Land in arizona the citys wouldbe reformer is in jail if you have driven through Central Florida you may have stopped a legendary speed trap. The place so bad, the state threatens to wipe it off of the map you cant make that up the best place for the worst to happen. How boston survived the attack on its beloved marathon. What that i had the difference in those first critical hours and in every day since. The tragedy has brought the city tighter. It made boston a smaller city than it was before. One year later, tracking the steps that made boston strong. Good evening. Thanks for joining us. I am joey chin. At the whitehouse, the obama adm administration has forced a Record Number of migrants to leave the United States. While the white house says it has targeted documented criminals, we found some deportees had every right to stay here. In an exclusive report, alan remainey met one man who for the for three years to keep his citizenship and another is fighting to keep from being wrongly deported this is perg an atory. He gets across the border and lands in jail. When you get released from he here. In prison in arizona, he has been here so many times, the guards joke he is a frequent flier. Every time he crosses the u. S. Border, he risks injuries or worse. Border agents once picked him up nearly dead from dehydration. Another time, smugglers beat him up and broke his fingers. Once, he was kidnapped they put littin a room where there was a bunch of blood on the walls and they tie us up from the back, put tape on us, and they put us on our knees he only escaped with a strangers help get the bus and get out of here, she told me because if they get you, they are going to kill you every time you come back, you face a risk you could die. Why do you keep coming back . Because i dont have no family in mexico. I dont have nobody in mexico. I dont have nobody to help me out. What can i do in mexico . He says he has strong evidence that he is a u. S. Citiz citizen. This is his fathers Arizona State birth certificate, usually proof enough. It was enough to convince a federal criminal jury that he broke no law when he crossed the border into the u. S. And like all u. S. Citizens, have the right to enter the country. But those who make the final determination on citizenship, immigration judges, vint been persuaded. So his life is in limbo. He crosses in areas like this, the open dessert. In the summer, high temperatures often reach above 100 degrees. According to official figures, more than 2200 my grants have died along arizonas border since 2001. The number could be much higher. Immigration officials denied several requests for an interview, but in a statement to al jazeera, the government avoided saying whether esteban was or wasnt a citizens. They only say the judge ordered him to be deported and they site his criminal history including burglary to his house, the place where he has lived all but three of his 40 years. He says its the only place he considers home. Julio rena says she needs her youngest son at home translator i am worried about estaban, that he is out there alone, whether he is eating, what hes eating, where he is sleeping. Something might happen to him. 83 years old, she has little time left with her son. Many mothers share her plight. Esteban is among nearly 2 Million People deported under president barack obama, a record we wanted to meet others who say they were deported despite being u. S. Citizens. In louisiana oysterman robeles is under tpicked up by chance o the outskirts of new orleans. Immigration officers didnt believe he was a citizen. It took them three years to prove them wrong. He still feels he could be deported again. I kind of get nervous when i pass a Police Officer because i am hispanic, and they look at me. They see i am a hispanic. And i might end up going through the same thing again because my Social Security number is not active. It shows i am deported. The government told us as quote a convicted alien, he was a deportation priority. He pleaded guilty to illegal entry of a property and has been charged with possessing drugs and stolen property but they allowed him back in. In 2012, they finally, issued him this document. It states he became a citizens in 2002, six years before he was deported. We asked immigration and Customs Enforcement or ice if it had mistakenlist deported a u. S. Citiz citizen. The agency didnt respond. When he returned, he rye joined his family here they thought long for the lock and hard for his return. Now they have started a fight to have his record wiped clean. Andres is suing the government for a million and a half dollars and to have any mention of hi deportation purged from federal data basis. Without that, he can only work under the table. He cant fully exercise his rights. His lawyer says its a test case. It could set a precedent not just for deportees removed illegally but for anyone looking for a completely new start including terrorism suspects. The government says andres never mentioned at his deportation hearing he was a u. S. Citizens but he did tell an immigration officer during an interrogation, andres is asked of what country reare you a citizen . His answer the United States. They nodded and looked up and i told them my dad was a citizen. And they looked up the file and they showed me that on the computer, his picture and a u. S. Citizen but it says deported his lawyer says the fathers file should have given officials