Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Sept. 11 Autopsy Guidelines Plan Scuttle
Sept. 11 Autopsy Guidelines Plan Scuttled
LARRY McSHANE
Associated Press Writer
An effort to create standardized autopsy guidelines that could document the link between toxic air at ground zero and the later deaths of Sept. 11 rescue workers was abandoned by the federal government over concerns that the information collected could be misinterpreted.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, in a note posted Friday on its web site, said the agency "instead will pursue other avenues for documenting long-term health effects from exposure to air contaminants from the World Trade Center disaster."
The proposal for standard autopsy guidelines was laid out by the institute in a Sept. 15 draft document that was subsequently reviewed by medical experts outside the federal government. The decision to scratch the autopsy plan came after the experts raised questions about whether the plan would work.
"This study has many insurmountable barriers to overcome," wrote Dr. David J. Prezant, chief medical officer for the city Fire Department. Prezant, whose review was also posted on the institute web site, said one of those barriers was the "politics of causality," a reference to pending lawsuits filed against the city by injured workers. Autopsy results are often used in civil suits.
The institute said reviewers had raised several questions about the program, including concerns that "the draft document could be misinterpreted or misapplied, hindering rather than furthering progress in addressing WTC health concerns." The independent reviews were complete on Oct. 31, according to the institute.
The draft had proposed examining specific sections of the lungs, along with the creation of a "tissue bank" to preserve certain organs and bodily fluids for later testing. But the agency ultimately decided to look for another method to reduce "uncertainties in assessing WTC health effects."
The five-paragraph web site statement contained no specific alternatives.
The collapse of the twin towers sent thick plumes of concrete dust, fiberglass, asbestos and lead into the air in lower Manhattan. The tainted air was taken in by thousands of ground zero workers in the weeks after the terrorist attack that killed 2,749 people.
The guidelines were intended to be used nationwide in cases like the death of New York City police detective James Zadroga, who died last January. Zadroga spent 470 hours working amid the toxic fumes, and fell ill within weeks.
An autopsy found the 34-year-old detective died as a result of ground zero exposure, finding that there was material "consistent with dust" found in his lungs.
LARRY McSHANE
Associated Press Writer
An effort to create standardized autopsy guidelines that could document the link between toxic air at ground zero and the later deaths of Sept. 11 rescue workers was abandoned by the federal government over concerns that the information collected could be misinterpreted.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, in a note posted Friday on its web site, said the agency "instead will pursue other avenues for documenting long-term health effects from exposure to air contaminants from the World Trade Center disaster."
The proposal for standard autopsy guidelines was laid out by the institute in a Sept. 15 draft document that was subsequently reviewed by medical experts outside the federal government. The decision to scratch the autopsy plan came after the experts raised questions about whether the plan would work.
"This study has many insurmountable barriers to overcome," wrote Dr. David J. Prezant, chief medical officer for the city Fire Department. Prezant, whose review was also posted on the institute web site, said one of those barriers was the "politics of causality," a reference to pending lawsuits filed against the city by injured workers. Autopsy results are often used in civil suits.
The institute said reviewers had raised several questions about the program, including concerns that "the draft document could be misinterpreted or misapplied, hindering rather than furthering progress in addressing WTC health concerns." The independent reviews were complete on Oct. 31, according to the institute.
The draft had proposed examining specific sections of the lungs, along with the creation of a "tissue bank" to preserve certain organs and bodily fluids for later testing. But the agency ultimately decided to look for another method to reduce "uncertainties in assessing WTC health effects."
The five-paragraph web site statement contained no specific alternatives.
The collapse of the twin towers sent thick plumes of concrete dust, fiberglass, asbestos and lead into the air in lower Manhattan. The tainted air was taken in by thousands of ground zero workers in the weeks after the terrorist attack that killed 2,749 people.
The guidelines were intended to be used nationwide in cases like the death of New York City police detective James Zadroga, who died last January. Zadroga spent 470 hours working amid the toxic fumes, and fell ill within weeks.
