story8625.xml
Title
story8625.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-11-06
911DA Story: Story
ON SEPTEMBER 11TH 2001 I SAT IN MY LIVING ROOM.I WAS ABOUT TO CONTINUE PLACING THE WOOD TILE DOWN ON THE FLOOR. I GET A CALL FROM MY WIFE TELLING ME TO TURN ON THE NEWS. I TURN TO CNN AND SEE THAT ONE OF THE TWIN TOWERS HAS A LARGE HOLE IN IT. FOR A MINUTE I ASSUME THAT IT IS A SMALL PLANE THAT LOST CONTROL AND FLEW INTO THE BUILDING. I ATTMPTED TO CONTACT MY BROTHER. I TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD BE WORKING UNIL 8:00 PM THAT NIGHT AND WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM HIM AFTER I RETURNED HOME FROM WORK. AS I CONTINUED TO WATCH THE NEWS COVERAGE I COULD SEE THAT THE HOLE IN THE BUILDING WAS LARGER THAN I THOUGHT. I CONITUED PLACING THE TILE ON THE FLOOR. A FEW MINUTES LATER I SEE ANOTHER PLANE HEADED TOWARDS THE SOUTH TOWER. MY HEART DROPPED. I CONTACTED MY SISTER IN LAW WHO ADVISED ME THAT EVERYTHING WAS FINE. I WATCHED IN HORROR AS TWO BUILDINGS THAT I GREW UP KNOWING AS THE TALLEST BUILDINGS IN NEW YORK CITY,FELL TO PIECES.
TIME WENT ON. I COULD FELT LIKE A PIECE OF MY HEART HAD STOPPED. THROUGH ALL OF THIS I EXPECTED TO HEAR SOME GOOD NEWS BACK IN FLORIDA. THE HOURS AND DAYS WENT BY AND STILL I WOULD GET THE SAME RESPONSE, " I'M STILL WAITING TO HEAR SOMETHING MYSELF". THANKSGIVING DAY I WATCH AS THE RESCUE WORKERS PLACE ANOTHER BODY ON A STRETCHER WITH AN AMAERICAN FLAG OVER IT. THE NEXT DAY I RECEIVE THE CALL FROM LILY. ALL SHE SAYS IS " COME HOME, THEY FOUND YOUR BROTHER. I ASKED IF HE WAS OKAY, SHE SAYS, NO". WE DEPARTED FOR NEW YORK THAT SUNDAY MORINING. WE ARRIVED AT 7PM. I HUGGED LILLY AND THEN WE ALL DROVE TO HER HOUSE TO MOURN. THE NEXT DAY WE ALL DRIVE TO THE ORTIZ FUNERAL HOME AND THERE WE SEE A BLACK AND GOLD BOX CONTAINING MY BROTHER'S REMAINS. DAVID WAS LAID TO REST THE NEXT DAY. I WAS VERY PROUD TO TELL THE WORLD THAT MY BROTHER DAVID ORTIZ DIED FOR HIS COUNTRY. HE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAVE THE NORTH TOWER. INSTEAD HE ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO THE TOWER TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY WOULD GET OUT. DAVID DIED ON THE STREET BY THE NORTH TOWER. HE NEVER MADE IT BACK INTO THE TOWER.
MY REASON FOR WRITING THIS TODAY IS BECAUSE ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2001 I SAW MY BROTHER DAVID ON CNN NEWS NEXT TO AN EMT WORKER. IT LASTED FOR A AT LEAST 3 TO 5 SECONDS. I HAVE ATTMEPTED TO CONTACT CNN AND WAS ADVISED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY A $300.00 CHARGE FOR THE FOOTAGE AND THAT THEY DO NOT GURARANTEE ANYTHING. THEY ALSO ADVISED ME THAT THE FOOTAGE MAY HAVE COME FROM MSNBC. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THEM AS WELL AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY DO NOT SELL THERE FOOTAGE.
I HOPE THATONE DAY I WILL BE ABLE TO OBTAIN THAT FOOTAGE THAT I WATCHED ON CNN OF MY BROTHER DOING WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. AND THAT THING WAS, TO HELP HIS FELLOW MAN. GOD BLESS YOU DAVID, YOU WERE THE BEST AND IN MY HEART, YOU STILL ARE,MARTIN.
TIME WENT ON. I COULD FELT LIKE A PIECE OF MY HEART HAD STOPPED. THROUGH ALL OF THIS I EXPECTED TO HEAR SOME GOOD NEWS BACK IN FLORIDA. THE HOURS AND DAYS WENT BY AND STILL I WOULD GET THE SAME RESPONSE, " I'M STILL WAITING TO HEAR SOMETHING MYSELF". THANKSGIVING DAY I WATCH AS THE RESCUE WORKERS PLACE ANOTHER BODY ON A STRETCHER WITH AN AMAERICAN FLAG OVER IT. THE NEXT DAY I RECEIVE THE CALL FROM LILY. ALL SHE SAYS IS " COME HOME, THEY FOUND YOUR BROTHER. I ASKED IF HE WAS OKAY, SHE SAYS, NO". WE DEPARTED FOR NEW YORK THAT SUNDAY MORINING. WE ARRIVED AT 7PM. I HUGGED LILLY AND THEN WE ALL DROVE TO HER HOUSE TO MOURN. THE NEXT DAY WE ALL DRIVE TO THE ORTIZ FUNERAL HOME AND THERE WE SEE A BLACK AND GOLD BOX CONTAINING MY BROTHER'S REMAINS. DAVID WAS LAID TO REST THE NEXT DAY. I WAS VERY PROUD TO TELL THE WORLD THAT MY BROTHER DAVID ORTIZ DIED FOR HIS COUNTRY. HE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAVE THE NORTH TOWER. INSTEAD HE ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO THE TOWER TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY WOULD GET OUT. DAVID DIED ON THE STREET BY THE NORTH TOWER. HE NEVER MADE IT BACK INTO THE TOWER.
MY REASON FOR WRITING THIS TODAY IS BECAUSE ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2001 I SAW MY BROTHER DAVID ON CNN NEWS NEXT TO AN EMT WORKER. IT LASTED FOR A AT LEAST 3 TO 5 SECONDS. I HAVE ATTMEPTED TO CONTACT CNN AND WAS ADVISED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY A $300.00 CHARGE FOR THE FOOTAGE AND THAT THEY DO NOT GURARANTEE ANYTHING. THEY ALSO ADVISED ME THAT THE FOOTAGE MAY HAVE COME FROM MSNBC. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THEM AS WELL AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY DO NOT SELL THERE FOOTAGE.
I HOPE THATONE DAY I WILL BE ABLE TO OBTAIN THAT FOOTAGE THAT I WATCHED ON CNN OF MY BROTHER DOING WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. AND THAT THING WAS, TO HELP HIS FELLOW MAN. GOD BLESS YOU DAVID, YOU WERE THE BEST AND IN MY HEART, YOU STILL ARE,MARTIN.
Collection
Citation
“story8625.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed December 13, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/10471.