NEW YORK--Eleven Japanese firefighters who pitched in at Ground Zero following the 9/11 terrorist attacks here were recently reunited with their American colleagues for the first time since the tragedy.
NEW YORK--Eleven Japanese firefighters who pitched in at Ground Zero following the 9/11 terrorist attacks here were recently reunited with their American colleagues for the first time since the tragedy.
A 9/11 memorial organization near Ground Zero will offer an award to the Japanese team as a token of gratitude for their support.
Koichi Shizawa, 46, a member of the team that was in New York 10 years ago and who works for Yokohama municipal fire department, played down any suggestion of heroics.
"We just ended up being part of the rescue effort due to a series of coincidences," he said.
Shizawa explained that he received an e-mail asking for assistance from a firefighter in New York City who he had met at the World Police and Fire Games 2001, an international sports competition involving policemen and firefighters held shortly before the attacks.
In response to the request, the Japanese firefighters arrived on the scene 17 days later.
Working alongside local firefighters, the Japanese dug in the rubble for about 10 hours straight to search for victims' belongings.
On Aug. 29, they visited the memorial facility set up at Ground Zero where the twin towers of the World Trade Center stood 10 years ago.
Staff at the facility were so excited when they learned the Japanese were coming that they arranged to display photos at the memorial facility of them working at Ground Zero along with T-shirts made in Japan calling on people to support survivors of the 9/11 attacks.
This year, some 15,000 firefighters and policemen -- far more than in previous years -- joined the sports competition as part of a 10th anniversary remembrance of the tragedy.
During the opening ceremony, about 50 Japanese firefighters and policemen marched with a banner reading "Thank you for your support" to express gratitude for help from overseas in rebuilding efforts following the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake.