Summerlin residents share their 9/11 experiences

Like John F. Kennedy's assassination, many people claim they always will remember where they were when they learned of the terrorist attacks on 9/11.

Summerlin resident Ed Bergen has more of a reason to remember than most.

He was a firefighter captain in New York City for 23 years, stationed with Engine Company No. 5 on 14th Street. He had retired the day before the attacks. His fellow firefighters, his "brothers," were some of the first responders.

"My wife woke me up crying," he said. "I watched the second tower being hit. I was just in shock. I could have helped."

Bergen did help. He hurried to ground zero, stopping only to grab the first firefighter outfit he came upon at Engine Company No. 5, and went to the smoking wreckage. But there wasn't much anyone could do.

"It was smoky it was like a movie set. Nobody was coming out who wasn't already out," he said.

His best friend, firefighter Manny DelValle, a Marine in his early 30s, died in the towers' collapse. Bergen would later learn that DelValle last was seen on the stairwell about 30 flights up, helping an older woman.

Bergen also lost eight other "brothers" from his softball team.

"I was going to a funeral every other day," he said of the aftermath.

He had nightmares about the attacks for months.

Bergen recalled how he and his fellow firefighters had trained on the twin towers when the skyscrapers were still under construction, running up the stairs in full gear, roughly 75 pounds of equipment. They never complained.

"The people of New York got the best fire department (possible), the best in the world," he said.

Summerlin-area resident Dan Gray worked on the 27th floor of the north tower as a consultant for Blue Cross. His usual routine was to go down to the main floor for a cup of coffee between 8:30 and 9 a.m. If his colleague Cynthia Giugliano was in, they usually went together. Giugliano was not around this day, but then Gray had decided this was his week to kick his caffeine habit. So he was at his desk when he felt two huge vibrations.

"The first was like a shock, then five seconds later, the whole building rocked," he said. "I thought maybe it was an explosion."

The World Trade Center bombing of 1993 meant every company in the towers held regular fire drills, so everyone was well prepared to evacuate.

"You could have found them (the stairs) if you were blindfolded," he said.

Everyone immediately headed for the stairwells.

"The elevator was the worst place to be because the jet fuel came down the elevator shafts," he said.

The jet fuel was on fire, so volatile it blew the doors off the elevators. He later learned Giugliano was in one of the elevators, on her way up to work. He would have been there, too, if he hadn't decided to give up coffee.

When Gray reached the mezzanine floor, debris was falling. Police allowed only two people at a time to run out of the building, a precaution to try to minimize casualties should large chunks of concrete fall. His turn came just as the second plane hit the other tower.

"I looked back and saw the hole in the side of the building," he said. "I saw people jumping off."

In 1982, Glen Mahurin worked on almost the top floor of tower No. 1. He had moved to Las Vegas before 9/11 and worked nights as a cab driver. He had been asleep two hours when his phone rang and he was told to turn on the TV.

"I saw the plane hit the second tower," he said. "I knew it was the work of terrorists."

Mahurin had family in New York. His cousin, Al Molinaro, was a firefighter in New York City but was not on duty when the planes crashed into the World Trade Center. Molinaro hurried off to help but had a tough time getting into the city. He eventually got there by the afternoon.

"He saved a man," Mahurin said. "He heard him moving under the rubble."

The following day, AOL's home page used a photo of Molinaro, holding his face in his hand.

"I thought America was a little too invincible for that (to happen)," Mahurin said. "But I guess not."

South Summerlin resident Holly Silvestri was out of the country when the terrorists attacked.

"I was in Italy on vacation when 9/11 happened," she said. "I remember waiting in a long line at the American Embassy in Rome to seek advice on what to do and our next steps to return to the United States. There were several dozen flowers and bouquets that the Italians were leaving on the lawn in front of the embassy, amid all the armed security.

"One old, emotional Italian man carrying a bouquet looked over at us and said, 'These are for you.' Those words spoke volumes to me and showed me the massive stretch of grief that encompassed our world that day. It also was the first time that our desire to 'get home' was a desire to step on American soil again, no matter which city or state. We just wanted to be home with fellow Americans again."

Contact Summerlin/Summerlin South View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 387-2949.