Dear Friends and Family,

As we enter week three, I’m pleased to report that the work at the Pentagon has been concluded. It was good to see so many governmental agencies and all the branches of the military working together for the families who were so directly affected by the attack on the Pentagon. For the first 10 days I was here, I was asked to work at the incident site. When remains were discovered in the building, I would accompany the recovery team into the building and offer a prayer and blessing over the remains. In almost every case there was nothing identifiable. The intensity of the heat from the explosion and fire completely consumed those who were killed in the attack. The only exception was an army officer who was found with his nametag completely intact.

The importance of the recovery of remains and the knowledge that a prayer had been offered upon discovery was of tremendous importance to the families who were waiting for some word. As of today, 100 of the 183 who were killed have positively been identified. The relief to the families when a positive ID has been made is of incalculable value.

The other area of responsibility was to debrief the soldiers who were going into the building each day clearing debris and coming upon body parts. These were young soldiers – 19 and 20 year olds – who expected that when they were selected to become part of the honor guard would never have to do anything closely resembling what they ended up doing in the aftermath of the attack. Many were experiencing nightmares, sleep or eating disorders, and general lethargy and depression.

After the FBI turned the building over to the DOD last Thursday, my duty station became the Family Assistance Center. This is the place where families come each day to be briefed on any new developments and have their questions answered. I’ve been so impressed with the General who has been leading the effort here. He is very straight-forward with the facts – no spin, just facts. He’s also extremely compassionate and a good listener. He was well chosen.

My work here has been to be available to the families who continue to experience the roller coaster ride of their grief. Some are so relieved when a positive ID has been made. Others continue to experience anguish and frustration because an ID has not yet been made. The passengers on board flight 77 have taken the longest to ID because of the need to obtain dental records or DNA samples. Obviously, the military already had those records and/or samples on file.

I’ve conducted one funeral so far, but more are scheduled over the next two weeks. It is, indeed, an honor to be a part of this mission, but I eagerly look forward to my return to San Diego around Oct 16 or 17. I’m more committed than ever to make PromiseLand Ranch a reality. All of us need to continue working to insure that the world we share with the generations coming up behind us is one where a greater sharing of all our resources becomes the reality.

Thanks for your prayers and your support. I know I have taken so much for granted during my lifetime. I’ve been exceptionally fortunate and blessed – especially with family and friends. This experience has made me even more aware of how fortunate I have been and the many times I have been concerned with so much that doesn’t really matter when we get a chance to view the bigger picture.

I look forward to seeing you soon.

Father Bill Metzdorf