Put It Above Ground

 

In 1865, Henry C. Welles, a druggist in the village of Waterloo, NY, mentioned at a social gathering that honor should be shown to the patriotic dead of the Civil War by decorating their graves.
In the Spring of 1866, he again mentioned this subject to General John B. Murray, Seneca County Clerk. General Murray embraced the idea and a committee was formulated to plan a day devoted to honoring the dead.
Townspeople adopted the idea wholeheartedly. Wreaths, crosses and bouquets were made for each veteran’s grave. The village was decorated with flags at half mast and draped with evergreen boughs and mourning black streamers.
On May 5, 1866, civic societies joined the procession to the three existing cemeteries and were led by veterans marching to martial music. At each cemetery there were impressive and lengthy services including speeches by General Murray and a local clergyman. The ceremonies were repeated on May 5, 1867.
The first official recognition of Memorial Day as such was issued by General John A. Logan, first commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. This was General Order No. 11 establishing “Decoration Day” as it was then known. The date of the order was May 5, 1868, exactly two years after Waterloo’s first observance. That year Waterloo joined other communities in the nation by having their ceremony on May 30.

In 1965, a committee of community leaders started plans for the Centennial Celebration of Memorial Day. The committee consisted of VFW Commander James McCann, chairman, American Legion Commander Oliver J. McFall and Mayor Marion DeCicca, co-chairman, along with Village Trustees, M. Lewis Somerville, Roscoe Bartran, Richard Schreck, Tony DiPronio, and VFW Vice-Commander, Kenneth Matoon. Their goals were: “to obtain national recognition of the fact that Waterloo is the birthplace of Memorial Day through Congressional action” and “to plan and execute a proper celebration for such centennial observance.”
In May of 1966, just in time for the Centennial, Waterloo was recognized as the “Birthplace of Memorial Day” by the United States Government. This recognition was long in coming and involved hours of painstaking research to prove the claim. While other communities may claim earlier observances of honoring the Civil War dead, none can claim to have been so well planned and complete, nor can they claim the continuity of observances that Waterloo can.
The Centennial Celebration that year brought dignitaries from government, military, veteran’s organizations and descendants of the original founders of Memorial Day. A once luxurious home on Waterloo’s Main Street, built in 1850, was purchased from the county and restored. Now the Memorial Day Museum, it houses artifacts of the first Memorial Day and the Civil War era.

There was a press conference today at Ground Zero calling for the reopening of the Victim Compensation Fund to assist the ongoing victims of 9/11. (see link below)

We would like to thank Congressman Fossella and Congresswoman Mahoney for their support.

Hopefully something will come out of this because it has been over 6 months since Ken Feinberg first proposed this idea back in 2006.

At that time the mayor was vehemently against it but he also changed his mind and in March tried to convince the Senate to do the same.

As with everything the problem was funding.

Many people across the nation feel that way too much has been spent compensating the victims of the attack.

The fact of the matter is that this could be done without any additional expense.

Please see our link below posted

There are countless millions of dollars that have been distributed since 9/11 in inappropriate loans and questionable contracts relating to 9/11 as well as the Department of Homeland Security.

Audits have already shown this.

Unfortunately nothing has been done to recoup these dollars.

That is where we should be concentrating our efforts.

Make these banks that gave 9/11 loans such as the ones to donut shops in Arizona give the money back.

Hold these companies that got millions of dollars in contracts and provided little or nothing in return responsible for the money.

This even reaches further then 9/11.

Just look at the most recent military spending package that just passed.

Why are we spending hundreds of millions of dollars on rebuilding Iraq and practically nothing on building or upgrading facilities here for our homecoming injured soldiers?

It appears that since the Walter Reed story dropped from the headlines so has the support for our injured veterans.

It is what we have been calling for all along, accountability.

Until we have it we will just continue to spin our wheels.

Dennis

PRESS CONFERENCE AT GROUND ZERO 5/25

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=37464

MAYOR’S PRIORITIES ONCE AGAIN MISPLACED

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=34605

Contact: Joe Soldevere (Maloney), 646-831-1649

Craig Donner (Fossella), 718-356-5039

News Conference at Ground Zero

to Urge New Investigation of 9/11 Responder Deaths,

Reopening of Victim Compensation Fund,

Health Care and Monitoring for 9/11 Sick/Injured

-Should Other Tragedies be Linked to WTC Dust?-

New York, NY - On Friday at 11:30am, Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Vito Fossella (R-NY) will hold a press conference at Ground Zero to urge the City of New York to re-examine the medical evidence in the deaths of at least 8 Ground Zero responders and determine if their deaths can be definitively linked to exposure to WTC dust.

