New York City – It was a deeply moving experience to visit the 9/11 Memorial in downtown Manhattan yesterday. Anyone who visits the memorial will inevitably find himself in tears when you begin to recall where you were on that fateful day of Sept. 11, 2001 when terrorist extremists hijacked four commercial jets and crashed two of them into the Twin Towers, resulting in the total destruction of the World Trade Center which has come to be known as “ground zero.” We also had a chance to see the inside of the Pentagon where the memorial chapel was established with the names of those who perished. Almost 3,000 people died, among them Filipinos. as well as the 400 “first responders” – the emergency workers and firefighters who died as they rushed to help. Several days ago, three of the firefighters who were at ground zero in the aftermath of the terrorist attack all died of cancer on the same day, raising to 92 the number of search and rescue workers who died of 9/11-related illnesses. According to NYC health statistics, a high 99 percent of responders were diagnosed with lung and respiratory illnesses after the attack due to prolonged exposure to the toxic air that hovered above ground zero for months. A study from the New York City Fire Department also noted that the firefighters lost “12 years lung capacity in the blink of an eye.” Since its opening in 2011, the 9/11 Memorial has become “a must see” place Read More …
