The Freedom Tower

Mary Carouba gave an impassioned and often moving tribute to the 411 rescuers who gave their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. She is a co-author of a new book and she spoke at a book signing in California for “Women at Ground Zero: Stories of Courage and Compassion.”

Women, Carouba said at a book signing in the Bay area of Sonoma County, California, played an indispensable role that was consistently overlooked in press coverage and government statements. Carouba, a retired investigative social worker and former stand-up comedian, saw the efforts of women glossed over after the attacks. She told the story to The Oakleaf Online, the Santa Rosa Junior College’s student newspaper.

Speaking of Rudy
Giuliani’s remarks, she said, “This is what we heard: ‘firemen,’ ‘our brave guys,’ ‘the men we lost today.’ Was there really not one women rescuer?” The tipping point came as she, along with co-author and Sonoma County firefighter Susan Hagen, watched the names of dead rescue workers read on national TV. “And one female” was all the recognition any woman got.

The two booked a hotel in Central Park merely because “central” was in the name. They maxed out their credit cards.

Not knowing where to start, the authors asked a taxi driver to take them to “the bar where women cops hang out after work.”

“There’s always that bar,” Carouba said. “I mean, there was on ‘NYPD Blue.’” The stab in the dark paid off, and soon many who had been at Ground Zero - and shared Carouba’s and Hagen’s frustration - came forward. “They all just started crying. It was such an unusual experience. Three New York cops breaking into tears in a bar,” Carouba said.

“We discovered how much these people are still suffering. It’s like Vietnam all over again,” she said, referring to the many illnesses and health problems caused by the debris and dust in the air. “The survivor’s guilt is incredible.” Lois Mungay, the most decorated firefighter in the NYFD, was 10 minutes late and missed her fire engine. Six of her co-workers, some of whom she had worked with for more than 20 years were on time.

All died.
“I have no doubt that she would rather have been on the fire truck that day than be the one who survived,” said Carouba, who interviewed Mungay extensively. Carouba said Mungay “is the only person I’ve ever known who could make an entire paragraph out of nothing but the F-word.” Mungay flatly refused to have her face on the cover of the book, but changed her mind, to inspire young girls.

In this spirit, the authors are creating a “Women at Ground Zero” scholarship fund at SRJC for students, male and female alike, to enter the field of rescue work.