September 11th 2001: Memories and Reflections
This page is a tribute to all those that were negatively affected by the events of September 11th 2001, to the people that perished and the people that survived, to the emergency responders that rushed to help, to the men and women that I saw jumping and falling, to the souls who once occupied the bodies that fell and piled up, to those that I saw running, stumbling and crying, to those whom I could not see due to the thick smoke but that I heard screaming, to the crowds that I saw walking, to the man covered in bandages and ash that I saw sitting at a steering wheel, to the paramedics and firefighters, to the male policeman and female coworker that got me out of the chaos, to my father who walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and all the way back home, to the pregnant woman who named her daughter Hope after walking down numerous flights and barely escaping with her life, to all those that were with me and around me, running, watching the towers fall, being enveloped in smoke and covered in ash, to those who walked and those who ran, to those who were dazed and those who rushed to help, to my coworkers that helped dig through the rubble and salvage the human remains, to all of those that wore face masks together with me to prevent the inhalation of dangerous smoke in the aftermath, and to all of those people that I have not seen since the day of 9/11/2001.
WTC Image Credit: Lil' Mike on Flickr under Creative Commons license: photo of WTC on 9/11 from an office
Tower Stories: An Oral History of 9/11
A 9-11 Tribute
In addition to those recognized above, I want to give a special mention and thank you to my two coworkers that got me out of there on that day.
When I first left my office, running down five flights of steps, and entering the chaotic streets, I closely followed a co-worker, Francine. It was she that led me to another coworker's police car, and yelled at me to get in during the chaos.
It was the coworker/policeman that allowed us into his car, drove us slowly through the crowds, took us to his home in the Bronx, invited us into his home and hosted us there for the rest of the day, and eventually drove us back to our individual homes.
I honestly do not fully remember the name of the policeman. I think that his name was Robert or Bob, his last name might have been Grant, and he worked as an inspector in the waterfront division, which shared an office with my division.
Thank you, Bob and Francine, for helping me on that fateful day. The mere words "Thank You" seem trivial when speaking about something of such significance, but I suppose that these words will have to suffice for now.
Photo of NYPD car by ADL999 on Flickr, licensed under Creative commons
Background
I Was In The WTC area Before, During and After the 9/11 attack
I Was There Before, During and After the destruction.
I was there before 9/11. I was there the month before, the week before, and the day before.
Growing up, I had visited my father's office, in that area, a number of times, especially for Take Your Daughter To Work Day, and had also visited the World Trade Center.
In June of 2001, I got my first job out of school. I worked down the street from the World Trade Center. I would walk past, through and around the area on a frequent basis. There was a kosher hot dog stand on the pavement in front of the twin towers, and I would sometimes go there to eat lunch. Other times, I would pass by on the way to the bus, the store, or to visit my father's office nearby.
Photo of Twin Towers prior to attack, by irargerich on Flickr, under Creative Commons License
Warning: Reading Further Might Make You Sad.
Tragic, Detailed Memories Are On This Page.
9/11 Memories
I was there on 9/11/01.
I was there on 9/11/01. I had passed the Twin Towers on the way to work. I was settling down in my office when I heard a big boom. I looked down and saw people running. I looked up and saw the fire in the tower, red and yellow fire, black smoke, and papers flying out of the windows. As we watched, the other tower was hit and burst into flames. The intercom announced an emergency evacuation, as we hastily fled down five flights of steps and into the chaotic street. I heard the helicopters flying above. I listened to people saying that we were the next targets, that no one is safe, and no one knows who will be attacked next. I watched the burning, the bodies falling, the people running, the mob in the streets. We heard the loud booms as the tower fell, each floor collapsing. I saw the thick cloud of smoke, heard the deafening sounds around me as if in a dream, held on tight and in sheer panic to something in front of me.
My coworker at the time was a policeman, and he drove me and other people out. The streets were filled with people and smoke, and we had to drive very slowly through the crowds. I saw people covered in debris, in smoke, in shock. I listened to a man as he said to me, "My wife was in that building a few minutes ago. Where is she now?" and I had no answer for him. The building was no longer there.
I watched the second tower fall. I watched the fire trucks, the police, the barricades. I listened to the news stating that other places were under attack. I realized that I was one lone girl in the midst of a war. I tried making phone calls, but the cellphone did not work. I worried about my father, because I had no way to get to him, and no way to know where he was. We had parted before we had passed the World Trade Center, and I hoped that he was ok. I saw the images that are now a blur, hard to pinpoint, hard to describe.
Photo of 9/11 WTC Attack by 9/11 photos on flickr, under Creative Commons license
Dealing With The Immediate Aftermath Of The 9/11 World Trade Center Attack
Returning To The Site, Over and Over
I was there after the destruction. A few days afterwards, we were summoned back to work, in the same building, down the street from the World Trade Center. We were given masks to wear on our faces to filter the toxic air, and Government ID's to display, as proof that we were allowed to be in that blocked off area. Typically, people were not allowed in the area. I worked for the Cranes and Derricks Division of the New York City Department of Buildings, and 64 additional cranes were set up at Ground Zero in the aftermath of the attacks. Every day, several inspectors were at Ground Zero.
