Editor’s Note: Thomas Bartley told his story to Current editor Diana Schwaeble on the fifth anniversary of 9/11.
Tragedy moves people in different ways.
For some, they are rendered unable to act, yet for others it a call of duty, a call to service. Thomas Bartley Jr., ironworker of Local 11, was at Newark Airport the morning the towers fell. He is one of the million stories of that day – some bad, some good, yet it is a day he will never forget.
Bartley and his crew from Local 11 got a call two days later to help out, and they decided to go to the site because “ironworkers will go anywhere.” He knew they would be needed to sift through the rubble and cut through the beams. A call went out for ironworkers from the area.
Bartley was accompanied by: Ray Woodall, Kevin Powaski, Phil Gary, Paul Niedzinski, Kevin Markowsky, and John Krchnavy who met at 2 a.m. early Friday morning and left for the city.
Sifting through the pieces
Turning off in Jersey City, they drove towards the waterfront. The guys were told that the state police were bringing workers over by boat.
Although Bartley had seen the endless loops of newsreel on the attacks, he still wasn’t sure what to expect. The first glimpse he had was when they pulled up in the boat and he saw this beautiful building with a beam sticking out the middle on an angle.
He said it looked like somebody threw a spear at it. When they arrived on site, they had to cross through another wrecked building to reach the work area. They waded through about two feet of water.
“When we got to the other side,” said Bartley, “we all kind of stood there for a minute. We saw torches blowing and heard screams. We knew we had to be there.”
He added, “There are not many reasons people need iron workers except for putting up buildings or taking them down.”
Bartley remembers Woodall went to find someone and came back with instructions from a fire captain.
“They told us to hook up to their tanks,” said Bartley.
The work was slow. Because of the wreckage, he and his crew couldn’t go very far. The dogs would go in and sniff and then the Fire Department would call for the guys to burn through the beams.
Bartley said there were seemingly endless buckets being passed down from the top of the heap.
In the rain
As the morning went on, more people came. Bartley remembers thinking that they might find someone alive.
“We really did,” said Bartley. “We thought we could find them. Boy that was scary.”
It continued to rain. The guys put plastic bags on their heads to keep out the water.
Bartley remembers that eventually they had to get dry clothes so they went by the Salvation Army. He said that the people there just wanted to help the workers.
“I’ve never seen people like that in my life,” said Bartley. “As horrible as it was, I’ve never seen people like that before and probably never will again.”
“There was this girl who chased us down to give us sweatshirts because we were cold.”
Going home
Around 4 p.m. the crew heard they were going home. The job had gone contract – Local 40 was assigned to the World Trade Center site. As they were leaving, the firemen started patting them on the back.
“The firemen all got up and clapped as we were leaving for the boat,” said Bartley. “The Fire Department was just the greatest group of guys. We knew how many guys they had lost.”
Bartley said that when they arrived in Jersey City that evening there were lines of people clapping.
“Everybody was optimistic about finding someone alive. It became apparent after finding the bodies we did that we weren’t going to,” said Bartley. “I’m an ex-Marine who never saw combat, but they needed me that day. I went there and I still have my life. I have a dangerous job, a beautiful wife and two beautiful kids – and some of those people were just snuffed out.”
Bartley said that the people he admired that day were the firemen.
“I don’t want to make myself out to be a hero because I’m not. But we were prepared to go. Mine was just one story in a day,” said Bartley. “But people were good that day. Because of what I saw that day, I think there is still hope for humanity. That’s just the way I felt.”