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American Morning
Reactions From New York Firefighters To Bin Laden Video
Aired December 14, 2001 - 08:12 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Now we get the view from ground zero. While all of America is talking about the bin Laden video, the members of New York's bravest have a unique perspective. They have seen up close the carnage and the destruction caused by bin Laden's terror tactics. For three months now they have been searching the rubble for the remains of their brother firefighters and other victims.
John Sorrentino's ladder company in Brooklyn lost eight men that tragic day. He joins me now along with firefighter Robert Thompson who is, I guess, one of three generations in your family that has fought fires here ...
ROBERT THOMPSON, NEW YORK FIREFIGHTER: Yes.
ZAHN: ... in the community. It's good to have you both with us this morning. What were your immediate thoughts after watching the bin Laden tape yesterday?
JOHN SORRENTINO, NEW YORK FIREFIGHTER: It was painful to watch these men smiling and laughing, taking so much pride in the fact that they mastermind their plot that killed over 3,000 people.
ZAHN: And you watched this tape in the firehouse?
SORRENTINO: Yes I did.
ZAHN: With your colleagues? Like we just said a battalion that lost eight of its members. How close to home did it hit yesterday when you were all watched this collectively?
SORRENTINO: We all pretty much had the same reaction. We just sat there and watched it and everybody said the same exact thing. It's scary that there's people in the world like that.
ZAHN: Robert, you watched from a different venue. You were downtown at a place called (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
THOMPSON: Yes.
ZAHN: It's basically a man who has basically been providing free food for firefighters and police officers and rescue workers. What was the reaction there?
THOMPSON: Basically the same. Everyone was riveted to the TV just watching it -- myself included. It was just sickening to watch him, you know, smiling -- bin Laden and basically it -- that the man just showed how evil he is and I'm glad the tape went on so everyone could see what kind of person he is.
ZAHN: I know there was a sensitivity among some family members that by airing this tape, that you were allowing him to spread propaganda and they would have been more comfortable if just a transcript of the tape had been released. You're happy this went on television, right Robert?
THOMPSON: Yes I am.
ZAHN: Just for those reasons you stated?
THOMPSON: Because it shows -- if anyone had -- if anyone could possibly have had a doubt that this man was behind this attack, I think by watching that tape would dispel any reason that he did it. He was behind the whole thing. (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
ZAHN: John, tell us how all of you are trying to move ahead. You still have 75 of your own that have to deal with being down at ground zero everyday. Walk us through the process all of you are going through as you try to rebuild your lives.
SORRENTINO: It's tough. We have eight guys in my firehouse alone and there are efforts now on helping families out. So now that it's the holiday season, it's even tougher, so we're really concentrating on getting them through this and our own families too.
ZAHN: And Robert, how about in your particular firehouse?
THOMPSON: I work at ground zero everyday. I'm down there trying to help out as best I can. And it's good -- we try and help the firefighters as they come down, family members as best we can.
ZAHN: We're looking at the scene now -- a live picture for folks who have never been down there. Both of us -- both of you describe to us what it's like now and these workers are basically picking through the rubble -- you know handful by handful now as you go through this painstaking process.
THOMPSON: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) very sad.
SORRENTINO: It was a massive undertaking. I remember the first few days down there, everyone said how could you possibly go through this? How are you going to find all these people, but here it is three months later and they've already, you know, they've got half the rubble out of there. They haven't found as many bodies that they'd like, but they're getting the job done little by little.
ZAHN: And before we let you go today, there's been so much controversy about some families able to get funds that they so deserve and other families having a harder time. The eight families that have been so stricken by this terror, are they satisfied with the level of support they've gotten from the Trade Center funds and the Red Cross? SORRENTINO: I think they're very happy with the support they've been getting -- monetary, friends, everybody has been pitching in to help everybody else.
ZAHN: And do you feel the support of the public these days?
THOMPSON: It's amazing. It's -- everybody keeps coming up to you and it's embarrassing at times because everybody's so helpful and so -- but they really feel it in their hearts they want to just say thank you.
ZAHN: Don't be embarrassed. You are a hero. Robert, thank you.
THOMPSON: Thank you.
ZAHN: May you have a wonderful holiday along with John and your family. Thank you ...
SORRENTINO: Thank you.
(CROSSTALK)
ZAHN: ... for dropping by today. Appreciate your time.
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