This message comes from John Tobin: Instead of working on something I should be doing, I chose to do this instead... drats. Ever wonder how Elgin, Illinois could be connected in some way to the events of September 11th in New York? Attached is a post from another site that tells the story of four Elgin firefighters (three now retired) and their trip to the East Coast. Their mission was to deliver a new fire truck to the FDNY. The truck was nearly ready for delivery when the attacks happened. Along with the truck were many specially made cards of sympathy and concern from young and old citizens of Elgin. When we left Elgin for New York, the front of the cab was completely filled—cards, posters, and food items for the long drive. It was rare to see such a display of unity, and I'll never forget it. Elgin had never been so united before. On the way back after dropping off the truck, we stopped to post the cards for everyone to see. You can read more about the replacement vehicles for the FDNY after 9/11. There was an order for multiple aerials at Seagrave (SFA) during that time. One of the most dedicated employees there was Glenn Bennett, a delivery driver with a big heart. He delivered one of the rigs just before the attacks and got stranded in New York. With airlines shut down, he couldn’t get back. SFA was struggling to find drivers for the next aerials, so Glenn stayed behind and helped clean up rigs, installing windshields and getting them back in service. I called him and found out what was going on. He mentioned he couldn’t return and that SFA was having trouble finding drivers. I immediately reached out to SFA, and since I had driven rigs for them over the years, they took me up on my offer. I went out with a chase vehicle and three other firefighters from Elgin. The rig was ready by noon on Saturday. What started as a simple delivery turned into a media event, which wasn’t always welcomed by everyone at SFA. I faced a lot of criticism for it. After delivering the truck to Illinois late that night, we headed straight for New York. There was a dilemma: the guys wanted to help at Ground Zero, but we arrived in the middle of the night. I wanted to meet up with Glenn and work at the shops, even if it was just sweeping floors. We decided to take the rig to Ground Zero and leave at first light for the drop-off point in South Plainfield. Not only did the FDNY need the truck, but it was also loaded with spare parts. We were met with interest, and our group was interviewed on radio and even on CNN’s squawk box. At first light, traffic was gridlocked, and it was quite a journey to get out of the city. The rig arrived safely, and we stayed two days to help “the pile.†Despite some harsh comments from people who didn’t understand our intentions, it was always about our FDNY brothers. PS – Glenn, you were a hero in your own right. Rest in peace, my dear friend. All ready to leave EFD station #2… let’s roll. Somewhere on I-80… Ohio, perhaps. Just arriving at Ground Zero trying to find a safe spot to park. The now famous L-3 rolls past. Interesting how the derbies hang off the truck from the offices of the World Trade Center… inclusive of a cord and receiver from someone’s desk. L-3 is now on static display at the memorial. Wonder if “Jeff, we will not forget you†is still on the back door? Taking it all in as a tower ladder still flows water and parts of what are left of the World Trade Center rise high into the night sky. The night begins to give up its darkness, and the complete picture will soon be in view. An FDNY officer overlooks “the pile,†as it came to be known. At various points, bucket brigades were set up to sift through the debris for anything that could be recovered. It was anyone’s guess what might be in the ground-up debris… I’ve never looked at a plastic bucket the same way since 9/11. My chase driver prepares our final route to safely deliver the rig, which was loaded with much-needed spare parts for the rigs that would be salvaged. Later, he would uncover a firefighter on “the pile†and alert the FDNY team to remove the remains. The look on the firefighter’s face says it all… I didn’t get a chance to say hello. His T-shirt said “Las Vegas FD†on the back. Firefighters from all over the country came to New York after the attacks. Many were frustrated because there was nothing they could do. I felt lucky to have a task to complete. More cards from the Elgin school kids go up… not one was missed. A year later, some of us returned to visit where the truck ended up. Ladder 11, as it's called, is in the Alphabet City section of New York, not far from where the World Trade Center stood. The burned ladder sign on the front of the station was recovered from their wrecked truck. The front mural says it all. They promised they would never forget. Stainless Steel Hook Dock Bungee Rope,Polypropylene Woven Rope,Galvanized Folding Anchor,Sand Shark Pwc Anchor Sichuan AIDIAO Industry and Trade Limited Company , https://www.idaovlai.com