An autopsy found the 34-year-old detective died as a result of ground zero exposure, finding that there was material "consistent with dust" found in his lungs.
Friday, August 04, 2006
Un-Hollywood Premiere for WTC film
By Justin Rocket Silverman amNewYork Staff Writer
Posted August 4 2006
For a movie premiere, plastic smiles were in uncommonly short supply at the screening of Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center," a film that has won critical acclaim for its starkly honest portrayal of the day that changed everything."This kind of heroism has to be told, people have to know what these men did," said John McLoughlin, the Port Authority cop played by Nicholas Cage, before the premiere at the Ziegfeld Theater."You can't just say it's not time for a film yet and let that story disappear."Cage and co-star Michael Peña were joined Thursday night by 50 police officers, firefighters and other rescue personnel who were on 9/11's front lines and were hired by Stone to work as consultants to increase the film's accuracy."This film doesn't change the facts," said Terry Quinn, a firefighter who responded on 9/11. "People need to see what really happened that day."Unlike 'JFK' or 'Nixon,' this film is not a political thriller of conspiracy theories. Unlike 'Natural Born Killers,' it is not a stark portrayal of violence--Stone does not even show the planes hitting the Twin Towers.Instead, 'World Trade Center' is a rescue story told through the eyes of people who lived it. McLoughlin and another cop, Will Jimeno, played by Peña, spend much of the movie trapped beneath the rubble.The lack of conspiracy theories in Stone's film was evidenced Thursday night by the presence of GOP leaders--including Gov. George Pataki--who have often been quick to criticize the director."I had concerns when I heard that Oliver Stone was directing the movie," said Rep. Peter King (R-Long Island) chairman of the House homeland security committee. "But he has captured the spirit of that day and I commend him for it."Paramount Pictures has also been trying to demonstrate the non-political nature of the film with advance screenings for conservative groups in D.C.The fact that Stone did not write 'World Trade Center' himself has also been widely publicized.In another rarity among New York movie premiers, Thursday's screening at the Ziegfeld Theater was not followed by a gala reception of cocktails and gift bags. The mood just didn¹t call for it.
Posted August 4 2006
For a movie premiere, plastic smiles were in uncommonly short supply at the screening of Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center," a film that has won critical acclaim for its starkly honest portrayal of the day that changed everything."This kind of heroism has to be told, people have to know what these men did," said John McLoughlin, the Port Authority cop played by Nicholas Cage, before the premiere at the Ziegfeld Theater."You can't just say it's not time for a film yet and let that story disappear."Cage and co-star Michael Peña were joined Thursday night by 50 police officers, firefighters and other rescue personnel who were on 9/11's front lines and were hired by Stone to work as consultants to increase the film's accuracy."This film doesn't change the facts," said Terry Quinn, a firefighter who responded on 9/11. "People need to see what really happened that day."Unlike 'JFK' or 'Nixon,' this film is not a political thriller of conspiracy theories. Unlike 'Natural Born Killers,' it is not a stark portrayal of violence--Stone does not even show the planes hitting the Twin Towers.Instead, 'World Trade Center' is a rescue story told through the eyes of people who lived it. McLoughlin and another cop, Will Jimeno, played by Peña, spend much of the movie trapped beneath the rubble.The lack of conspiracy theories in Stone's film was evidenced Thursday night by the presence of GOP leaders--including Gov. George Pataki--who have often been quick to criticize the director."I had concerns when I heard that Oliver Stone was directing the movie," said Rep. Peter King (R-Long Island) chairman of the House homeland security committee. "But he has captured the spirit of that day and I commend him for it."Paramount Pictures has also been trying to demonstrate the non-political nature of the film with advance screenings for conservative groups in D.C.The fact that Stone did not write 'World Trade Center' himself has also been widely publicized.In another rarity among New York movie premiers, Thursday's screening at the Ziegfeld Theater was not followed by a gala reception of cocktails and gift bags. The mood just didn¹t call for it.