While my coworkers, the inspectors, were there to ensure the safety of the cranes, they ended up helping with the cleanup as well. They would come back with stories of finding decaying bodies that showed the signs of the injuries, burns and destruction that they endured. I heard about what they found while cleaning up the human remains found in piles of debris, and I have edited the details for the readers' comfort.
Some of this information I processed, and some I heard as if in a dream, hoping I would wake up and it wouldn't be true. Every day, I watched the smoke rising up from the ground. For months, whenever I would see smoke coming from a hole in the ground, I was reminded of 9/11, and I thought that it was somehow connected. Perhaps it was. There were a lot of after-effects of the attack. 100 days after the attack, smoke was still rising from points in the ground.
I traveled the buses and subways, which took alternate routes, which led me on a detour, forcing me to take a long walk back to the very site they were avoiding. I wore the mask, feeling stifled by the air within it. I had to take it off to eat, and felt like taking it off to talk and breathe more normally. I would take it off, but then I would be concerned about the smoke, and put it back on. Off and on, off and on. I looked at the barricades around my building and the heightened security. They were concerned that a truck with a bomb would try to slam into the building.
I listened to my coworkers, each with their own story. I heard my coworker tell us about his son Johnny, the apple of his eye, a firefighter who waved at him as he passed by, and was never seen again. He was killed when the towers went down. I met a woman on the bus, who had been pregnant at the time, and walked down many flights of steps and got out on time, while her coworkers perished. She then gave birth, and named her daughter Hope.
My father got out by walking across the Bridge, and all the way home. I was driven to the Bronx by a coworker/police, and stayed there for most of the day. It was only about 10 hours later that he was able to drive me back to my area.
I was there before, I was there during, and I was there after...
Photo of 9/11 World Trade Center Attack credited to 9/11 photos on Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons
Please Share: How Did This Day Affect You?
Were You In New York on 9/11?
How Were You Affected By These Or Similar Events?
I was there in New York on 9/11. This is how it affected me...
I wasn't there in NY on 9/11, but this is how it affected me...
Writer Joanne says "I watched it on tv and it was hard to believe it was real. For days after I could hardly think of anything else. Can't imagine what it was like to have actually been there, or to have lost loved ones. "
Writer marilynt says "It was as if time stood still for those of us miles away. I was at home preparing for work an heard the report on the morning news. It was amazingly difficult to grasp the fact that this terror act was actually unfolding, I was glued to the TV. I eventually made it to work about 2 hours late but like many of my co-workers spent the day in a daze. The effect of that day, 9/11, will weigh heavy on my heart forever thinking of those who lost lives and loved ones and to all if found the strength to help. So glad you and yours came through OK."
Writer Miriam Hendeles says "I remember the scariness and overwhelming feeling with our entire family living in NY, and the family living outside of NY (my family included) living and breathing alongside the NYers and feeling their pain and fear."
Writer VarietyWriter says "I was in California on that day...but being a native New Yorker, my heart was breaking."
linsm says "I wasn't there that day. In fact, I was on the phone, trying to get some imformation about the training I was to receive for a new job. The noise in the background, while I was on the phone was crazy. The voice I heard sounded frantic, and told me she could not talk now. This was the craziest phone call that I ever had been involved in. I believe I had finally turned on the TV, and there is was, the 9-1-1 attack being broadcasted. The Flight 93 Memorial, for those who died, saving lives by preventing another attack, with terrorists on board was finally completed here in Shanksville,PA, not far from where I live. Today, hearing stories for surviviors, those who lost family and friends, seeing the events on television again and again, are just as horrifying as the events on 9-11."
Writer bill says "The day was difficult for me. I had to work, smartphones didn't exist yet, and I had no radio or TV where I was working. I just kept hearing stories from people coming into the store I was working at. The stories were impossible to visualize, and some were grossly exaggerated. At one point, I remember some people saying it was happening worldwide. It was the definition of pandemonium that day. Cellphones didn't work. False news stories were spreading. Everyone was afraid and angry. I couldn't concentrate on my schoolwork for weeks after 9/11. A few weeks prior to 9/11 I was in Manhattan and drove by the WTC. That part was strange. It was a horrible day, I hope we never have to relive anything like it."
The New Tower One, World Trade Center April 2012
The Freedom Tower Under Construction April 2012
"Photo showing the tower growing as tower 7 is to the right.
Freedom Tower will be the tallest building in the U.S. when completed in 2015."
A Place of Remembrance: Official Book of the National September 11 Memorial (9/11 Memorial)
Including a Foreword by MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG, Mayor of the City of New York, Chair of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum
Hope
Read More Details Of My Story
Amidst The Chaos : September 11th, 2001: My Experience
This short and inexpensive book can be read on the Kindle or from any computer.
In Memoriam - New York City, 9/11/01
"THIS POWERFUL, SORROWFUL DOCUMENTARY PRESENTS AN HISTORICAL RECORD OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF THE MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY AT THAT TIME, RUDY GIULIANI."
