Courtesy Chris Csoka
Construction has been my trade, my passion, for well over 20 years. But far and away, my greatest source of humility was serving our country, helping with the cleanup of the 9/11 World Trade Center tragedy.
Emotionally, the project was draining. Physically, we had to overcome frightening environmental hazards. Toxic piles of metal, crushed rebar, fuel oil, glass and other awful things were tearing through my work boots every four days. I finally got a pair of Red Wing 2292s and they were lifesavers. Literally. Not only did they last two months (or 15 times longer than any other boot), but they protected me from electrocution during an accident. Since I wasn’t hurt, I was able to help another guy on the crew who was starting to get smoke inhalation during that accident.
I hope we never have to see days like that again. But we showed the world what we’re made of and I’m deeply honored to have done my part.—Chris Csoka
