Officers call New York City
devastation overwhelming
By DICK METZGAR
Staff Writer

FREEHOLD — The sight and conditions at ground zero where both towers of the World Trade Center were obliterated in a terrorist attack on Sept. 11 were ones of pure hell and horror — make no mistake about that.

This was the reaction of Patrolman Michael Sweetman, three other Freehold Borough police officers and 11 members of the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Department who traveled to New York City over the weekend to help search in the rubble for survivors.

Hundreds of people, including New York policemen, firemen and other emergency personnel, have been confirmed dead, while thousands of people are still missing.

"I was completely overwhelmed by what I saw and experienced," said Sweetman, a 1986 graduate of Freehold Borough High School. "I just can’t describe the horror and devastation that we saw. It was much worse than anything we’ve seen on television."

Sweetman and Patrolman Darnell Esdaile arrived at the scene to work with other volunteers at about 10 p.m. Friday. Sgt. Mark Wodell and Patrolman Rich Ciampa left Freehold after finishing their regular patrol shift at 11 p.m. and arrived at ground zero at about 4 a.m. Saturday, Sweetman said.

"Every policeman in our department wanted to go up there and help," Sweetman said. "They would all have gone if that was possible, but at a time like this we must think about keeping our communities safe and help keep the morale of the people up as much as possible. I think that some more of the guys may go to New York on their own time this week, if they can."

Sweetman and Esdaile began their trek to lower Manhattan after helping with a drive to collect essential materials. Borough policemen and firefighters sponsored the drive at the fire department headquarters on West Main Street. Freehold Borough Fire Chief J. Nolan Higgins said the supplies that were collected were sent to New York over the weekend.

Higgins said 15 borough firefighters had been placed on standby alert on Sept. 11 in case their services were needed in New York. The officers were not called to Manhattan.

"We left the borough about 5:30 p.m. Friday and drove to Highlands," Sweetman said. "From there we took the ferry to Pier 11 in New York. We were issued respirators, hard hats and the proper clothes and other equipment that were given to all of the volunteers. Then we got a ride close to ground zero."

That was when the horror and immensity of the worst terrorist attack ever seen in the United States set in, Sweetman said.

"It was awful," the patrolman said. "We found some pieces of flesh, not large enough to be considered body parts. It was even worse than anything you’ve seen on television. Everything around ground zero was destroyed. Everything was gray with dust and dirt. This experience will be with me the rest of my life."

Wodell and Ciampa arrived on the scene about 4 a.m. Saturday and stayed until about noon. Sweetman and Esdaile left about 6 a.m. and returned to Freehold. All are back on regular duty in the borough, Sweetman said.

Sweetman said the experience will forever change his approach to being a policeman. After he graduated from high school, Sweetman served three-and-a-half years in the U.S. Air Force with its security police, where he received some training in dealing with terrorism.

He spent a brief time as a borough firefighter before joining the borough’s police force after returning from his stint in the Air Force.

"I don’t think there’s a whole lot more training we can give our nation’s policemen in dealing with terrorism," Sweetman said, "but it will definitely change us as police officers. I think we will be a lot more suspicious in the future, and we will be more likely to trust our gut instincts."

As great as the horror was at ground zero, Sweetman said he would go again under the circumstances.

"I wanted to go up there as soon as it happened," Sweetman said. "I’m glad I went up there, as bad as it was. All of the other volunteers expressed the same thing."