"World Trade Center' Leaves Real Heroes Awestruck
(CBS) NEW YORK Retired Port Authority Police Lt. John McLoughlin stood next to Oscar-winning actor Nicolas Cage and talked about him like an old friend."Nic's a great guy," McLoughlin said. "Getting to know him has been a really good thing."The men bonded over the past several months, as Cage worked on Oliver Stone's new film, "World Trade Center." The movie had its world premiere Thursday at the historic Ziegfeld Theatre in Midtown.The movie tells the story of McLoughlin and Will Jimeno, also a Port Authority cop. The men were trapped in the rubble when the Twin Towers fell on 9/11, and were the last to be rescued alive at Ground Zero."We tried as hard as we could to make everything right," said Stone, sweating on the red carpet on a hot and humid night.Stone's critical comments about the U.S. after the 9/11 terror attacks prompted many to wonder if he was the right man to direct such a sensitive story.Scott Strauss, a retired NYPD officer who was the first to reach McLoughlin in the rubble, said he worried, too."I am so glad that I was proved wrong about my original perceptions," Strauss said. "He's a fantastic director. It was important for him to make this movie right as it was for us to have it right."Strauss was one of many real-life 9/11 heroes who consulted with Stone during the making of the film. Many of them attended the premiere Thursday, bringing family and friends with them to walk the red carpet."I thought the movie was incredibly done," said McLoughlin. "It was accurate. They got the feel what was going on with us that day."Jimeno also had high praise for the film, which he's already seen six times."Our main goal as survivors was to tell the story of our teammates, the rescuers who came in, and the strength of our wives," Jimeno said.Jimeno's wife, Allison ,attended the premiere, along with Maggie Gyllenhaal, the actress who portrays her."I was more interested in showing the role all the families played that day, rather than where I went and what I did," Allison Jimeno said. "I think everyone involved with this film did an incredible job."
Thursday, August 03, 2006
'WTC" debut a no-glitz zone
Survivors to attend
BY PAUL D. COLFORDDAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
"World Trade Center" will have its red-carpet premiere tonight at the Ziegfeld Theater, but celebration will be kept to a minimum.
In one striking departure, there will be no gala reception afterward.
That's because the audience will include not just the film's stars and handlers, but also survivors of the terror attacks and others shattered by the loss of loved ones.
"It seemed inappropriate to do something festive," said Michael Shamberg, one of the film's producers.
"While the film celebrates the best in people, the night will be low-key," he added.
"I'll have to steel myself before going," said Charles Wolf, whose wife, Katherine, worked in the WTC's north tower.
"This is a movie, and I know how it turns out," he added. "But I'm going to go steeled, to protect myself from an emotional crush."
Gov. Pataki, former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly are also due to attend, along with those Shamberg called "our most honored guests" - the 50 cops, firefighters and other responders who worked on the film.
"World Trade Center," directed by Oliver Stone, recounts the ordeal of Port Authority cops John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno. They were buried under rubble until rescuers risked their own lives to free them.
In marketing the hard-hitting film, which opens nationwide next Wednesday, Paramount has been using many of those portrayed on screen - and is heavily targeting young viewers.
At a recent screening, Shamberg recalled, one young man said, "This [9/11] is like our Kennedy assassination."
A half-hour show with Stone, co-stars Nicolas Cage and Michael Pena, as well as Jimeno, has been running on MTV.
And a TV commercial for the film features "Fix You," a popular tune by the rock band Coldplay that's not on the soundtrack.
The film's official Web site, wtcmovie.com, and Paramount's promotional page on myspace.com feature interviews with 18 people close to what happened.
They include the wives of the two main characters, Donna McLoughlin and Allison Jimeno, and uniformed responders to the WTC attacks.
