By MARC FORTIER

News staff

BEVERLY -- Seventy-four American heroes returned home yesterday, capping a grueling week spent sifting through the remains of the World Trade Center.

Hundreds of well-wishers cheered wildly and waved American flags as the caravan of FEMA search-and-rescue team vehicles pulled into home base at Beverly Airport, a week after the terrorist attacks on New York City yanked the team members away.

Tears of joy streamed down the faces of many team members, who high-fived bystanders from the windows of their vehicles as they drove by.

Many in the crowd held signs with heartfelt personal messages like, "Dad, welcome back. We missed you. Love ya, Bob & Ashley," as well as "Welcome home our national heroes. We love you."

"It's an incredible welcome. It was very emotional," said team member and Salem Fire Lt. Dennis Levasseur.

"There's no words to describe it," said team member David Clements of Ipswich. "We never expected this. We're low-key. Driving up, some of the guys had tears in our eyes."

Most of the members of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's search and rescue team hadn't seen their loved ones since they left a week ago. Some didn't even get a chance to kiss them goodbye.

"I wanted to get to see him," said Diana Better, wife of team member Bob Better of Swampscott. She tried to get home from work Tuesday before her husband left, but didn't make it in time. "It was a tough week, watching television to make sure nothing happened."

Mark Foster of Beverly, who heads up the FEMA team, had an emotional hug with his wife, Robin, and his teen-age daughters, Kate and Sarah.

Though they appreciated the reception, the team members were in no mood for a celebration.

"It's pretty awesome," team member and Salem Fire Capt. John "Gerry" Giunta said. "You don't feel like you deserve it, though. There's such an immense job still ahead."

Added Levasseur, "It's a tough feeling. We wanted to be home with our wives and stuff, but we kind of left unfinished business back there. So it's tough."

Beverly Mayor William Scanlon echoed that feeling in welcoming the team home. He said the event was "not a celebration, but rather a thank you."

Acting Gov. Jane Swift highlighted a list of political luminaries who turned out yesterday to thank the FEMA team for its hard work.

"Let me be the first person in Massachusetts to welcome all of you back to Massachusetts," she said. "On behalf of all the citizens of the commonwealth, I thank you for your efforts, for your determination, and the hope you've given the people of New York. You have made Massachusetts proud."

U.S. Rep. John Tierney, D-Salem, and Beverly State Rep. Michael Cahill also had words of praise for the Beverly-based team.

"You make us all proud to be Americans," Tierney said, noting that the FEMA search and rescue team is "evidence of America's resolve in the face of this very, very huge challenge."

He also vowed to make sure the parties responsible for last week's terrorist attacks are held accountable. "We are not going to give to these terrorists a victory they have not won and they do not deserve," he said.

Cahill heralded the team members as "regular people who answered the call. You are people of good will," he said. "It's what you do."

Many of the returning team members were still somewhat in shock after spending a week in the middle of the war zone that was once Manhattan.

They were also understandably exhausted. Going on a maximum of four hours of sleep, the team members put in 12-hour days working in the rubble of the World Trade Center buildings.

"I'm drained," team member Edward Seligman of Swampscott said. "I can't put it to words yet."

Foster also had a difficult time describing the scene.

"I don't think there are any words in the vocabulary to describe what's there," he said. "When you go there, it's a different world."

Foster said the one image that will stick with him is the 50-foot-wide, 200-foot-long chunk of the World Trade Center stuck in the street.

"It fell from 200 stories up," he said. "I didn't know what it was."

Clements wouldn't talk about some of the terrible things he saw. "This is a family day," he said. "Later on is the sad day."

Levasseur also had a lot of memories that he didn't care to talk about. But he did say it was much worse than what you see on the news.

"The TV didn't do it justice," he said. "You can't compare anything to that. I've never been to war, so I have nothing to compare it to."

Giunta said it was discouraging not to find any live victims. "The whole event, the enormity of it, was just numbing."

Even though his team didn't uncover any survivors in the rubble, Foster is hopeful some people will still be found alive.

"I think we were somewhat encouraged by the fact that there are a lot of void spaces below grade," he said. "Even now they're still digging."

Most important, said Foster, is that 74 people went into a dangerous situation, and they all came back uninjured.

But the FEMA team's work may not be over yet. Foster said the team has orders to return to New York City on Sept. 29, but that remains fairly fluid. "It depends on what's needed at that time," he said.

In addition to those named above, North Shore residents on the search and rescue team include: firefighter Lee Prentiss of Ipswich, James Hill of Beverly, John Morrissey of Peabody, Sal Brancaleone of Gloucester, Gloucester Fire Capt. Miles Schlichte, Boston firefighter John Forristal, who lives in Salem, Charles Dunne of Beverly and Saugus firefighter Paul Penachio.

month=09 day=19 year=2001 day=wed slug-URBAN19