Sunday marks the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. This is one of those events, for those of us living in this part of the country, that all of us know where we were when the first plane struck the tower. In some ways it changed life as we know it and in other ways a decade has gone by and so little has changed about our safety or our presumption of safety.
Not since the 1800's had we had a "war" on American soil. While we have certainly risen to the occasion and helped, sometimes reluctantly through out the world, this time was different. They hit us at home, on a beautiful sunny day that could have been like any - other except it wasn't.
Many of you know that in 2002 I worked in the Governor's office. Part of my responsibility as Deputy of Chief of Staff was "special projects" and the 9-11 survivors became my responsibility. We planned events, worked on the Memorial and I watched people process their grief. For some it was always present, looking for answers and closure. For others their work on the Memorial was a place to focus their attention. For all, the loss they had suffered would change their lives forever and for some it would also take a lifetime of healing.
Much like we often do here, I felt like I had such an intimate view of their pain and their healing. This week we are going to see their pain again, as the press looks to make it real again for everyone else. For those who lost loved ones, it doesn't have to be made real - they live it every day.
Ten years later my wish is that the Memorial at the World Trade Center site provides a historic monument to honor all those who died that day and to the rest of the world - to show that no matter how devastating or how much harm is caused in America, we will go on, finding a way to honor the past and create hope for the future.
So do you have a memory or wish as we approach the 10th anniversary that you would be willing to share?
9 comments:
So beautifully put. Thank you.
I was on my way to work as Manager of a non-profit resale shop in a small strip mall. As we've heard so many say- it was an incredibly clear, crisp morning. I usually listened to a classical radio station on my way into work, this morning was no different. Not a peep came over, no interruption, nothing... I opened the shop and turned on the radio- local station WOBM-it was the Bob and Maryann show. The first plane had already hit- the second just happened- I had a hard time understanding what was being said-there seemed to be so much confusion in their voices. How could my station not have broken in- is this real? I was all alone as the shop didn't open until 10am. I ran next door to a little beauty shop- they were transfixed on the TV attached high on the wall- Oh my god- they were crying, yelling and then silent trying to hear. We had our arms around each other, mute, empty as we stared at the destruction. The next hours were spent contacting everyone, especially those we knew were in the city. Who missed the morning bus, whose husband is thought to be walking out of the city, who doesn't know yet. Much of my memory is filled with disbelief, anger, sorrow, wanting to do something, anything.
And then the wonderful display of American Flags! from tiny ones in flower pots to huge ones covering the fronts of some houses. The flag shop in Beachwood had people lined up down the street waiting their turn. Take That terrorism...we will wave our colors in your face.
and as we move to the anniversary, although this is the tenth, don't we all recall that awful ache every year as Sept. 11th approaches? Where have all those proud flags gone? Where are all those people who waited in line? Let's show each other and the world that we will always Respect and Remember.
I was fresh out of college and working at my first PR job at JFK Medical Center in Edison. That week, our PR dept was extremely short staffed – our team of 5 was down to two – me and the VP. When the towers were hit, then fell, our hospital went into emergency mode. I was left with the task of taking phone calls from people looking for their missing family members. It was awful breaking the news to the caller on the other end desperate to find their loved one, that didn’t have who they were looking for, that the hundreds of patients we expected and prepared for never came. I also operated an impromptu blood drive – accepting over 700 people into our conference center without any provisions to feed them. We were able to secure donations from local restaurants to keep people fed while waiting hours in line. I was overcome with emotion seeing the outpouring of support – people wanting to help. We’re seeing glimpses of that now with the flooding and devastation from Irene. It’s a day I know we will never forget. My wish is that we all remember how we immediately showed support – helping those in need and that we continue to help others as much as we can throughout our lives. That is my wish.
I was in the city for the first time in almost a year since I had stopped working there. My friend and co-worker had tickets to the Rosie O'Donnell show and although I wasn't really a fan I had never been to the tapping of show and was excited to go. I took my usual commuter train and was walking through the beautiful clear city by 8am. We had just entered the channel 4 building in Rockefeller center and were lined up in the hallways waiting to get into the studio. All of a sudden a woman came up and told us we needed to evacuate the building because there was a train crash and they were not sure what had caused it yet. I remember thinking, “What does that have to do with us?” I also right away thought of my grandparents at home who I had kissed good-bye that morning and new they were probably watching the news so I should call them and let them know we got to the city safe and it was not our train that had crashed. When I called, my grandmother told me they had not heard anything yet but she would turn on the tv and thanks for calling. As we got down to the street more people were talking and the giant tv and ticker outside for Good Morning America Studio was on and there were already images of the first plane hitting on the tv. We got very scared and screamed it was not a train it was a plane oh my god! I remember thinking I know people who work down there. Are there other planes in the air? What is happening? We looked down the street and could see the smoke in the distance and then the second tower was hit. At that point they would allow nobody on the sidewalks in fear that more buildings would be hit. And then tower one went down. People were running through the streets looking up and covering their heads not sure what would hit them. I tried to call home again and the phones were already out of service, we found a pay phone and same thing no service. I was standing there frantically dialing and a girl came running up to me screaming and crying, “Can I please use your phone????? My fiancé is supposed to be on a plane right now and I don’t know if he is ok!” I gave her my phone and we tried and tried and could not get a line. I hugged her and told her it would be ok and she went running down the street looking for another way to communicate with him. I think of that girl all of the time and the look on her face and the tears of fear in her eyes and wonder was he on that plane? At this point we did not know which way to turn we could not get in touch with anyone we were just running there were sirens everywhere, cars stopped in the middle of the road and people just leaving them and running away. I honestly felt like an extra in a movie I could not believe this was really happening!!!