Michael Fleming, veteran Hollywood watcher with Daily Variety, said he couldn't predict how "World Trade Center" will do at the box office.
"The big challenge for Paramount is to get people to want to replay such a horrible day," he said.
BY PAUL D. COLFORDDAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
"World Trade Center" will have its red-carpet premiere tonight at the Ziegfeld Theater, but celebration will be kept to a minimum.
In one striking departure, there will be no gala reception afterward.
That's because the audience will include not just the film's stars and handlers, but also survivors of the terror attacks and others shattered by the loss of loved ones.
"It seemed inappropriate to do something festive," said Michael Shamberg, one of the film's producers.
"While the film celebrates the best in people, the night will be low-key," he added.
"I'll have to steel myself before going," said Charles Wolf, whose wife, Katherine, worked in the WTC's north tower.
"This is a movie, and I know how it turns out," he added. "But I'm going to go steeled, to protect myself from an emotional crush."
Gov. Pataki, former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly are also due to attend, along with those Shamberg called "our most honored guests" - the 50 cops, firefighters and other responders who worked on the film.
"World Trade Center," directed by Oliver Stone, recounts the ordeal of Port Authority cops John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno. They were buried under rubble until rescuers risked their own lives to free them.
In marketing the hard-hitting film, which opens nationwide next Wednesday, Paramount has been using many of those portrayed on screen - and is heavily targeting young viewers.
At a recent screening, Shamberg recalled, one young man said, "This [9/11] is like our Kennedy assassination."
A half-hour show with Stone, co-stars Nicolas Cage and Michael Pena, as well as Jimeno, has been running on MTV.
And a TV commercial for the film features "Fix You," a popular tune by the rock band Coldplay that's not on the soundtrack.
The film's official Web site, wtcmovie.com, and Paramount's promotional page on myspace.com feature interviews with 18 people close to what happened.
They include the wives of the two main characters, Donna McLoughlin and Allison Jimeno, and uniformed responders to the WTC attacks.
Michael Fleming, veteran Hollywood watcher with Daily Variety, said he couldn't predict how "World Trade Center" will do at the box office.
"The big challenge for Paramount is to get people to want to replay such a horrible day," he said.
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Moments of Courage, Acts of Grace, Triumps of Will
Part of 9/11 Week on The History Channel(R): Moments of Courage, Acts of Grace, Triumphs of Will ... COUNTDOWN TO GROUND ZERO World Premiere Sunday, August 13, 2006 at 8 p.m. ET/PT (July 13, 2006)
PASADENA, Calif., July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Hijackers prepare for their own deaths. A firefighter sends his wife off to work, 81 floors up in the World Trade Center. Loved ones scramble to reconnect amid the rubble. Wives watch on television, knowing their husbands may die. The September 11, 2001 disaster unfolded in many ways for many people, and a myriad of different stories intersected in Lower Manhattan, at what is now known as Ground Zero. The shock, fear, courage, and triumph of 9/11 is presented through the eyes of those who lived it in COUNTDOWN TO GROUND ZERO, a special presentation premiering Sunday, August 13, 2006 at 8 p.m. ET/PT 9/11 on The History Channel.
Exactly when the 9/11 story began to play out is a different story for different people. For much of America, it started on the morning news and continued over a terrifying few hours that stretched into days, weeks and beyond. For the firefighters of Ladder Six in New York City, it began when the roar of a low-flying plane interrupted their morning coffee at the station. For hijacker Mohammed Atta, it started months earlier, in flight training schools in Florida. World Trade Center security director John O'Neill, a 25- year FBI veteran and a leading authority on terrorism, had warned America of the looming threat following the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993, and even predicted that the terrorists would attack the towers again. COUNTDOWN TO GROUND ZERO follows these storylines and many others in the time leading up to the attacks in New York to the brutal aftermath, with dramatic recreations, personal interviews, and archival footage, in the process showing the tragedy and triumph that became the twin hallmarks of 9/11.
