9/11: Grosse Pointe's Dieter Remembers

Although Ground Zero is a lasting image of violence, it was what the Rev. David Dieter describes as a loving, godly place in the days after 9/11 where emergency responders worked with sensitivity.

Dieter was a student at General Theological Seminary in New York City on 9/11—about 40 city blocks from the Twin Towers with a straight view of them down 10th Avenue. 

He was among the first clergy to respond to the scene three days after the actual attack. The towers were still burning and the city that never sleeps was silent. The rushing sounds of traffic, the subway and the otherwise normal hustle and bustle was absent.

"The whole city shut down," Dieter said. "The silence was beyond creepy."

He and other students walked to the towers, which took about two hours. Battleships were on the Hudson River and they passed through seven security checkpoints before being allowed on the smoldering site, he said.

They were on site to provide water and food to the firefighters and to be on hand if any bodies were recovered.

"It was a peaceful, loving environment in spite of it all," Dieter said, decribing the thoughtful and sensitive nature of the firefighters searching the debris. "There is so much talk about evil but it was a loving, godly place."

His crew worked 14-hour shifts. There was no discussion among the group during the two-hour walk back, he recalls. 

"We watched what was going on," he said. "Everyone needed to be silent. The next thing we did as students: we went to a mosque."

Between shifts at the site or at St. Paul's Chapel, where spears of the World Trade Center peppered the cemetery, Dieter's group made an effort to go to local restaurants owned by Muslims. The attacks led to boycotting of many businesses owned by Muslims but these were people who also lost family and friends in the attacks, Dieter said.

Dieter has carried his experience with him not only as a seminary student then but also as a reverend in Grosse Pointe now. At first, the months of ongoing smoldering at the site left the city smoky—a constant reminder to those living and working there, Dieter said. 

His experience has "altered his thinking forever," and urged him to help educate others about not making blanket judgements about people.

"Be careful about blanket judging people," Dieter said. "There is bad in every race, creed, color and religion. There is good in every race, creed, color and religion."

Dieter strives to educate parishioners about how others are impacted and has organized projects in which people from several different religious groups have participated, he said.

He will perform the worship services today—the 10-year anniversary of 9/11.