story1325.xml

story1325.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-08-20

I want to start by say I feel for all who have lost loved ones in that tragedy. Well, all my life has been spent in New York City, I am a black male and have been from the foster care system to the welfare system to struggling with employment to being homeless because of no employment. I just got fed up! At 42 years of age I needed a change in my life and being in New York and have tried it all there was no way I was staying any longer. I got into a new relationship and had my first baby girl, Kiara, she is so beautiful not to mention she looks like her daddy. My patients had run out. I took my family and moved to Newark as a temperary stay until our next move. After a year we decided on moving to Charlotte. Well, I was the first to go and when I got everything together the rest of the family will come down. OK, I had a little trouble leaving and so I made a determination that I will leave on my birthday hook or crook so I pawned my camera and borrowed a few dollars and boarded the greyhound on September 7th. My employer was supposed to transfer me to that state and I was trying to change my Army Reserve Unit to Charlotte after 18 years of New York National Guard and Army Reserve. I was on the public phone in Charlotte trying to talk to my employer in NY on September 11 at 8am and they told me to call back. On the way back to my cousins apartment someone on the street said a plane hit the World Trade Center! I thought about a small plane may have strayed and hit it or something not to bad. I went and turned on the Television and I thought this is not real! Then I sat down and screamed OH MY GOD! about 10 times. Then the second plane hit I could not contain myself with swearing that we are at war! I felt helpless and then my fiance and children are there. Then the Towers fell. I cried for about an hour alone with the TV. I worked in the Towers and traveled everyday from NJ day and night through the Towers. The day I left NY was from the NJ Path. My employer location was on 6th Avenue and 51st Street. My Reserve unit was the Combat Support Hospital at FT. Hamilton. I immediatly wanted to go back to help, when I called my family they told me to stay where I am so they can move. I stayed. At this time I can't watch anything involving the Trade Center tragedy without a tear.