Ceremonies Mark Tenth Anniversary of Anthrax Attacks
Ten years have elapsed since the horrific anthrax bio-terrorist attacks, allegedly facilitated by a lone madman, and delivered through the United States Postal Service. In the wake of the tragic terrorist attacks of 9/11, a weapons-grade strain of the biological agent anthrax was intentionally placed in envelopes and dropped into the mail stream in Trenton, New Jersey. These attacks ultimately killed five people and infected countless others. The attacks were targeted at various news organizations, political figures, and others. As anthrax spores were detected and inhalation infections announced in several states, public panic ensued. Suspected targeted buildings were evacuated and locked down, including the campus of the United States Capitol, to which at least two of the anthrax filled letters were mailed.
As these envelopes, laden with the deadly white powder, made their way through the postal processing system, quantities of the powder escaped into the air, to be inhaled by unsuspecting postal workers. Traces of the deadly anthrax were detected in mail processing facilities in Trenton, New Jersey, Wallingford, Connecticut, and at the Brentwood Road facility in Washington, DC. Following reports of illness from workers in those facilities, and confirmation of the deadly microscopic agent, an emergency response plan was initiated, eventually locking down the facilities, directing medical testing and treatment, and calling for antibiotic medications for workers and others who may have come in contact with the deadly airborne bacteria.
Tragically, lock-down of the Brentwood Road facility happened too late. Two postal workers, Joseph P. Curseen Jr. and Thomas L. Morris Jr., already had inhaled the aerosolized anthrax and had taken severely ill. Sadly, these two workers succumbed to the effects of the bacteria. Thomas Morris died on October 21, 2011, and Joseph Curseen the following day. These two brave and dedicated postal workers paid the ultimate sacrifice as a result of the despicable actions of an alleged lone perpetrator. Following Congressional action to rename the Brentwood facility in honor of our fallen brothers, that processing plant went through extensive remediation and renovation, reopening in December 2003 as the Curseen-Morris Mail Processing and Distribution Center.
And on October 21, 2011, the postal community gathered at what is now the Curseen-Morris facility, to mark the tenth anniversary of this terrible attack. NPMHU National President John Hegarty joined other Mail Handlers officers and members and fellow postal workers at this ceremony, and was honored to personally thank and acknowledge everyone affected by the tragic events of a decade ago.
Fittingly, prior to the formal, indoor ceremony, a sunrise vigil was held outside the Curseen-Morris facility at which many of the workers recounted their memories of brothers Curseen and Morris. On behalf of the 47,000 mail handlers nationwide, National President Hegarty offered our continued support and gratitude to all of the dedicated postal employees who suffered through the ordeal of ten years ago. “In the labor movement, we refer to each other as brothers and sisters,” said Hegarty. “That’s because we are a family. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Morris and Curseen families, as well as with all postal employees who suffered the ill effects of anthrax exposure.”
A similar ceremony of remembrance took place at the Hamilton Facility in Trenton, New Jersey on October 18, 2011, where the community also gathered to pay respect to all those whose lives were impacted by the horrific 2001 anthrax attacks.
The NPMHU joins the entire postal family and, in particular the Washington, DC, Trenton, NJ, and Wallingford, CT communities, to once again honor those who gave their lives, to remember those who survived, and to thank all those who continue to soldier on in the face of danger and uncertainty.
