By Caroline O'Sullivan
Boston Police Officer Timothy C. O'Sullivan woke up just like any workday on Sept. 11, ready to prepare for duty, just as he had for the past 11 years unaware of what would happen.
At 40, O'Sullivan worked countless hours to support his growing family of four, and soon to be five. His wife, Susan, was pregnant with their third child, who would be born in December.
While on active duty, O’Sullivan received a radio call about the attacks. Immediately, he called his wife to alert her of what happened. O’Sullivan said his wife was unaware of the attacks, and she was busy caring for their children under the age of 3.
Throughout the work day, O’Sullivan watched news clips that were broadcasted on the TV, getting as much information as he could.
Three weeks after the attack, O'Sullivan and his partners on the Boston Police Department traveled to New York City at the request of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to offer support.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a joint venture that managed the World Trade Center, several New York and New Jersey airports, and rail systems.
"We were called to serve in a Peer Support System, where they would provide aid and relief to first responders," O'Sullivan said. "We helped officers, the Port Authority, firefighters, EMS, and even construction and ironworkers that were all on-site."
"First responders reported to site six days a week, anywhere from 12-14 hours a day to clean up debris. They were unable to leave post until another official physically reported to relieve them." O'Sullivan said. Our goal was to interact, talk, and provide counsel in any way possible, he said.
O'Sullivan and several Boston Police Department members worked 18 hour days for five days, reporting to different points of the 10-acre wreckage footprint. "It was the destruction of a caliber that I still have a difficult time describing to others," O'Sullivan said.
"There was an incredible smell of death, and Ground Zero was still burning," said O'Sullivan.
There were a few locations, including a docked boat that served as resting spots for crews to take a break, get off their feet, eat a snack, and take some time to decompress, O'Sullivan said.
O'Sullivan and the other Boston Officers split up between the locations of wreckage. O'Sullivan started in the Lincoln Tunnel, where he was badged up, given his credentials, and communicating with those at the site.
For the next four days, O'Sullivan was based at Ground Zero. He described it as an "intense, coordinated effort." Excavators and ironworkers were removing twisted steel, layers of dust that stood inches thick, and paper was everywhere.
At the end of each day, each member went through a specific decontamination process, removing their protective equipment covered in carcinogens. Vehicles at the site went through a car wash that was set up.
There were cars left in parking garages nearby, untouched, and covered in debris, O'Sullivan said. Nearby, there was a makeshift morgue where bodies and body parts were held.
When remains of the victims were recovered, the site's teams would stand in silence and salute in honor. Three chaplains accompanied the relief teams and would participate in prayer, said O'Sullivan.
One thing O'Sullivan remembers is the psychological toll the wreckage took not just to him, but other responders.
"It was a difficult sight to see," O'Sullivan said.
"I saw a police officer, brand new to the force, guarding a Ground Zero wreckage point alone. Superiors told him to stand there and not allow anyone to enter. Staring at the burning site and what was being uncovered from the debris, all while being alone, can greatly impact a person." O'Sullivan said.
When asked how he believes the public views these attacks, O'Sullivan said it's all a "commitment to memory."
"Unless you were directly affected by the attacks, or had an immediate connection to someone who was, it becomes a moment of history. People seem to forget about it and move on," he said.
When people visit the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, it's viewed by some as a tourist attraction than a site to remember the lost and sacrificed lives, he said. It is nobody's fault for thinking of it that way, but we need to remember that several thousands of people died that day." O'Sullivan said.
He said the public seems have forgotten about the attacks on Sept. 11. For the younger generations, some may have been too young or not even born when this occurred. It is easier for more youthful individuals to get caught up in daily life, put it into history books, and remember later, O’Sullivan said.
"I am unaware of how or if schools still address this event today, I question how much is remembered," O'Sullivan said. He believes that if schools hold moments of silences on Sept. 11, specifically around at the exact time of the attacks, it’s the right step to commemorate and honor the lives lost.
It is challenging to have those conversations in classrooms, especially with young children. Still, the only way to stop forgetting is to discuss, and take time to remember what happened that day, O'Sullivan said.
O'Sullivan remembered when they excavated the sphere from Ground Zero. The globe was gold and black, and had some dents in the structure, said O'Sullivan. This sphere now stands in Liberty Park, overlooking the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.
O'Sullivan called this sphere the gold globe. "The gold globe stood as a symbol of inspiration to press on and to continue our efforts of recovering remains and never to lose hope." said O'Sullivan.
(Sources with additional information regarding Koenig’s Sphere and the NY/NJ Port Authority were found via)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/29/nyregion/911-memorial-sphere-sculpture.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Authority_of_New_York_and_New_Jersey
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