of the time because I wish I could do so much more. One of the things that has kept me going during particularly tough times has been the great memories of my recent trip to the Cherry Hill Con. It was truly a time of laughter, friends, new and old, love and giving. I'll always be grateful that I attended because it was timely. The overall sense of affection, acceptance, compassion, and common bond that I felt there is the same spirit that will carry us all as sisters and brothers through this horrific time. My love to you all! Pray for Peace, Nora Manzanares 548th EODCC Army Reserve Unit New Mexico [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

Subject Author Date Re: Message from Nora in New York City GabbyJr 08:34:22 09/20/01 Thu Re: Message from Nora in New York City GabbyJr 08:35:34 09/20/01 Thu Re: Message from Nora in New York City Leigh 11:12:22 09/20/01 Thu