Today is March 20th and it is the Spring Equinox. I am standing at the bottom of a huge hollow, a manmade crater several stories deep. A light rain is beginning to fall as a weak sun is beginning to rise. It is 05:40 hours and Police Chief Esposito instructs us that it is time to transport the remains of two of our fallen brothers.
We straddle a low embankment and the syncopated rhythm of a dozen bulldozer engines cease.
Sgt. Garbarino leads us across a wide, muddy flatland. We follow. Every operator climbs down from his machine and removes his helmet. They have worked all night, yet they stand at attention as we pass. I feel humble.
The rain is falling harder as we reach the incline. Joe Ranauro points to a spot he calls the east side of the South Tower.
We walk up what looks like compressed rubble. Bits of iron, pieces of lumber, electric cable, all in a glass embedded earth.
We reach our mark. The men who search and recover for others (like us) greet us with a quiet solace. I shake the hands of two men near me, but I cannot stop myself from looking down. Two shallow body baskets covered with American Flags lay side by side. One of the "recoverers" says the shield and clock parts (slide) is with the remains. It is Tommy Jurgens' shield number. I glance toward Joe Ranauro. Joe and Tommy were partners, but more than that, they liked each other. They were friends.
Teddy Leoutsakes and I take the front end of one of the carry baskets. Joe, Sgt. Garbarino and Jimmy Carr take the second. Police officers from NYPD and Port Authority fill the other positions.
It is now a steady rain as we walk down the slope toward the flatland. There is no talking and the mud seems only to silence our steps. We reach the small embankment at the base of the ramp. The body baskets are laid side by side. As we climb up, a Port Authority cop offers me an extended hand and I take it. "This is tougher than I thought," I said. He nods. He is half my age and has half as many years "on the job" as I. But he knows I am a rookie when it comes to body recovery. He gives me a knowing smile, because he knows the tough part is emotional not physical. I now know, too.
Our time has come. We lift the flag draped remains and begin a slow pace march, one carry basket behind the other. The ramp is about 600 feet to the top. Law enforcement personnel line both sides of the ramp and salute our procession. I am awed. The only sound is the soft cadence of rain.
We reach the top and stand side by side. The chaplain recites a prayer service.
We place the remains into the waiting ambulance. I climb in the back and someone else goes into the front. Sitting there I say a prayer for three, wishing Harry too had been found. We arrive at the morgue where the remains are treated with dignity. Each officer receives a full flag folding ceremony.
While we are waiting, other bodies come in. When many bodies are found in one area, it is called a "hot spot." We stand at attention in the rain for them as their brother and sister officers did for us.
We drink coffee and wait in a comfortable trailer about a block away. Many phone calls are made. I am glad (secretly) that I do not have to speak to family members. Joe and Jimmy are not so lucky. Sgt. Garbarino has the responsibility of notifying "higher-ups." I don't envy Bob either.
Later, Don Simone and Rich Krulish come by and help everyone. A police officer named Dennis treats us better than I treat my brother.
But, it was Teddy Leoutsakes who steps up big time at the morgue. Teddy had worked there for several months. Whatever he was paid it was not enough. The morgue smells like death.
Later we walk with the car that carries the remains to storage (for DNA testing).
One might argue that it is undesirable to stand in the rain and walk in the mud and smell death in the early morning hours.
I was honored.
Ed Kotas is a senior court officer at Supreme Court, Criminal Term, in Manhattan. Of the 26 court officers who rushed to Ground Zero on Sept. 11 to aid in the rescue effort, three did not return: Captain William Harry Thompson, Senior Court Officer Thomas Jurgens and Senior Court Officer Mitchel Wallace. Following Officer Kotas' experience on the morning of March 20, Captain Thompson's remains were also recovered. He was buried Wednesday, March 27, 2002.
This article is reprinted with permission from the April 10, 2002 edition of the New York Law Journal © 2002 NLP IP Company. All rights reserved. Further duplication without permission is prohibited.
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