The man who found the WTC Steel Cross needs our help

My name is Bobby Rice, I am a retired/disabled police officer from the Port Authority Police Department NJ/PA (DRPA).

I responded with the team I was a member of to the World Trade Center after the terrorist attack on 9/11/01 to assist with the operations. As many who served at Ground Zero we heard the stories and saw the World Trade Center Steel Cross that was discovered amongst the devastation in what was Building #6.

I had the privilege to actually see the steel cross while it was still inside Building #6 before it was removed for all to see when it was placed outside. After the operations ended the cross was again moved and eventually it found its permanent home inside the 9/11 Museum for the world to see and learn it's story.

The construction worker who discovered the cross is Frank Silecchia and this is whom I am setting this GoFundMe account up for.

Frank is barely surviving at this point and needs our help.

These are Frank's words in an article that was written about Frank some years back:

"I've tried to go back to work but I've been discharged. I don't have the stamina any more from this 9/11 stress that I'm going through and the physical disabilities. Financially I am destitute, mentally I am destroyed, and physically I am inept. I'm tired of living in my trailer and of not being able to perform work. I need to exist. Scraping by is not existing."

As we sat for a couple hours over lunch and then outside the restaurant with a friend of mine whom I had not seen in 45 years we listened to Frank's story. He told about his life as a young man, how he wound up at Ground Zero and where he is today.

To see Frank and hear his story you cannot want to help one of our heroes of 9/11. Of course the REAL heroes were the ones who died that day as they responded to help the victims and of course the victims on the planes and in the buildings that day.

The men and women who rushed to the towers as they burned and then those that responded to help in anyway they could after the collapse of the towers are to be recognized also, for they had NO IDEA what was in store for them in years to come. To this day men and women are dying almost daily due to what we were exposed to at Ground Zero.

More police & fire personnel have died as a result of what they were exposed to to date than those that were killed when the buildings collapsed.

Frank is also one of the "walking wounded", suffering from conditions as a result of his work at Ground Zero, as I myself am, having cancer cut out of my body 3 times already. We do have a program to assist us with our medical issues but that is another story and even though it has helped me immensely to this point it has failed many. Like our military veterans, some of the same people run the 9/11 program and we must wait weeks to months for care and some die before receiving that care.

Frank is a humble man and as I told him about the account I would set up for him, he stated that once he received what he needed to get done what he needed he would stop the account. I told him "you will leave that account going until the company stops it, if people are still sending you money to help, you accept it." He even wanted to know how he would to pay people back if possible.

I reminded him of what the bible says about lending people money and when people donate to these established accounts that is the mindset, they want to help and get nothing in return

“Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate."

In these days we are seeing in the news accused criminals receiving millions of dollars and if we cant help one of our heroes from 9/11 then there is something wrong, but what is really wrong is that we even have to do this, this should not be.

Wrapping this up, Frank is living in a small pull behind trailer on a piece of property in South Carolina that he bought and owns. Somewhere on the property is well but it has not been located and Frank need to get a well sunk for water. He is trying to get a structure to live in similar to a shed which many people in this area convert into "tiny homes".

Also Frank had purchased a drivable mobile home and which is a few hours away and needs mechanical work to get it to his location which would make living for him a little better. He did find someone that would tow it to his location for $450.00

Frank deserves to live better than what he is. He talked of a possible movie deal about his story, whether or not that will happen, he is hoping that will help him financially, but he cant wait for that, HE NEEDS HELP NOW !

Frank receives just under $2,000.00 a month from his pension and Social Security to live on and that is not enough, even though it goes allot farther living in the area he does.

I truly believe that God brought us together for a reason and one thing I am good at is helping others if God opens the door.

PLEASE pray about helping Frank, no matter how small of an amount you can afford and share this GoFundMe page on your social media for others to see.

Every cent of this money after the fees are taken will go to Frank to help him survive for whatever time he has left, because we never know what will pop up from what he was exposed to at Ground Zero.

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