pause. It seems that at some point, someone should have looked at what he was saying and listened and said, oh, wait. Lets slow this down and lets actually invisinvestigate. When you look at the records that ice created under which andres is claiming he is a United States citizen and 3 months later, the United States is putting him on a plane and walking him across u. S. mexico border, it seems something had to have broken down. Without his family andres would never have returned to the u. S. His sister quit her job to work fulltime to prove he was a citizen. She doesnt believe president obamas promise to keep Families Together they say they are going to stop separating families, but they are not. They continue to separate families. More and more, i hear soandso got deported, my family got deported but they said they were going to stop this. Is it really going to stop, or are they going to keep separating these families. While in mexico, andres missed the birth of his niece and nephew. He is making up for lost time. His sister says sometimes she feels like she no longer knows her brother. She is hoping a clean record and damages will bring back the brother she knew. He really changed. I am hoping if we win this, maybe he will come back. I mean we have its a person here, but it just physical. Not his spark, not his sense of humor is gone. Happy person that i knew is not here. She only sees the old andres when he is lost in play with the kids he is just now getting to know. Do you pray . Esteban can only dream of such freedom. He has been in prison nearly three months this time. He is dreading another deportation and cant believe this is what his life has become its stressed me out so much. I get depressed because where i am goi what i am going through, crossing through the desert and they keep deporting me. I think thats not fair what they are doing to me. They keep kicking me out of my country. Just days later, estebans cycle will begin again. Immigration officials deported him back to mexico, a country where he feels like a stranger. For the first time, he finds himself questioning if he has the strength to make it across the border again only to face another stint in prison. He wonders if he will ever go home. Adam rainey, al jazeera on the u. S. mexico border we knowaj has made repeated request to the u. S. Immigrations and Customs Division and the department of homeland security. Both agencies however declined to be interviews. After the break, ever thought you had gotten snared in a florida speed trap . This is it, one where they moved the town limits just to get you once we got out there, it just kind of snow balled from there. And thats not even half the craziness thats been going on in the most corrupt city in america. The incredible story of a town thats still trying to track its missing money, not to mention its missing water. Also ahead, one year later, boston turns a corner. Bu the time that i got to the finish line, it was a amazing that everyone was there and almost every single victim already had somebody helping them remembering the tragedy that could have brought the Marathon City to a halt. Learning what made boston strong in the crisis and ready to run again. Get our exclusive in depth, reporting when you want it. A global perspective wherever you are. The major headlines in context. Mashable says. Youll never miss the latest news they will continue looking for suvivors. The potential for Energy Production is huge. No noise, no clutter, just real reporting. The new Al Jazeera America mobile app, available for your apple and android mobile device. Download it now the stream is uniquely interactive television. In fact, we depend on you, your ideas, your concerns. All these folks are making a whole lot of money. You are one of the voices of this show. I think youve offended everyone with that kathy. Hold on, theres some room to offend people, im here. We have a right to know whats in our food and monsanto do not have the right to hide it from us. So join the conversation and make it your own. Watch the stream. And join the conversation online ajamstream. So if youve ever driven through Central Florida, you may have made an unplanned stop in what has been called the most corrupt town in america. Its hampton, florida, where there is a notorious speed trap not to mention missing money, missing water and city records lost in a swamp. At one point, things were so bad, state lawmakers threatened to wipe hampton off of the map. What happened next may be a bigger surprise. A southern gothic tape from sin and redemption from sheila mick havinger. Over the tracks, past the swamp, this is hampton florida, population 477 incorporated in 1925. A town dripping in moss, way off the beaten path, a town where everyone knows everyone and their business, too. Its like mayberry, u. S. A. Here, you know, like a onehorse town. About this mayberry is deeply mired in allegations of corruption and cronyism. The people are hampton now trying to save the town from years long neglect and a web of scandal that promises politicians upstate in the capital, tallahassee, to threaten to wipe hampton off of the map former hampton mayor, jim mitsell that ran city hall the way they want to run city hall. It was ran their way or it was a highway. And nobody there you go again i will phrase it again. Nobody rocked the boat. Nobody paid any attention. It was so real. It was almost make believe because you say that really cant be happening. But you cant get make that kind of stuff up gordon smith is the county sheriff now investigating the goings on hampton where one powerful local plan with deep roots here controlled city hall and had five members on the payroll, the citys entired paid work force. The citys former Maintenance Man lived here for some reason, there are still city vehicles in the yard. His mother, the former town clerk lives around the corner. All five are under criminal investigation and dodging cameras. It appears they used the taxpayers drawers like an open pocketbook. A personal piggy bank and it totalled up over a period of time to be large sums of money. What was it all spent on . We would like to know but all of that stuff has been destroyed. State awediltors made tried to make sense. The more they dug, the more they found. As more corruption assed to the surface one of the towns major income streams seemed to evaporate. You could read the meter . 0963604 years, the state audit found water bills went uncollected. Some residents werent billed at all. Checks sat around and cash like records just disappeared. People would come in and pay a check or cash. Some would get a receipt. Some wouldnt get a reit. An astonishing 46 of hamptons water is simply unaccounted for. He claimed he lost his boiler book in the swamp. He wrecked the city vehicle and he lost it in the swamp. Dan williams is a banker and ordained pastor on the new city council my personal opinion is that it would be very reckless, be very careless to try to keep meter books in such a way that they could get lost in that. Disappear into a swamp . Disappear into a swamp. Why would you drive a vehicle into the swamp in the first place. You believe that, i have some swampland in address if you belief that story. Thats a good one on me. That a new one this then there is the rest of hamptons revenues. Hundreds of thousands of dollars simply vanished. You went to see another former mayor elected last year as a reformer. He is now living at what the sheriff likes to call Bradford Countys only gated community. Its jail. Bash moore is awaiting trial on charges he was dealing drugs. Did we mention he was elected as a reformer . According to the audit, there was 27,000 spent at walmart on a credit card. Nothing to show for it. The thing doesnt have a lawn mower, an edger, a shovel. Where did all of this money go . It turns out before he was arrested, the mayor was actually trying to clean up the town and follow the money trail. And that brings us to hamptons biggest money maker, a not orous speed trap. When he was mayor, he says the police chief proposed an exing a few hundred feet of the local highway about a mile outside the towns limits. So it was his idea, and i supported it because we were trying to generate revenue off of the speeding tickets. Once we got out there, it just kind of snowballed from there. All they did was sit out on 301 and write tickets, ticket after ticket. You would here them out there all the time. I mean just sirens going crazy. It was absolutely crazy. An officer would wear an ak47 to patrol. He thought he was rambo. Everybody nicknamed his rambo Hamptons Police department grew to as many as 19 officers for a city of fewer than 500 people. The audit says they were writing thousands of speeding tickets raking in more than 200,000 a year. It didnt smepass the smell tes i get paid to be nosey. I say, hey, chief, whats going on . He said we need the money. I said we dont do Traffic Enforcement for money. I said Traffic Enforcement is for safety. If that wasnt bad enough, the sheriff couldnt figure out if all of those cops on route 301 were properly credentialed. He asked, but the police chief 70 him this a rand written fax with four names claiming the other 15 were, quote, undercover and confidential. For anyone that asked questions or tried to fight city hall, they could get you. They could create make your life miserable, taunting you, harassing you, turning your water off, the police sitting outside your house every time time you moved. Those type things could really happen did they happen . Absolutely, they happened. I dont care how you try to jumpfy it or how much lipstick you put on a pig. Its still a pig problem was, even with all of the tickets hampton Police Officers wrote, the Department Spent more money than it took in on cars and equipment like this and really, who knows . The Sheriffs Department is busy hunting down what it can from the now defunct hampton Police Department as part of the Ongoing Investigation. They are still looking for missing police cars. For the last 2o 3 months, they were like sprayed roaches. Everybody disappeared. It was crazy. It really was. The audit was big in the local paper. The Bradford County telegram. The findings so damming, state lawmakers threatened to pass a bill to abolish the city, do away with its government and wipe hampton off of the map one listen slatetor called it something south of a southern gothic novel people finally, realized this could become a reality check. We might not be a city of hampton no more. I think thats when the tongues people said we need to take back our town. We support this town. At a make or break meeting with town legislators, the people of hampton proposed moving the city limits back from the highway. No more speed traps to 301 and offered up a newspaper slate of city leaders until elections this fall. The basic good people are still here. One of the things that this situation has done is its energgized a lot of folks. Its just very upsetting, city hall. Hampton residents like Diane Klinger are now making the tr tp to city hall checking that their water bills are paid up. I went there yesterday. I was reading meters. In my defense, i was out reading meters there is a new city clerk in hampton. Hamptons Police Department has disbanded. The chief offices at city hall locked. The county will now patrol hampton. In time, hampton perhaps could become a model on how people take back their town and try to make a positive change. Is there a lesson here, do you think. Yes. Very big lesson. Do not put blind trust in people. Just because you love them doesnt mean they are honest, you know. Our trust was misplaced, you know. Its sad. Its really sad. You know, small town polit s politics, the good ol boy system dont work no more. The moral of this story is, pay attention. Go vote. Make a difference because you can take on city hall. This little ol town has shown that you can make a difference by speaking up. People in town say they hope hamptons days as the most corrupt town in america are behind it. But the shefrn says, hes still digging. And those in town acknowledge there is probably more dirt to be found. Thats america tonight sheila mcviccer. After the break, remembering west one year after the deadly explosion, Lessons Learned and a reflection on a community thats still trying to rebuild. These protestors have decided that today they will be arrested these people have chased a president from power, theyve torn down a state. Whats clear is that people dont just need protection, they need assistance. [ grunting ] im taking off, but, uh, dont worry. Im gonna leave the tv on for you. And if anything happens, dont forget about the new xfinity my account app. You can troubleshoot technical issues here. If you make an appointment, you can check out the status here. You can pay the bill, too. But dont worry about that right now. Okay. How do i look . Thanks. [ male announcer ] troubleshoot, manage appointments, and bill pay from your phone. Introducing the xfinity my account app. Xfinity watchathon week was the biggest week in televisionhone. History. But just when you thought it was over. What now . With xfinity on demand you can always watch the latest episodes of tvs hottest shows. Good news. Like hannibal. Chicago fire. And bates motel. The day after they air. Xfinity on demand. All the latest episodes. All included with your service. Its like hifiving your eyeballs. Xfinity. The future of awesome. A year ago, the town of west texas experienced a disaster like nothing else in its 122 year history. An he an explosion of the west fertilizer plant left 15 people most of them Fire Fighters dead. Others were injured. We go back to west to find out whats been done to prevent this from happening again. I didnt want joey to a firefighter. I honestly didnt. He looked at me and said kelly, thats what i want to do. Jodys husband, joey was a member of the Volunteer Fire Department in the town of west, texas. Joey was a steady hand in town, active in the community. He was a devout catholic and father to four children, simply the kind of man, kelly says, you can depend upon he had a work phone that constantly was going off, and he was always right there. Anything they needed, joey would do joey was there, one of the First Responders the day west texas went up in flames for years, amenium nitrate was hauled into the town by rail. Thousands upon thousands of pounds as a chemical used as a fertilizer. Reliable. The train deposited the chemical here at what was once the site of the west fertilizer plant. Few people in town were aware of the danger until last april when the plant ignited. What did you remember . He called me and sid, hey. I need you to meet me at the fire station. I need you to pick up kayla, the pager just went off. Fertilizer plant was on fiery thought they would go out there and put it out kelly drove herself to the plant to see if chicked bring the firefighters food and water. I saul the black smoke. I was like, wow. Thats really bad. And when i pulled in is when it all happened. People are running everywhere crying, screaming. Everybody is in shock. Chaos. Yes. How far from the plant were you at this point . Probably about 100 yards. Shear luck prevented kelly from being injured. The explosion created shock waves faster than the speed of sound. Damaged over 150 houses and destroyed a nearby apartment complex, a nursing home and the local high school. By midnight that night, he didnt call. He didnt text. Wasnt like him. He would even in that chaotic moment, he still would have stopped to make sure we were okay. Thats when it really sunk in, when i didnt get that text or that phone call. I am sure that you have relived that moment in your mind countless times. Every day. Joey pushofsky was one of 15 People Killed that night, among the 12 First Responders who instantly died in the plablast. Hundreds of others suffered injuries, broken bobby bones, heads and blindness. It was really a shocking experience for my personally and for the agency raphael is the chair of the chemical safety board or csb, the Agency Charged with investigating chemical access this is the biggest explosion. About half the town suffered tremendous damage. Estimates of the cost of the damage are over 100 million. While investigators vint yet determined