COUNTDOWN TO GROUND ZERO doesn't just tell the stories of individuals, but re-creates how the events unfolded, minute-by-minute, with very real tension and uncertainty building. Would more planes hit? Could the fires be put out? How much time until the towers fall? And most importantly, who was affected. This re-telling of the 9/11 tragedies dramatically conveys the emotional intensity of people's lives, as all the elements rush toward a convergence during 102 pivotal minutes -- starting from the impact of the first plane and continuing to the collapse of the North Tower.
Highlights of COUNTDOWN TO GROUND ZERO include: * The early efforts to pursue the terrorists, including warnings from Italian officials) and the secret memos to President Bush advising that Bin Laden was "determined to strike on U.S. soil." * The story of John O'Neill, a 25-year FBI veteran who was the U.S. government's leading expert on Al Qaeda, but who quit his post in frustration to become head of security at the World Trade Center. * Tracking the terrorists in their planning for the attacks, including their preparations for death and the infamous purchase of boxcutters the night before. * The heroic efforts of Rick Rescorla, a corporate security head for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter who was instrumental in helping evacuate the Towers. Friends and loved ones recall corresponding with him over the phone as the Towers burned. * Selfless acts that serendipitously resulted in survival, including the stories of Ladder Six Captain Jay Jonas and bank executive Brian Clark, both of whom delayed their escapes from the Towers to help others who were trapped. * The reactions to the hijackings in flight control centers, and the chilling realization that the planes were headed for New York and Washington. * Firefighters recall the painstaking climb up stairways carrying 110 pounds of equipment, and the race back down to escape the collapse, including several who were trapped under the collapse and lived to tell about it.
Executive Producer for The History Channel is Carl H. Lindahl. COUNTDOWN TO GROUND ZERO is produced for The History Channel by Story House Productions.
The History Channel(R) is one of the leading cable television networks featuring compelling original, non-fiction specials and series that bring history to life in a powerful and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. The network provides an inviting place where people experience history in new and exciting ways enabling them to connect their lives today to the great lives and events of the past that provide a blueprint for the future. The History Channel has earned three Peabody Awards, six News and Documentary Emmy(R) Awards and received the prestigious Governor's Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the network's Save Our History(R) campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education. The History Channel reaches more than 89 million Nielsen subscribers. The website is located at www.History.com.SOURCE The History Channel
PASADENA, Calif., July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Hijackers prepare for their own deaths. A firefighter sends his wife off to work, 81 floors up in the World Trade Center. Loved ones scramble to reconnect amid the rubble. Wives watch on television, knowing their husbands may die. The September 11, 2001 disaster unfolded in many ways for many people, and a myriad of different stories intersected in Lower Manhattan, at what is now known as Ground Zero. The shock, fear, courage, and triumph of 9/11 is presented through the eyes of those who lived it in COUNTDOWN TO GROUND ZERO, a special presentation premiering Sunday, August 13, 2006 at 8 p.m. ET/PT 9/11 on The History Channel.
Exactly when the 9/11 story began to play out is a different story for different people. For much of America, it started on the morning news and continued over a terrifying few hours that stretched into days, weeks and beyond. For the firefighters of Ladder Six in New York City, it began when the roar of a low-flying plane interrupted their morning coffee at the station. For hijacker Mohammed Atta, it started months earlier, in flight training schools in Florida. World Trade Center security director John O'Neill, a 25- year FBI veteran and a leading authority on terrorism, had warned America of the looming threat following the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993, and even predicted that the terrorists would attack the towers again. COUNTDOWN TO GROUND ZERO follows these storylines and many others in the time leading up to the attacks in New York to the brutal aftermath, with dramatic recreations, personal interviews, and archival footage, in the process showing the tragedy and triumph that became the twin hallmarks of 9/11.
