Hitting close to home

As some of you may know, in addition to a piano store I also operate a freight company handling cargo nationwide. One of our contracts is with the military.

Now, I have been just as angry as everyone else over what happened in New York. I have wanted to do more to help, and my anger was mixed with the frustration of knowing there was probably little I could do.

All that changed today with a single phone call. And I do not even know where to start to communicate to you the feeling it left me with. The dispatcher called and said "We got a call from ________ just now asking if we could send 4 refrigerated tractor trailers to New York right away that could stay there for several weeks. They said the drivers would need to make several trips each, and loading and unloading would require the driver to sit for a few days at each end. The drivers will be gone for a long time, and our trucks will be too." My first response was "why do they need to use regrigerated trucks like that?" She said "Think....."

Tonight as I write this, I have four 53' refrigerated tractor trailers headed to New York. To transport bodies.

You touched our souls, Larry.

God bless you and your company.

That is, indeed, a chilling thought. Scary too, really, but hopefully comforting to know that your contribution will help in the search and recovery efforts.

God bless you and your company.

dear god... chilling thought...=[ i really hope they find a lot of people alive... and that there'll be not much need for those trucks... esp. 4 of them...=[

Good God Larry, what a horrible picture this paints in my mind.
Bless you and your company for not hesitating to take part.

My wife works for a construction company here in Connecticut. They received a fax asking if they would be willing to particpate in the cleanup and rebuilding and what equipment/personnell they might be able to provide.
The owner faxed back a list of every piece of equipment he owns (they usually build bridges) and of every person that works in his company.
America must stick together through this, and we will!

A chill ran up my spine as I read this. But of course, it stands to reason that this must be. Last night, I finally got in touch with one of my closest friends, someone I have known for twenty-five years. I was greatly relieved to find out that she and the rest of my friends were safe. She hadn't gone to work that day, had gone to vote instead when she saw the smoke. She lives at the other end of Manhattan, fourteen miles straight north in our old neighborhood, where we had lived for five years. She has since been within twenty blocks of "ground zero" and talked with everyone about the area and the likely casualty count. They explained that as many as 20 buildings may have to be raised. The WTC buildings melted and therefore the probable result is that the survivors walked away or became instant casualties. Those that jumped from the buildings became red dots on the surrounding buildings leaving so little recognizable trace that identification is said to be going on by DNA testing where it can be done. The word carnage has been used. Those that haven't been there have no idea. There is a smell of death from midtown Manhattan on down and many in Brooklyn know this smell now as much of it rolled that way. The mood in the city is quiet, unspeakably sad but firmly resolved. God bless New York! God bless America!