what caused the initial fire, the csbs preliminary report cited several troubling facts. The amonia nitrate was stored in wooden bins in a wooden warehouse filled with combustible seeds. Shockingly, the plant had no sprinkler system, which might have extinguished the fire before it ignited the amenium nitrate. Whats more, the amonium nitrate at the plant was not subject to any regular federal inspections a lot of amonia nitrate fertilizer operations seem to be outside. After the tragedy, the epa and the fertilizer industry, itself, both put together guidelines for amonia nitrate storage, voluntary guidelines. The problem with this situation is that the epa guideline p what the fertilizer produced, excellent material. Not compulsory. They are voluntary. There are some of those that might choose not to volunteer the risks for the fertilizer are well know. It kautsdz the worst industrial accident in u. S. History when it exploded aboard a ship in texas city in 1947. Over 500 people were killed. It was used in the first attack on the World Trade Center in 1993. The Oklahoma City bombing and the u. S. Embassy bombings in africa years later. Its groundhog day in texas over and over again. We see the same types of tragedies happening. Elana kraft is a toxicologist with the Environmental Fund it that disaster happened in the middle of a legislative session. There was an opportunity. There is an opportunities for our state leaders to take action. We have not seen anything. We wanted to speak to state officials about amonium nitrate regulation, but the governorors office, the state Chemists Office and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality declined or did not respond. Five or six years. Me and many others. Chris conely, the state fire marshal did agree to sit down with us. Facilities at 10,000. He says he plans to visit each of these counties personally to raise awareness of amonia nitrate. The presentation outside of dallas. We have been having these one on one consultations with businesses and obviously nitrate. For the most part, those are voluntary. So in your gut, you know, whats happening. Like i expect there will probably be some regulation that will help prevent another west. Thats the ultimate solution. Confident that the legislature is going to adopt some sort of measure, some sort of regulation in their next session . My sense. I cant guarantee that. My conversations with the legislature. In the meantime, only one of two states in the nation with no state fire code. Kneely has no enforcement power. Stockpile amenium nitrate. So this whole place is being developed from the ground up, it looks like. Less than a year. We took a walk around town with mayor tommy muska to see the rebuilding effort. So far, 24. If the plant had simply had, you and i might not be talking today. Dont you think there should be more regulations. Every fertilizer plant in nebraska and all over the country in the midwest and everywhere else. The last time, it wnspected by a was 25 years ago. It turned, come to find out nobody was doing it at all. Vestiges of a day going horribley wrong but still everywhere in west. From the deserted homes and memorials for as long as i am still here, i am sure its going to cross my mind every day. Are you confident why not . In regular to try more or less. I cant express how important it is to regulate that to somebody that hasnt lost a loved one. Coming up next here, follow the money. Medically fragile children warehoused where they clearly dont belong. Why that happens in our exclusivitch investigation next. Looking ahead on america tonight. It didnt connect in my brain. And i heard the gun go off. So my son starts leaving. You called the police that day . Did you have ever imagine . No. They shouldnt have. They should have been trained to handle this. When we became exposed faster, smarter safer way. Anyway. Training that is saving lives. Why arent more Police Departments across the country enforcing it . America tonight investigates. The report monday on america tonight. Inovation finds oppurtunity a large earthquake would be an inconvenience rather than a disaster. And hardware meets humanity this is some of the best driving ive ever done eventhough i cant see. Techknow our experts take you beyond the lab were here in the vortex. And explore the Technology Changing our world. Only on Al Jazeera AmericaAl Jazeera America gives you the total news experience anytime, anywhere. More on every screen. Digital, mobile, social. Visit aljazeera. Com. Follow ajam on twitter. And like Aljazeera America on facebook for more stories, more access, more conversations. So you dont just stay on top of the news, go deeper and get more perspectives on every issue. Al jazeera america. Here, an america tonight exclusive. We follow up on floridas treatment of the most vernable children. The kids are suing the state. Even where its also clear there are better, less expensive options. Our Ongoing Investigation from correspondent sheila mcviccer. Andrew martinez had a cardiac arizona. It left him with brain damage. He wound up here at kids corner, a nursing home for children. Its one of three remaining pediatric Nursing Homes in florida. Marcelo martinez is andrews father. Has anybody ever said to you he could be at home with home care . Has anyone ever given you an opini offense . No. I really wish. To support, help. Its been a struggle. The federal department of justice civil rights investigation found florida has planned, structured and administered a system of care that has led to the unnecessary segregation and isolation of children offered for many years in nursing facilities. System of care is worth a lot of money. 