COUNTDOWN TO GROUND ZERO doesn't just tell the stories of individuals, but re-creates how the events unfolded, minute-by-minute, with very real tension and uncertainty building. Would more planes hit? Could the fires be put out? How much time until the towers fall? And most importantly, who was affected. This re-telling of the 9/11 tragedies dramatically conveys the emotional intensity of people's lives, as all the elements rush toward a convergence during 102 pivotal minutes -- starting from the impact of the first plane and continuing to the collapse of the North Tower.
Highlights of COUNTDOWN TO GROUND ZERO include: * The early efforts to pursue the terrorists, including warnings from Italian officials) and the secret memos to President Bush advising that Bin Laden was "determined to strike on U.S. soil." * The story of John O'Neill, a 25-year FBI veteran who was the U.S. government's leading expert on Al Qaeda, but who quit his post in frustration to become head of security at the World Trade Center. * Tracking the terrorists in their planning for the attacks, including their preparations for death and the infamous purchase of boxcutters the night before. * The heroic efforts of Rick Rescorla, a corporate security head for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter who was instrumental in helping evacuate the Towers. Friends and loved ones recall corresponding with him over the phone as the Towers burned. * Selfless acts that serendipitously resulted in survival, including the stories of Ladder Six Captain Jay Jonas and bank executive Brian Clark, both of whom delayed their escapes from the Towers to help others who were trapped. * The reactions to the hijackings in flight control centers, and the chilling realization that the planes were headed for New York and Washington. * Firefighters recall the painstaking climb up stairways carrying 110 pounds of equipment, and the race back down to escape the collapse, including several who were trapped under the collapse and lived to tell about it.
Executive Producer for The History Channel is Carl H. Lindahl. COUNTDOWN TO GROUND ZERO is produced for The History Channel by Story House Productions.
The History Channel(R) is one of the leading cable television networks featuring compelling original, non-fiction specials and series that bring history to life in a powerful and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. The network provides an inviting place where people experience history in new and exciting ways enabling them to connect their lives today to the great lives and events of the past that provide a blueprint for the future. The History Channel has earned three Peabody Awards, six News and Documentary Emmy(R) Awards and received the prestigious Governor's Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the network's Save Our History(R) campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education. The History Channel reaches more than 89 million Nielsen subscribers. The website is located at www.History.com.SOURCE The History Channel
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
A Traumatic Reliving of 9/11
LITTLE FALLS, N.J., July 12 /PRNewswire/ -- "World Trade Center," the upcoming movie from Oliver Stone, could induce high levels of post-traumatic stress disorder and re-traumatization, says former police officer, Franciscan Friar and now renowned police psychotherapist Peter Killeen.
It may qualify as an artistic response, but Oliver Stone's upcoming "World Trade Center" stands the risk of causing stress and post-traumatic stress disorder in many involved with the disaster.
"Visual and auditory stimuli act as triggers in the horrendous flashbacks associated with post-traumatic stress disorder," says Peter Killeen, a renowned police psychotherapist. "It happens often with war veterans, and the release of this movie could trigger similar disorders in survivors and others involved."
Stone's movie, to be released exactly a month before the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, tells the story of two Port Authority officers, the last two survivors extracted from Ground Zero, as well as the heroic saga of their rescue. The movie stars, among others, Nicholas Cage, Maria Bello, Michael Pena and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Killeen, who holds a Master's in Counseling Psychology and Masters in Theology, is a nationally recognized stress management therapist, a licensed alcohol and drug counselor. When 9/11 happened, Killeen played an active role, working directly with the Port Authority police force, which suffered a loss of 37 officers. A former member of the Franciscan Order and close friend of Father Mychal Judge, O.F.M., Fire Chaplain for the FDNY, who lost his life on 9/11, he currently serves as a consultant with police unions and federal agencies as a stress specialist.
Killeen's eclectic background in both healthcare and law enforcement makes him a much sought after talk show host. As host and producer of "The Police Connection Radio Show" and author of the political serial thriller "The Infidel Factor", he has been interviewed on many radio and television programs, including Court TV's "Crier Today", LETN (Law Enforcement Television Network), CNBC-TV, WOR Radio 710AM and NPR.
