Tommy Sands

Tommy Sands was a general superintendent for the Hudson-Bergen train line on September 11, 2001. He and his team were working on a viaduct over Exchange Place in Jersey City, New Jersey, just across the Hudson River from Manhattan. Sands recalls looking up at the World Trade Center and seeing a fireball after the first plane hit the North Tower. Initially, they thought it was a small commuter plane, however, upon looking through Sands’ survey system, they were able to see the catastrophic damage the plane had caused. Shortly after, they watched as the second plane made its way along the Hudson River and struck the South Tower. From across the river, the group saw the Twin Towers collapse. Sands recalls his welding supervisor telling him that the world was never going to be the same.

Having unfortunately had a very clear view of the attacks, seeing the Towers collapse is something that plays in Sands’ mind over and over. He recalls experiencing an overwhelming feeling of wanting to help and aid those who were immediately affected.

Not long after the collapse of the Towers, Sands recalls smelling burning plastic from the World Trade Center site in Jersey City, New Jersey, where he was working.

Sands’ job was to clean out and rebuild the rail line tunnels and tubes, as some of them had collapsed. He and his team drilled them out, opened them up, and made them bigger and better. Together, they rebuilt the PATH train tunnels E and F from Exchange Place.

While he worked, Sands also inhaled fumes from generators that were providing power underground. Eventually, he wasn’t able to ignore his health. It had become painful for him to breathe. He urged his doctors to give him anything and everything to make him feel better, as he had every intention of completing his mission to rebuild the rail lines. Not doing so wasn’t an option. Sands recalls all of his fellow workers coming to work each morning with that same passion, drive, and determination to complete their mission. This work had become their way to help and contribute following the loss of so many innocent lives.

Just in time for July 4th in 2003, Sands and his team got the first train in. With relief and pride, he was glad for people to be able to travel downtown via the rail line and face their fears. To be able to say, “I built that,” is something that makes Sands very proud.