REMEMBER 9/11 TESTIMONY
From cadet to first responder in six hours by DAN BRUNELLE
On the morning of 9/11, I was among the brand–new cadets at the Salvation Army’s College for Officer Training (CFOT). We had finished the morning chapel service and were on our way to the lecture hall when we heard that planes had crashed into the World Trade Center. Administration canceled classes for the day. A group of us decided to walk over to the Good Samaritan Hospital to see about donating blood. The lines were too long, so we planned to go back in the afternoon. Upon returning to the CFOT, we were told that The Salvation Army was looking for cadets to help at Ground Zero. We were told to wear epauleted shirts, caps, and good sneakers or boots. By 4 p.m., we had three, 15–passenger vans full of cadets from the Believers and Crossbearers sessions. The vans followed a canteen truck down the Palisades Parkway and into New York City. However, when we reached New Jersey, the state police had stopped traffic. Large dump trucks served as highway barriers on the parkway. Only emergency personnel were allowed onto the George Washington Bridge into the city. So, they let us through. When we got to the bridge, military personnel blocked everyone but emergency responders from entering Manhattan. Again, they let us through. It was strange to see all the traffic on the bridge as it exited Manhattan, but see only us go in. While on the bridge, we could look right down the Hudson River and see the large plume of smoke rise from the lower Manhattan skyline. We got as far as we could on the West Side
Highway before a barricade stopped us, just past Canal Street. That day, Cadet Dan Brunelle our first action as EDS helps operate a workers was to unload canteen two blocks a large trailer truck of from Ground Zero. bottled water. When that was done, we grabbed a case of water as instructed and During the first five days, we saw The walked towards the smoke until we found Salvation Army in action. What started as one of several Salvation Army vehicles that a rush of available responders and assets were scattered around the World Trade turned into an organized response. As a Center site. cadet in my first deployment for EDS, it A few of us found a Salvation Army amazed me that the police and fire and canteen about two blocks up from the military personnel let anyone in a Salvation World Trade Center on West Street. Their Army uniform through their blockades and crew had been there since the morning. We checkpoints. It made an impression on me relieved them and, for the next five days to see the power of the Army’s reputation. from 4 p.m. to midnight, we served until Many of us worked on canteen trucks, The Salvation Army could mobilize forces some of us worked in the morgue, and a to replace the cadets. few of us went on top of the rubble to help For these first few days, it was a rescue search and rescue. After five days, our mission. We saw hundreds of firefighters and deployment was over. The Believers and first responders march in formation past our the Crossbearers went back to college. canteen down West Street towards the smolThe big welcome ceremony planned for dering ruins in an effort to find survivors. my session was canceled. Instead, we had Many hours later, we saw them struggle an intimate ceremony in the college gymnaback up the same street. Dust, exhaustion, and sium. As we marched in, the band played shock covered their faces. We were humbled “America the Beautiful.” My tears flowed. to offer them something to drink, something Our session pin has a blue figure of to eat, and a place to stop and sit and begin to a Salvation Army soldier who faces an process what they just experienced. American flag. His raised hand holds a At the end of our shift, around midnight, Bible. A white EDS hard hat is on his head. our 15–passenger vans returned to pick us up It replaces the traditional Salvation Army and take us back to the CFOT. As we traveled cap, in order to commemorate our deploytowards the West Side Highway, hundreds ment to Ground Zero. of residents formed a line on West Street. Psalm 34: 18 states, “The Lord is close to They held lights, candles, and signs, and they the broken hearted and saves those who are cheered. It made me emotional to see people crushed in spirit.” The experiences of 9/11 offer encouragement and gratitude to us. showed me in real life that this is true. —Major Dan Brunelle is now a corps officer in Old Orchard Beach, Maine.
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