continued.....We just wanted to get out of there. We ran back to Penn Station where there were hundreds of people all trying to get on a train but the trains were shut down and you could not even enter the building. So we said let’s just take a cab, the tunnels and bridges were shut so they cabs could not get out. We were literally trapped in this nightmare. After a few hours and what seemed to be an all clear that nothing else was going to happen in the city we heard about the other attacks in Washington and Pennsylvania. We finally just sat down on the steps of the library and cried. What was happening? Would we ever get home to our families. I just kept thinking everyone must be so worried. Everyone knew I was in the city but not too many people knew exactly where. Finally me phone rang and it was my uncle who was from New York City but at the time in Florida. He gave me the address of his friend and told me to go to her apartment. It was so far uptown though and everything was at a stop I said if we can’t get out of here in a few hours we will walk there. Then my father got though a short time later. AS soon as I heard his voice I began sobbing saying what is happening daddy? He told me nobody new yet and that they were still concerned there were more planes coming to just get somewhere safe and stay. Then after about another hour my boyfriend who is now my husband got through to my friend’s phone I just remember the terror in his voice telling me to run as fast as I could out of there, I explained everything was on lock down and he said just run through the tunnel I will meet you at the other end. When I told him that could not be done he just started screaming and we lost connection. After about 6 hours we were told ferry boats were taking people out so we walked downtown to the pier and after a few hours waiting in line we took the ferry. We did not even know where we were going but we wanted to get out of the city. We ended up in Weehawken and took a cab to Newark where my boyfriend’s father worked and he drove us home. I remember touching the ground in Weehawken and looking back across the water at the burning wreckage. What was happening was this the end of the world? Finally when I got home I ran to my family my grandmother was sobbing and we just hugged and hugged. That night we were glued to the tv and I could not get that girl out of my head. Did she ever find her fiancé? The next morning I remember driving to work in Mountainside (not here yet) and going down Rt 22 on another very clear day and you could still see the smoke I was listening to the radio and the latest news and I was just sobbing and sobbing. I stopped in the store for coffee still crying and this women a perfect stranger grabbed me and squeezed me and said we are going to be ok. Over the next few days we learned people from our own town and many around us had died. I remember all the outpouring of support, all of the volunteering and helping, the flags, shirts, hats, everything I finally felt like we lived in a supportive loving place were everyone was not out for just themselves but her to help and support everyone. This September 11 I am going to have the honor of accompanying my husband to the new memorial he and his 2 business partners just volunteered to build in down town Scotch Plains with a piece of World Trade Center Steel. I will listen to the family members of the people our town lost and the nightmares they still live. I can’t believe it has been 10 years. I kept a lot of stuff from that day and made a memorial box I still have. When my girls are old enough to understand I will share it with them in the hopes that it will not take another awful tragedy for them to feel that bond to pure strangers we felt for so many months after that day.
On Sept. 11, 2001 I lost a a very dear friend. We were born 3 months apart and had been stuck with each other ever since. Our families were very good friends so my younger sister Dawn and I were stuck with Rodney and his older brother Ronald. Their grandmother Ms. Ann watched all of us after school, we were in the same Sunday school class, and the same summer camp every summer. Ronald and Rodney were our tormentors and our protectors growing up. Rodney became a member of the NYPD EMS unit. He was finishing his shift when the first plane hit, and of course he went back on duty. He called his grandmother and mother's voicemail to say he was okay, and everyone should not worry he'd be fine. Word spread throughout our family network that he was okay. As I watched the first tower go down on the televison in the Mountainside Day Room. I said a prayer, and thanked God that Rodney was okay. Unfortunately, I didn't know he went into the second tower right after he ended that call and right before it went down. Rest in peace Sgt. Rodney Gillis, NYPD Emergency Services Unit, Squad 8. Thank you for twisted humor and great memories. Most of all thank you for your service.
Thank you all for sharing your story.
I was pregnant on September 11, 2001 – due to give birth in less than 2 months. I went from being so excited to being extremely fearful – what kind of world was my baby going to be born into. There was so much sadness, fear, and uncertainty that day. I couldn't imagine how we would recover from something so horrible and heartbreaking.
In the days after I started realize how we can all get through a tragedy together. My husband spent time at Ground Zero working side by side with complete strangers sifting through debris together just to find something of someone to help a family have something of their loved ones - that said a lot. I remember going to Baltimore a week after to see a Yankee game and we had our Yankee stuff on and complete strangers came up to us saying that they were so sorry to hear about what happened on 9/11 and asked how we were doing - we were so touched. And watching all the footage of that day and hearing about all the strangers who risked their lives to help each other – that was so moving.
All of these things and more made me realize how maybe my baby wouldn’t be born in such a bad world. From that tragedy we pulled together as a country, saw patriotism everwhere, respected each other, helped each other and loved each other and my wish is that especially 10 years later – we will continue to do that. My son will be 10 years old and as we explain to him what happened on 9/11, we can also explain how lucky he is to live in this country even though it's changed so much since that day.
I remember what didn't happen.I was in the Day Room at Mountainside watching the 2nd plane hit the 2nd tower. Initially in shock, our hospital went into action as we prepared to be a triage center. As the suvivors of the attack would be taken to NY hospitals, these hospitals would be sending their more stable patients across the river to NJ hospitals in order to make room for the victims.I stayed up that night waiting for my beepr or cell phone to ring. I waited and waited. By early morning I was overcome with the eerie realization of what was happening. No one came acrosso the river. No one.
Not a time goes by that I don't recall that moment and tremble.
Post a Comment