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Auxiliary Facility 403929, WTC VIP Mission

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Image courtesy of Alan Yuen, DDO-MS1SR
Java script courtesy of Ken Sommers, ADSO-CS 1SR

Saturday, September 22, 2001, on the way home from the District Board Meeting, my pager goes off. It was Bob Swartz, Auxiliary Operations. " We need a vessel for VIP transport on Monday, is the 40' Facility available?" I told him it should not be a problem. Monday. September 24, 2001, Auxiliary Facility 403929, with Ken Sutherland, "Jack" Jaklitsch and myself arrive at Coast Guard Station New York to pick up our passengers. Down the ramp comes Admiral Richard Bennis, Commanding officer of CGACTNY, Captain Patrick Harris, the Deputy Commander of ACTNY, LCDR Paul Gerecke and Bob Kingsley, ADSO-AVT. Our mission was to take our passengers to North Cove marina for a tour of “Ground Zero” We were supposed to pick up Admiral Johnson from CG Headquarters at the Intrepid also, but that was changed to meeting him at North Cove Marina. The pictures of Ground Zero will probably be the last ones for a while. We were notified at Ground Zero that no cameras will be allowed after this and authorization will be required in the future or they will confiscate any unauthorized cameras. Alan Yuen, DDO-MS Image courtesy of Alan Yuen, DDO-MS 1SR and Bob Kingsley, ADSO-AVT

View of damaged Building by ground Zero	Ken Sutherland, Admiral Richard Bennis, LCDR Paul Gerecke and Captain Pat Harris at Coast Guard Station New York.

View of remaining portion of the World Trade center tower.	Alan Yuen DDO-MS, Admiral Richard Bennis, “Jack” Jaklitsch, LCDR Paul Gerecke and Captain Patrick Harris at Coast Guard Station New York.

Another view of remaining portion of the World Trade center tower.	Robert Kingsley, ADSO-AVT and Ken Sutherland, FC-14-01 at North Cove Marina in front of the Winter Garden .

View of damage to the Gateway Plaza building.	Ken Sutherland, FC-14-01, Admiral Johnson, Admiral Bennis, LCDR Gerecke and Bob Kingsley ADSO-AVT on the dock at North Cove marina.

View of another damaged building by Ground Zero. Note the temporary sanitation units for the rescue workers at the bottom of the photo.	View of Manhattan skyline as 403929 heads back to Station New York.

View of damaged building above the Winter Garden.	Aft view from 403929, Manhattan is barely visible in the haze.

Rescue workers taking a break by Ground Zero.	Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma on station off the tip of Manhattan island.

View of the Battery Building and the Staten Island Ferry.	Auxiliary Facility 403929 moored at North Cove Marina.