WHO: Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Vito Fossella, disabled 9/11 responder Marvin Bethea and other 9/11 health care advocates TBA

WHAT: News Conference

WHEN: Friday, May 25th

11:30AM

WHERE: Ground Zero, to the right of the PATH train entrance

West side of Church St., near intersection of Vesey Street

WHY: The City’s Medical Examiner had previously said he could not link the death of Felicia Dunn-Jones to WTC dust, but changed his determination following appeals by the victim’s family and Reps. Maloney and Fossella. The ME will be urged to review other 9/11-related deaths in light of new evidence regarding the WTC dust. At least eight, but possibly scores more 9/11 responders and others have died due to 9/11-related illnesses, but so far the City has officially linked only one death, that of Ms. Dunn-Jones, to Ground Zero toxins.

Maloney and Fossella are the authors of the James Zadroga Act, which would reopen the Victim Compensation Fund and provide medical monitoring for everyone exposed to Ground Zero toxins and health care for anyone who’s sick as a result.

Joe Soldevere

Press Secretary

Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-14)

202-225-7944

646-831-1649 cell

I am working on a story about 9/11-related mental health five-plus years after the terrorist attacks. I am interested in interviewing people who sought help for the first time this year for depression, anxiety or PTSD that they believe is related to 9/11. They could be survivors from the towers and the surrounding area, responders to the disaster, Ground Zero workers or downtown residents or students.

I don’t necessarily have a “profile� that I’m looking for, beyond the qualification that the person decided recently to seek help. However, health-care workers have told me that many of the people who are getting help for the first time now have found that their 9/11-related struggles are playing out in their relationships with spouses, children and/or colleagues.

I’d prefer to interview people who are comfortable being quoted by name and possibly photographed, but how they are identified in the newspaper and whether they choose to have their picture taken is, of course, up to them.

Thanks very much for your help. I’m hoping to connect with people this week or next. Please let me know if you have any questions. Again, I appreciate your assistance.

Regards,

Jordan

Jordan Lite

Staff Writer

New York Daily News

450 West 33rd Street

New York, N.Y. 10001

(212) 210-1727

jlite@nydailynews.com

Giuliani profits from 9/11’s ashes

I would like to thank Ellis Henican for his on-target column, “Giuliani knows the pain and profit of Sept. 11″ [Newsday, May 18]. I am glad to know that others share what so many 9/11 families of firefighters and World Trade Center victims know: former Mayor Rudy Giuliani is no hero; he has exploited his failure to protect the City of New York and its firefighters.

He has already parlayed his public failures into a personal fortune and plans to build a path to the White House over bodies of the victims. But the truth about him, and that day, will surely derail him.

Al Regenhard

Editor’s note: The writer is a retired New York City Police sergeant and the father of fallen 9/11 firefighter Christian Regenhard.

Yesterday 1 potential human remain was recovered from the Haul Road.

Totals through 5/22

1417

785 - Deutsche Bank
209 - Manholes
406- Haul road (including 3 from 39th Street Facility)
8 - Liberty Street
1 - West Street
2 - Rooftop 130 Cedar
6 - DEP Subterranean Structure under the Haul Road

NEW SEARCH

Remains recovered 1417

Remains sent for testing 0

DNA extracted 0

Matches 0

WTC Items Recovered 0

ORIGINAL SEARCH

Remains Recovered Over 20,000

Remains sent for testing NA

DNA extracted NA

Matches 1598

Remains tested with new process NA

DNA Extracted NA

Matches 11

WTC Items Recovered NA

(We have requested this information on numerous occasions with no response. We will keep these as NA until we receive information from the ME’s Office)

Put It Above Ground

For Related Articles Go To

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=23

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
OFFICE OF CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER
520 FIRST AVENUE, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10016

CHARLES S. HIRSCH, M.D., Chief Medical Examiner

Telephone: 212 447-2041 TTY: 212 447-2086 Fax: 212 447-2755
Official website: http://www.nyc.gov

May 23, 2007

Felicia Dunn-Jones died on February 10, 2002; the cause of her death was determined to be

sarcoidosis with cardiac involvement.

Accumulated scientific research indicates that exposure to World Trade Center dust can cause

or contribute to sarcoidosis with cardiac involvement or a disease indistinguishable from it.

The Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) has thus concluded that Mrs. Dunn-Jones’

exposure to World Trade Center dust on 9/11/01 contributed to her death and it has been ruled

a homicide.

Mrs. Dunn-Jones has now been added to the list of people who died as a result of the collapse of

the World Trade Center Towers. The total number of World Trade Center victims is now 2,750.

