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6/22/02
To: Lower Manhattan Development Corporation
From: Chaplain Steve Lee
Sirs:
I am writing to request that the steel-beam cross found in Building Six at Ground Zero and preserved as a memorial be preserved as part of the permanent memorial at Ground Zero. I am not alone. There are many folks who were involved in the preservation of this cross, many whose names I do not even know, who want this cross preserved on-site permanently.
For my part, and from my perspective (many people have many stories to tell about the cross), I chaplained the crew – headed by Danny Collins of Local 79 – that recovered the cross from Building Six and set it up at its first memorial location atop the remaining footbridge abutment in the median on West Street. Other workers involved in the first recovery (there are more whose names I do not know) were Claude Wuytack (who suggested mounting the cross on the abutment), Daytime Supervisor for Amec Corporation in Amec Sector (where Building Six was located), Frank Silecchia, the worker who found the cross two days after September 11 and ran out to tell Chaplain Michael Haynes about it, John Lapointe, who placed the metal shroud back on the arm of the cross after it was placed on the abutment, Jose Martinez (the welder from Local 95 who cut the cross at its base so it could be removed from Building Six), John Siciliato (Local 15), John Triplett (Local 14), Angel Lopez (Local 95), Lee Dozier (Local 95), Sergio Vytke (sp? Local 95), and Justin (unkown last name or Local). Sal Tagliarino (Local 40) was the welder who welded on the baseplate on the bottom of the cross. Hilty Corporation provided the special drills needed to drill the mounting holes on top of the abutment. These are just some of those involved – I wish I knew or recalled them all.
When some workers showed me the cross, they told me they wanted to recover and preserve it as a memorial at Grround Zero, because Building Six was scheduled for demolition, and the cross was already a shrine, giving the appearance of a God-given sculpure of peace and hope and (because of the “Good Friday” shroud) memorial sorrow in the middle of the wreckage. The workers even called Building Six “God’s House,” because there were many other cross shapes formed from the structural steel inside (for safety reasons, later during the cross recovery, I told the workers to only recover the main cross that Frank first found -- I wanted to minimize the risk to the workers).
After the workers showed me the cross, I went straight to Claude Wuytack of Amec, and told him, “Claude, Building Six is scheduled for demolition. We have to get that cross out of there and set up on site as a memorial – which it already is. We need to give your people something good to look at besides all this destruction.” To his credit, Claude responded, “I’m a Vietnam Vet, and we have the Wall…You’re right. Let me see what I can do.” Others, including Father Brian Jordan and Frank Silecchia, were also working to preserve the cross as a memorial.
On the evening of October 2, 2001, Frank Silecchia, Father Brian Jordan, and I met with Ken Holden, City of New York Foreman of Design and Construction, at Ground Zero, to seek approval to recover the cross from Building Six and set it up as a memorial at Ground Zero. Ken, who is Jewish, stated he had no problem with the idea, and that he would bring the proposal to Mayor Guiliani the following morning at a scheduled 9:00 AM meeting, and would call us afterward. The following morning I received a call from Ken at about 9:05 AM. He said that the Mayor had given his approval to recover the memorial cross.
Work began immediately on the morning of October 3, 2001. Claude Wuytack formed the recovery team headed by Danny Collins, and they skillfully brought out the approximately 20 foot high cross, weighing tons. Thankfully, nobody was injured in the recovery. I took pictures of the entire recovery and subsequent placement. Paul Morse, President George W. Bush’s White House photographer, was also present to photograph the recovery of the cross.
After the cross was removed, it was laid out flat on West Street not far from Building Six for much of the rest of the day, so preparations could be made for mounting it. I stayed with it the entire time, until it was mounted on the concrete abutment (till about 4 AM the following morning – October 4). Shortly after it was laid out, John LaPointe approached me and asked if it would be OK if he could write his name on the cross. I told him to go ahead. I thought it was a wonderful idea to allow names and memorials right on the cross, and I spent the rest of the day and the evening encouraging firefighters, officers, construction workers, and all others who passed by to do exactly that. Many people gratefully did, and found healing in the act. I wrote my own memorial on the cross in the form of a poem:
From God’s House –
Fired new from dying flame,
this living sign remains,
arms outstretched, embracing yet,
our avalanche of pain,
to still, to fill –
to heal again.
At one point, a construction worker walked up to me and said, “I’m Jewish…Is it OK if I write my name on your cross?” I told him, “It’s not just my cross. It’s yours too. It’s for the whole world.” He smiled and said, “I’m just bustin’ your chops,” and then he signed “Dorsey Slagle” on the cross, and drew a Star of David underneath. I thought Dorsey’s action gracious and appropriate. It is obvious that the cross is a Christian symbol, but this should not prohibit preservation of this steel-beam cross as part of the permanent Ground Zero Memorial. The simple fact is that this cross IS ALREADY a memorial at Ground Zero, and it would be a travesty to remove it. It wasn’t constructed – it was simply found. Preserving it as part of the permanent memorial is not state-sponsored religion, a denial of the diversity of our culture, or a denial of the diversity of the people killed at Ground Zero. It is simply a symbol of peace and hope that was found in the rubble, that can and should be claimed by all, like Dorsey did in his common-sense way.
I think of the famous picture of the firefighters raising the American flag at Ground Zero, and the furor caused by the well-meant statue that inaccurately portrayed that event. That experience should reinforce the truth that we need not and should not edit reality or history. Three white male firefighters raised that flag. That fact does not demean or deny the contribution -- or loss -- by females or people of color at Ground Zero. It is simply part of what happened. Preserving the cross does not deny the reality of diversity of philosophies and religions. Like the flag-raising, the cross is simply – and significantly -- part of the memorial history of Ground Zero, and it should be preserved and not swept under the rug.
Thank you for your time. Please contact me if you have any questions, or need any assistance.
Sincerely,
Chaplain Steve Lee
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Peace Officer Ministries
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Chaplain Steve Lee, Executive Director
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P.O. Box 63
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Payette, ID 83661-0063
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