550 a day for each child cared for in a nursing home. Thats more than twice what the state pays for elderly residents. More even florida concedes in Court Documents than the state pays for roundtheclock nursing care at home. Children in Nursing Homes are big business. You follow the money, you will see. Its incredible nancy argensiano is a ir republican who served on the economy overseeing Nursing Homes parents who we spoke to have would have children in need of Skilled Nursing care told us although the state insists they are given their options, which would include Skilled Nursing care a lot home, they told us they are not given an option they are not. When you go to talk to those parents, you will find many times. Its not in the interest of the leadership who accepts major contributions to keep those children out of those institutions. During her time in tallahassee, she says she saw firsthand the money and power the nursing home industrial wielded i had a mind of my money and the lobbiest stuck her finger in my face and said you own me and i said you dont own me, sister. Then the war began. They had gotten away with so much its a war for the states 3 billion nursing home you believe wins thanks in part to a small army of lobbyists in tallahassee. 21 in all the ts groups chief lobbiests isa unapologetic. 21 lob iests with 160 legislatures in . A operate high ratio. We have been a good lobby team. Thats for sure. So how much influence does money have here in tallahassee . A significant influence. This building, our senate, house are driven by money. Dan crafter is cofounder and director of integrity florida, a nonpartson, nonprofit government watchdog florida is increasingly across the country, lobbies are actually writing the laws. They have walking in. Doctors found a Nursing Home Association and its affiliated Political Action committees spent more than one. The owner of kids corner. Hundreds of millions of dollars sloshing around in campaign. So how much influence can that amount of money really buy you . The senate, you are talking about tens of thousands of dollars. Thats enough targeting the right way can put a candidate over the top to win an election. You are a Citizen Legislature who doesnt you are not a darling. Lobbiest, you have a hard time. Now, its millions of dollars for a state seat, which only pays 2,829,000 a year we do support legislators who support longterm care. Absolutely. What does that mean . The Nursing Homes depend upon the legislature for funding. What happens to legislate to see who dont support longterm care . I think we want to see in the legislature. Yes. Experience. What. During her time in office, she says the Nursing Homes backed her opponents because she fought the industry on issues such as minimum staffing requirements and helped families to keep those needing care at home we tried to do something. We found it was much cheaper for many people to keep their loved one at home. We talked up a storm about aging in place and let it die. It was right out. When we went to kids corner, our hidden corner, these children, in their down time, what you see instead of being isolated in their room, they are out in the hallways where they get some stimulation. This down time also avoids having to pay staff therapy. Most for the stockholders and for the ceos salaries. Interaction. Nobody there. To him. Martinez, even with the support of andrews neurologist has been unable convince kids corner to give his son more than two hours of Speech Therapy a month. Its more like a facility of storage, of storing the kids. These facilities are highly regulated. You have multiple agencies, anom budsman and county and state and federal agencies in there if you are not providing quality care, you will be shut down. The agencies write the rules and regulate the industry. 40 follow the money. Pays attention to the big political players and there are army of lobbiests. These children dont write campaign checks. They dont come up to lobby. On the capital. The owners . The lobbyists . America tonights sheila mcvicker. Ahead on this hour. What makes boyfriend boston strong . A year after terror struck the marathon. N the womb a divisive issue god is life , so its his to take see a 10 Year Old Girl whos pregnant, and you tell me thats what god wants. A controversial law where were you when the babies lives were being saved . Are women in texas paying the price . Whos benefiting from restricting access to safe abortions . Fault lines. Al jazeera americas hard hitting. Ground breaking. Truth seeking. Breakthrough investigative documentary series access restricted only on Al Jazeera America real reporting that brings you the world. Giving you a real global perspective like no other can. Real reporting from around the world. This is what we do. Al jazeera america. Finally, this hour, we looked into tomorrow mornings 118th running of the Boston Marathon sure to be both an inspiring and emotional race for the runners and fans. One year ago on april 15th, two bombs exploded at the finish line of the race. Three people died. More than 260 were injured but in the tragedy, boston found that it had an unusual strength that made the city perhaps a place