"My work with the police agencies, and my extensive experiences as a police psychotherapist, lead me to believe that the release of 'World Trade Center' runs the potential risk of re-traumatizing the already traumatized rescue workers, police officers and survivors," says Killeen. "These people have lived through the horrors of that day and the days that followed and will continue to carry those memories throughout their lifetime."
Contact:
Peter J. Killeen
27 East Main Street
Little Falls, NJ 07424
Phone: 973-819-8537
http://www.thepoliceconnection.org
pjkil@earthlink.net
It may qualify as an artistic response, but Oliver Stone's upcoming "World Trade Center" stands the risk of causing stress and post-traumatic stress disorder in many involved with the disaster.
"Visual and auditory stimuli act as triggers in the horrendous flashbacks associated with post-traumatic stress disorder," says Peter Killeen, a renowned police psychotherapist. "It happens often with war veterans, and the release of this movie could trigger similar disorders in survivors and others involved."
Stone's movie, to be released exactly a month before the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, tells the story of two Port Authority officers, the last two survivors extracted from Ground Zero, as well as the heroic saga of their rescue. The movie stars, among others, Nicholas Cage, Maria Bello, Michael Pena and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Killeen, who holds a Master's in Counseling Psychology and Masters in Theology, is a nationally recognized stress management therapist, a licensed alcohol and drug counselor. When 9/11 happened, Killeen played an active role, working directly with the Port Authority police force, which suffered a loss of 37 officers. A former member of the Franciscan Order and close friend of Father Mychal Judge, O.F.M., Fire Chaplain for the FDNY, who lost his life on 9/11, he currently serves as a consultant with police unions and federal agencies as a stress specialist.
Killeen's eclectic background in both healthcare and law enforcement makes him a much sought after talk show host. As host and producer of "The Police Connection Radio Show" and author of the political serial thriller "The Infidel Factor", he has been interviewed on many radio and television programs, including Court TV's "Crier Today", LETN (Law Enforcement Television Network), CNBC-TV, WOR Radio 710AM and NPR.
"My work with the police agencies, and my extensive experiences as a police psychotherapist, lead me to believe that the release of 'World Trade Center' runs the potential risk of re-traumatizing the already traumatized rescue workers, police officers and survivors," says Killeen. "These people have lived through the horrors of that day and the days that followed and will continue to carry those memories throughout their lifetime."
Contact:
Peter J. Killeen
27 East Main Street
Little Falls, NJ 07424
Phone: 973-819-8537
http://www.thepoliceconnection.org
pjkil@earthlink.net
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
USS NEW YORK
Artists Rendering of the USS New York
With a year to go before it even touches the water, the Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS New York has already made history. It was built with 24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center.
USS New York is about 45 percent complete and should be ready for launch in mid-2007. Katrina disrupted construction when it pounded the Gulf Coast last summer, but the 684-foot vessel escaped serious damage, and workers were back at the yard near New Orleans two weeks after the storm.
It is the fifth in a new class of warship — designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists. It will carry a crew of 360 sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered ashore by helicopters and assault craft.
“It would be fitting if the first mission this ship would go on is to make sure that bin Laden is taken out, his terrorist organization is taken out,” said Glenn Clement, a paint foreman. “He came in through the back door and knocked our towers down and (the New York) is coming right through the front door, and we want them to know that.”
Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry in Amite, La., to cast the ship’s bow section. When it was poured into the molds on Sept. 9, 2003, “those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence,” recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who was there. “It was a spiritual moment for everybody there.”
Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when the trade center steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand and the “hair on my neck stood up.”
“It had a big meaning to it for all of us,” he said. “They knocked us down. They can’t keep us down. We’re going to be back.”
The ship’s motto? - ‘Never Forget‘