For Immediate Release Contact: Joe Soldevere (Maloney)
May 23, 2007 202-225-7944

Craig Donner (Fossella)

718-356-5039

City of New York, For the First Time,

Rules that a Death Was Caused by 9/11 Dust

-Felicia Dunn-Jones was Trapped in Dust Cloud on 9/11,

Passed Away from Lung Disease Four Months Later-

Reps. Maloney and Fossella Appealed to City Last Year

to Include Dunn-Jones’s Name on Official List of 9/11 Deaths

New York, NY - Today, the Medical Examiner of the City of New York confirmed that the City, for the first time, has ruled that a death was caused by exposure to toxins released by the collapse of the World Trade Center towers. The City’s Medical Examiner, Dr. Charles Hirsch, had previously said he could not link the death of Felicia Dunn-Jones to WTC dust, but changed his determination following appeals by the victim’s family and Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Vito Fossella (R-NY). The City also agreed to add Ms. Dunn-Jones’s name to its official list of World Trade Center victims.

In a letter to Richard H. Bennett, the Jones family’s attorney (click here for a copy of the letter), Dr. Hirsch stated that “it is likely, with certainty beyond a reasonable doubt, that exposure to WTC dust was harmful to (Ms. Dunn-Jones)… and that exposure to World Trade Center Dust on 9/11/01 was contributory to her death. The manner of death will be changed from natural to homicide.”

“The City Medical Examiner has now accepted what thousands of people with 9/11-related illnesses and their doctors have long understood: that Ground Zero dust was harmful and even deadly,” said Maloney. “Sadly, we have known that Felicia is not alone and that others have died from ailments caused by 9/11. I hope that the Medical Examiner is no longer in denial about the Trade Center dust. Dr. Hirsch must review the cases of other 9/11 heroes who, like Felicia, died in the prime of their lives.”

Fossella said, “Ms. Dunn-Jones’s passing at such a young age is a tragedy in itself, but it is magnified by the fact that the 9/11 attacks contributed to her death. The evidence suggests that the toxic air over Ground Zero played a role in Ms. Dunn-Jones’s passing. While it took time for the Medical Examiner and others to reach this conclusion, it demonstrates that the health of innocent people was negatively affected by Ground Zero air. This landmark decision should serve as springboard for the federal government to release a comprehensive plan to monitor and treat all those who are sick or injured as a result of 9/11.”

Background

Felicia Dunn-Jones, a 42 year-old attorney for the U.S. Department of Education, was trapped in the dust cloud caused by the collapse of the first World Trade Center tower. Four months later, Ms. Dunn-Jones died of sarcoidosis, a rare and debilitating condition that attacks the lungs and other vital organs.

Believing that Felicia’s death was caused by her exposure to toxins on 9/11, Ms. Dunn-Jones’s family applied for a death benefit through the federal Victim Compensation Fund (VCF). Following testimony in support of the family’s application from experts on sarcoidosis including Dr. Alan M. Fein of North Shore University Hospital and Dr. David Prezant, deputy chief medical officer of the New York Fire Department, the VCF confirmed that Ms. Dunn-Jones’s death was caused by 9/11 and awarded her family a death benefit of $2.6 million.

In October 2006, Maloney and Fossella wrote to Dr. Hirsch (click here for a copy of the Reps.’ letter) urging him to include Dunn-Jones on the City’s official list of 9/11 victims. In response, Dr. Hirsch wrote (click here for a copy of Dr. Hirsch’s letter) that despite the VCF’s determination, his office could not at that time link Felicia’s death to WTC dust “with certainty beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Yesterday 4 potential human remains were recovered from the Haul Road.

1 potential remain was recovered from a DEP Subterranean Structure

5/20 No Recovery Effort

Totals through 5/21

1416

785 - Deutsche Bank
209 - Manholes
405- Haul road (including 3 from 39th Street Facility)
8 - Liberty Street
1 - West Street
2 - Rooftop 130 Cedar
6 - DEP Subterranean Structure under the Haul Road

NEW SEARCH

Remains recovered 1416

Remains sent for testing 0

DNA extracted 0

Matches 0

WTC Items Recovered 0

ORIGINAL SEARCH

Remains Recovered Over 20,000

Remains sent for testing NA

DNA extracted NA

Matches 1598

Remains tested with new process NA

DNA Extracted NA

Matches 11

WTC Items Recovered NA

(We have requested this information on numerous occasions with no response. We will keep these as NA until we receive information from the ME’s Office)

Put It Above Ground

For Related Articles Go To

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=23

Question: When is a DEP Subterranean Structure not a Subterranean Structure?

Answer: When it is a sewer?

It continues to amaze that the city cannot even call a sewer a sewer.

One of the things that we have been calling for all along is a complete search of the sewer systems in and around Ground Zero.

We have also called for accountability for what was done shortly after 9/11 (see links below)

While we are on the subject of full disclosure and “Subterranean Structures�

Will somebody either confirm or deny that the 209 remains recovered in the manhole were from a single individual?

Don’t lead on 209 families who might think that those are remains of their loved ones.

Put It Above Ground

HUMAN REMAINS UPDATE 10/25 11:00 AM

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=32072

A QUESTION FOR DEP

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=32206