for such annall thing to happen. We found runner and doctor bibic shaw to explain what made boston strong. The weather was perfect. My best run so far. It felt good, i pulled my hands up and it felt good. And then, the unthinkable first, i didnt know what. The sect he knewplosion went off. Thats when we knew something was wrong. Amid the chaos, his first thought, his family, where were they . My wife was near the finish line for every marathon i have ever run. She was there with my daughter and my parents and my sister and so i just started running toward where the explosion went off. I found them in front of the Old Town Church after i helped a couple of people and realized there was plenty of Emergency Personnel. I kept running and just looking inside until i found they didnt leave like they were told to and just stayed because they knew i would be looking for them there . His body spent by the marathon effort, his mind raced. Fueled by the panic in that moment. The amazing power of adrenaline, i dont know how, but i think that the fear of what could happen to your family and the desire to help gives you a lot of strength. His own family safe, he quickly shifted into doctor mode. He is an Orthopedic Surgeon at nearby new england baptist hospital. In the scrum of the makeshift emerge emergency effort, he found himself shoulder to shoulder with an army of medical professionals. You dont even think. We have so many hours of training and having done things like this before, that you just run towards wherever the issue is and you assess it and start treating the injuries. By the time i got to the finish line, it was a amazing. There were first First Responders, Police Officers that usually volunteer at the finish line. Everyone was there. Almost every single victim already had somebody helping them the compassion and care after the explosion were more than a communitys grand gesture. A phenom known known as boston strong a lot of spectators were helping. There were a lot of runners holding peoples hands or talking to them trying to do whatever they could maybe it would only happen in a city of ivory towers but harvard researchers dug deep into what made boston so strong. Some of it was luck. The bombs went off just yards away from the marathons medical tents the medical tents are you believe just past the finish line for a lot of the runners who are xauft or fatigued after the race. There was more than just luck. The city is better equipped for disaster than just about any other the most badly hurt were dispatched to the level 1 Trauma Centers . I did my training, which you continue down boilston street about five blocks, its right there. A level one trauma center. If it had to happen, in some ways we are lucky there were so many Emergency Personnel around. It was a amazing talking to people that i know at various hospitals they prepare for disasters like this not only did they handle them but they reviewed the responses weeks later to make sure if there was anything that could be done better, they did it or worked on improving it. The response from the time the explosions happened to the aftermath, weeks, months later, people take it seriously and are still preparing. There is a legacy to boston strong . What i learned about our society is that we can do amazing things. We just have to not do it at the time of tragedy and hopefully do it on a more daily basis, make takes incidents like this it that make us realize we can make a difference on a daily basis. Something that brings the city of boston together already. If possible, it made boston a smaller city than it was before in terms of how close people are. Bent but unbroken, boston has turned the corner like shaw ready to run again i dont think there was much choice. Because like i said it was supposed to be the last. I certainly dont want that to be my lasting memory of the Boston Marathon about 36 other runners will step off on marathon monday just hours from now. We will follow up tomorrow on ameri america tonight with one womans vision of this years way. This marathon is definitely going to be more special. It really shows how far our city has come in a year. It shows how far the people have come and we i would say we all want it to be joyous but also reflective event. Why i run its an inspiring Photo Library on the passion it takes to run the boston. See more. Thats it for us. Police remember if you would like to comment on any stories you have seen here tonight, log on to the website, aljazeera. Com america tonight. Join the conversation with us on twitter or our few facebook page. We will have more america tonight tomorrow. Weekday mornings on Al Jazeera America we do have breaking news this morning. Start your day with in depth coverage from around the world. First hand reporting from across the country and real news keeping you up to date. The big stories of the day, from around the world. These people need help, this is were the worst of the attack took place. And throughout the morning, get a global perspective on the news. The life of doha. This is the International News hour. An informed look on the nights events, a smarter start to your day. Mornings on Al Jazeera America this is Al Jazeera America. I am Jonathan Betz live in new york. Rub en hur cain carter, an e icon for those fighting racial injusts has died. A deadly gun fight. Frustration and grief in south korea. A new audiotape revealing chaos as the ferry was sinking