9/11 first responder
By: Noah Larson
Updated: September 5, 2011
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) -- Tony Rajer of Green Bay was in New York City in September of 2001 doing art conservation work.
"I'd been contracted by the American Folk Art Museum to get the new building up and running when 9/11 happened," Rajer said.
He was just 60 blocks away from Ground Zero. After witnessing a port authority order more than 10,000 body bags, Rajer, who is also a Red Cross volunteer, thought "How can I help?"
"There was a Red Cross rep there, I said 'I have a gift for languages, if you need assistance in any manner possible," Rajer said.
The next morning Rajer was making bilingual signs for volunteers.
"They shipped me to Brooklyn for food service distribution at Ground Zero," Rajer said. "Within a few days they asked, 'Can you drive?' I said yeah, I'm from Wisconsin. I drove emergency rescue vehicles in and out of Ground Zero from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the morning."
Rajer has taken his work at Ground Zero and turned it into a learning experience. He recently gave a presentation at Green Bay's Neville Museum, covering the history of the World Trade Center, the memorials created by New Yorkers and what construction is currently being done at Ground Zero.
"It was cathartic for me to make these presentations, what regular people can do after a disaster to help with recover," said Rajer.
Rajer will be making a presentation at the Rahr West Museum in Manitowoc on September 11th at 1 p.m.
"I'd been contracted by the American Folk Art Museum to get the new building up and running when 9/11 happened," Rajer said.
He was just 60 blocks away from Ground Zero. After witnessing a port authority order more than 10,000 body bags, Rajer, who is also a Red Cross volunteer, thought "How can I help?"
"There was a Red Cross rep there, I said 'I have a gift for languages, if you need assistance in any manner possible," Rajer said.
The next morning Rajer was making bilingual signs for volunteers.
"They shipped me to Brooklyn for food service distribution at Ground Zero," Rajer said. "Within a few days they asked, 'Can you drive?' I said yeah, I'm from Wisconsin. I drove emergency rescue vehicles in and out of Ground Zero from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the morning."
Rajer has taken his work at Ground Zero and turned it into a learning experience. He recently gave a presentation at Green Bay's Neville Museum, covering the history of the World Trade Center, the memorials created by New Yorkers and what construction is currently being done at Ground Zero.
"It was cathartic for me to make these presentations, what regular people can do after a disaster to help with recover," said Rajer.
Rajer will be making a presentation at the Rahr West Museum in Manitowoc on September 11th at 1 p.m.
