JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Most Americans who were alive 25 years ago remember where they were and what they were doing on September 11th, 2001. Bruce Pastorini is no exception.
“I was traveling with another (Army) Corps of Engineers member down at Sunny Isles, Florida, looking at a dredge job when we took a break for lunch, and we saw the film of the first plane crashing in,” said Pastorini.
At the time, Pastorini was a Structural Specialist Cadre with the Jacksonville District Army Corps of Engineers. It didn’t take long before he got a call to get back to Jacksonville.
“We’ve got an airplane coming in. They’re sending the General’s airplane from Mississippi to pick up you,” said Pastorini.
That plane took him to McGuire Air Force Base in Edison, New Jersey. From there he was assigned to work with the Los Angeles Fire Department and California Task Force One, a FEMA search and rescue team.
“As a structural specialist, you’re supposed to be able to advise, be a technical advisor to the task force commander on anything related to structures,” said Pastorini.
Pastorini was sent in to examine what was left of the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
“It was overwhelming,” said Pastorini. It basically smelled like you’re working in a dump, a dump that had been doused in fuel,” said Pastorini.
The destruction he witnessed he says he’ll never forget.
“I had been to hurricane Andrew. I’d been to some earthquakes before this…I hadn’t done that,” said Pastorini.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.