| 
U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY PHOTOGRAPHER'S MATE 2ND
CLASS JIM WATSON
IBEW Members Among
Those Lost on September 11
October/November IBEW Journal
Most of the world reacted in horror
to the September 11 attacks on America. Since then, a shocked
nation has tried to go about its business while beginning
to fight a new, uncertain kind of war.
No one will ever forget where he or
she was on September 11, 2001, a new day that will live in
infamy. We know where 20 IBEW brothers in New York were, along
with others in the extended IBEW family. They were going about
their lives, working for a living, preparing for a future
that was cut short in the line of duty.
When the smoke cleared enough to take
stock (the ruins of the World Trade Center are smoldering
still), two locals together counted 20 among the dead and
missing, 16 from Local 3 and four from Local 1212. It was
originally feared that members of Local 26, Washington, D.C.,
working on renovations at the Pentagon had been injured or
killed in the attack on the Defense Department headquarters.
By September 13, however, Local 26 leaders at the convention
reported that no brothers or sisters had been hurt there.
The IBEW honors its fallen brothers
and sisters. No more will they go to work and bring honor
to their trades as they once did. But they will never be forgotten.
After September 11,
New York Local 3 pins
backed with black ribbon
appeared on many lapels.
Brothers in Life, Brothers
in Death
September 11 dawned bright and beautiful
in New York City, the kind of clear, cloudless day that makes
one glad to be alive. As usual, millions of people poured
into Manhattan to go about their daily business.
Then the unthinkable happened.
Many stories have been told about the
5,000-plus individuals killed or missing in the attacks. Here
is what is known about the IBEW members among their number.
Thomas Ashton, 21, a first-year apprentice
who had started working on July 18, 2001, was working on the
95th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center with
Robert Caufield, 49, a journeyman wireman. They were working
for the contracting firm Denino Electric.
Also in the North Tower were Local
3 journeymen Harvey Hermer, 59, Lester Marino, 58, Jeffrey
Shaw, 42, and Glenn Travers, Sr., 53. This veteran crew was
working for Forest Electric on the 105th floor.
On the same floor in the same tower
was a telecommunications crew from Kleinknecht Electric. They
were Salvatore Fiumefreddo, 45, Joseph Romagnolo, 37, and
Kenneth White, 50. All were in the telephone division of Local
3.
On the 105th floor of the South Tower,
P.E. Stone Electric had a work force in place consisting of
Local 3 members James Cartier, 26, a second-year apprentice,
and journeymen Ralph Licciardi, 30, and Charles Lucania, 35.
Also in the South Tower on the 90th
floor, was journeyman wireman Jose "Joe" Martinez,
50, working for Forest Electric. Journeymen wiremen Joseph
DiPilato, 57, and Steven Strauss, 51, were last seen stuck
in an elevator on the 30th floor of the South Tower. They
were working for Petrocelli Electric.
Michael Lowe, 48, an employee of Liberty
Electric Supply, was last seen in the basement of the complex.
Meanwhile, the four members of Local
1212 were at their posts in the World Trade Center when the
planes struck. They were Gerard "Rod" Coppola of
WNET-TV, Steven Jacobson of WPIX-TV, and Robert Pattison and
Isaias Rivera, both of CBS.
Family Members Affected
In a tragedy of this magnitude, the
effects ripple like shock waves, touching many families. Two
such stories tell of other losses.
The nation was touched deeply by the
bravery of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) personnel
who suffered such massive losses on September 11. One of the
brave firefighters lost was Michael Haub, 34, son of Local
1212 member Helmut Haub. Michael was with Ladder 4 Company
of the FDNY.
The long hand of sorrow reached across
the continent as well. Lisa Frost, 22, the daughter of Local
47, Diamond Bar, California, member Tom Frost and his wife,
Melanie, was a passenger on United Flight 175, originating
from Bostons Logan Airport, the second airplane that struck
the World Trade Center. Lisa had graduated as class valedictorian
at Boston University and was going home for a visit before
she started her new job in San Francisco. Tom Frost is a System
Operator for Southern California Edisons Transmission and
Distribution business unit at the Villa Park Substation and
a 25-year member of the IBEW.
How to Help
Throughout North America, IBEW members
reacted with defiance against the terrorists behind the attacks
and support and sympathy for the victims.
Local 3 has established a fund to aid
the families of its members and the members of Local 1212
who perished at the World Trade Center. Those wishing to help
can send checks made payable to IBEW Disaster Fund NYC Inc. to:
IBEW Local Union 3
158-11 Harry Van Arsdale, Jr. Ave.
Flushing, NY 11365.
Local 47 has donated $2,800 to the
Lisa Frost Scholarship Fund established at Boston University.
Anyone wishing to contribute to this fund should send a check
made payable to IBEW Local 47 and designate on the check
that the money is for the Lisa Frost Scholarship Fund. Local
47s address is:
IBEW Local 47
600 N. Diamond Bar Boulevard
Diamond Bar, CA 91765.
Across the continent, IBEW rallied
to help deal with the aftereffects of September 11. Future
issues of the Journal will contain more stories of those efforts.
|
Related Articles
