Healing hands: One volunteer remembers

Dr. Robert Marchese put his hands to good use during the aftermath of September 11. A member of the New York Chiropractic Council, he spent his days at ground zero, massaging the backs of rescue workers, policemen and firefighters toiling 24 hours a day.
He drove to lower Manhattan from his hometown of Maspeth a month after the tragedy, until the following June. He recalls being nervous the first day, but he quickly grew accustomed to his routine.
Marchese worked the 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. shift every weekend along with another chiropractor in St. Pauls Chapel, a location that made his work even more special. His table was set up by the pew where George Washington and his family used to pray.
On any given day, he would see 70 to 100 workers.
The workers would come in spurts, physically tired and emotionally drained. Seeing men cry was part of his routine. "It was very emotional down there," said Marchese. "Sometimes they would break down in front of you."
One of the most unforgettable experiences he had was walking through the middle the wreckage shortly after he started volunteering. Hell never forget the sight of steel beams meshed with earth and debris. Nor will he forget the ashy scent. "It was like the smell of death," said Marchese. "You always have the smell in the back of your head."
Amid the pain, he also witnessed the kindness that flows out of shared grief. When he started working at the site, he and his colleagues would bring their own tables. Yet in time other volunteers donated tables and all other tools needed for his job. "It became like a regular office down there."
His patients, who at first were strangers, would later become friends. One still comes to his practice in Maspeth. Marchese remembers a particular client who had one of the toughest jobs in the clean-up. Because of his short height, he was in charge of going into the crevices of the "pit" and gathering body parts.
Volunteering at the site was pure work. Even on the days that NFL players or Leonardo DiCaprio stopped by to give an encouraging word, and even when Steven Tyler of Aerosmith played soft music in the chapel, Marchese still went about his job. "While you were there, you just concentrated on the work."