Tomorrow

Gut reaching, heart dropping crash. It could be heard for miles. Smoke filled the air, turning it black. Vision was cut to only one foot in front of us. But the smell, the smell is something I could never forget nor get out of my nose. That day will forever be with me.

*Ring Ring*

"Hello, Yes sir okay.

Yes sir, I understand okay good bye..

Honey, I'm sorry but we gonna have to reschedule dinner. I have to work a double tonight. I'm sorry honey, I'll make it up.

As the sun be begun to creep up into the sky, the birds started chipping and the air was fresh. Only one more hour to go and I couldn't wait. I was so tired, I started dozing off standing there listening to the birds. I've heard the saying, "it's calm before the storm and I know how true that is. Sitting outside taken in the beautiful morning and a wave of calmness came over me. All of a sudden I was refreshed and wide awake, felt like I slept for 12 hours instead of working them. I have been putting in a lot of overtime, my goal was to make Captain and then lieutenant. I've dreamed of owning my own fire house, ever since I was a young boy. Nobody in my family was a firefighter or anything to do in that kind of field cop nurse doctors. When I was young we lived on a farm lots of animals and lots of work to do. One night there was electrical problem down at the barn and a fire broke out. Because we lived on a farm and everything was close and there was hay all in between, the fire move quickly and consumed everything and it's path. I lost everything that day, including my family. Somehow for some reason I was only one to survived. It still hunts me to this day, and that's why I'm so adamant about becoming a lieutenant and have my own fire station. I plan to move back home to Tennessee and open my fire station. See there's a one in Tennessee but it is kind of small and that is why I feel we were not all saved that day. There wasn't enough man working and it wasn't enough equipment to bring water, for a farm as big as ours. I continue to sit there thinking and remembering what had happened, and going over in my head everything that I need to accomplish. The the sun started to warm up the face and noise started getting louder, I knew it was time to go. All right guys see you later, I heard her Captain holler.

As we all loaded up into our vehicles, getting ready to go home to our families tragedy struck.

***Kaboom** you can hear it for miles, awful sound of metal into brick, glass breaking as the heartbreaking. The radios and the walkie talkies and alarms, all going off at the same time. It was so loud you can't even hear your heartbeat. Frantic I look around at my friends, and ask what the hell was that what's going on. It wasn't long before we knew that our nation was under attack. Turn on the radio to the news and it was already broadcasting. Twin towers have been hit by a plane, all emergency officials anybody available please report to the grounds of the twin towers. They loaded up into the truck as fast as we could and haul ass to where the tragedy has taken place. It was chaotic and scary it was loud and awful awful smell. That smell still sits with me today. All you can hear was crys out for help and people crying and screaming. The site in front of me is one that I would never forget. My captain came over to us call us into a circle and said, " Man your country need you more than ever now and I know you're tired and you're ready to go home but...... " Stop, I said, "no need to explain and no need to ask we are here and we are here to stay.

We try to access what was needed and what we should do first. But then we just went at it. Pulling people out of the rubbish bringing them to the first aid site. Our goal at first was to get to the wounded and get them medical help as soon as possible. The other half of our station was order to start putting out the fire. Water falling down debris everywhere ashes falling from the sky, faint cries and yells for help. I soon tuned it all out, it was too much to take in and I needed to block it out. I'm not sure how many people I pulled out and I do not know what time it was. I know the sun had went down, and was raising again. All of a sudden I remember my wife. Oh how scared and panicking she must be she's not heard from me and well over 24 hours and she does not know if I'm okay. My captain came up to me and said Mr Fisher, go on go take you a break go home shower eat rest and then come back cause there's so much more to do. But captain, I started to say as he interrupt me and said that's an order. So I walked two and a half blocks back to my personal truck. I sat there for a moment taking in what had just happened not sure if I quite can grasp it all. I drove home in the silence just thinking and praying for all the loved ones who have lost their loved ones and the ones are still missing. pull up into the driveway my wife comes running out, I've never seen that look in her eyes like I did when she ran up and held me. I hurry inside and jumped in the shower while Rose cooked me a meal. After eating and talking for a few I went to lay down for a couple hours. I tried my hardest to get some sleep but the images and the sound was burned far too deep. I tossed and I turned hoping and praying that this wasn't true. I must have fallen asleep because when I woke up it was dark outside. Turned over and looked at the clock 11:00 p.m. it said. I jumped up throwing all my clothes Rose why'd you let me sleep this late I had slept for 8 hours. Gathered everything and headed for the door as I got to the door my wife stopped me. She handed me a duffel bag full of snacks and change of clothes and bottles of water. Be careful Joe she says as I walked out the door. I will darling I love you.

Arriving back at the scene my heart dropped for I realized now it wasn't just a dream. Man in uniform running around, sirens blaring people screaming, and the smell of death just lingering. I got out and went right to work. Digging underneath the the debris that's been thrown around. I lost track of how many survivors I have pulled out I do know it was upward in the hundreds. For the next few days we were looking for survivors, digging looking yelling it seem like it never end every time I turn around there was another voice coming underneath. Help help me I'm down here, is words I will never be able to erase from my memory. Soon after it became a recovery. We were looking for people who are still stuck underneath and who were trapped, but by this time it may be too late. As we continue our search, lines formed of families looking for their loved ones. People are screaming and crying and holding each other. There was a few memorial stands starting and candles burning. A wall which was once blank now it was covered in the pictures of ones who have lost their lives and the ones that are still missing. Body bags lined up down the street there wasn't enough ambulances to move them all as quick as they were coming up. Every time the transportation left with a few bodies, a dozen more would be found. Anger filled the air mixed with heartbreak and sorrow and the question why? Why did they do this, why to this happen? As my heart broke for the family standing begging for their loved ones to come anger boiled inside of me. Days turn into weeks and finally my captain called us. As we gathered around he said man and women, let me start by saying thank you, thank you for being here and thank you for not giving up. This was one of the most horrific tragedies in America. But you all stood up and gave it your all never stopping never looking and never stop believing. And from the bottom of my heart I think each and every one of you. I know you miss time with your loved ones so we can try to reunite others with their loved ones. But we have come to a place where now we just doing the cleaning up. If you need some time I understand but if you're willing to help we can use all the hands. Without a Shadow of doubt all of a sudden at once we all said "we're here together, one nation, one fire station, and we not leaving."

Before long to clean up process was was going. The news stations were all covering the story. This will be something that will hear forever and we should. Few weeks pass by turning to a month and slowly but surely the tragedy had become a place known as the ground zero. It seems selfish and wrong but our lives had to go on. We had our duties and we had other people to help. The house fire or the car wreck we were dispatched too wouldn't ever be anything like we just experienced. I started wondering and I'm thinking if I was in the right field. And the answer was the most definitely was. I just wish I could have helped more but then I realized I did all I could. That day changed me I can't even explain it. Our whole nation had turned upside down. For months you can just feel the sadness in the atmosphere. Still to this day 20 years later I can hear the faint cries for help as I tried to fall asleep. Tomorrow is never promised we never know what tragedy may occur tomorrow. I will tell you that event has changed so many lives in so many ways. As much as I wanted to open my fire station in Tennessee I couldn't leave. New York has become my home. It has taken a brutal beaten, I cannot just walk away. I know my parents are with me and they understand, so I decided to turn our fire station into my home and expanded it. So if ever something like this happen we'll have more men and women to hopefully rescue every single soul. 9/11 is a date as forever markdown history. Though it hunts us and though it almost destroyed us. We stand here strong and United One Nation under God forever.