story964.xml
Title
story964.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-08-02
911DA Story: Story
About a month after the attack, I began keeping a journal. Following is the entry for September 11th.
On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, the World Trade Center in New York City was attacked by terrorists. More than a month later, the wreckage, which the rescue workers referred to as ?The Pile?, was still burning! The buildings withstood the impact of two commercial airplanes, but the fire was so intense (2000 degrees) it melted the steel structure, which caused the buildings to implode. Over 3,000 people from 80 nations perished. Everyday since then, I have replayed in my mind moments of that day over-and-over again. I believe the reason I am still replaying it is that I don't ever want to forget that day. I don't want anyone to ever forget how terrorizing and devastating this attack was for thousands of people and the intensity of emotions, disbelief and sorrow that were felt. I think it's important to record my personal impressions of that fateful day and I am hoping that by writing this essay, I will be able to "turn off" the videotape in my mind. A vicious attack was perpetrated on American soil. More people died on 9/11/01 than any other single day in American history. More people died this day than at Pearl Harbor, more than one year during the Vietnam War. It is too much to comprehend.
Tuesday, September 11th:
The morning of September 11 was sunny and warm, a beautiful day. I left later than usual for the office in Midtown Manhattan. Mom needed some assistance that morning and when I left her apartment I was about 30 minutes off schedule. When I got on the subway, as usual I stood against the door, facing the window on the No. 7 Train. As we approached Queensboro Plaza in Long Island City, I could see the Manhattan skyline. Looking south, I noticed the World Trade Center was on fire, I said to the guy standing next to me -- "There's a fire in the WTC! It looks as if a plane has crashed into it!" From my vantage-point, the facade of the building looked broken. I immediately said a prayer for the people inside the building, the firemen who would arrive to rescue them and the people below who might be injured or killed by falling debris.
When I got to the office, on my way to the 23 Floor, a young man in the elevator told me his wife had just called him on his cell phone to say a plane crashed into the WTC. I thought to myself, I was right. I told him I saw the building burning. Still thinking this was a tragic accident I continued on to my desk.
Events of the day occurred very quickly after I arrived at work. My manager coordinated the effort with the senior managers of each division to determine if all of our sales and service personnel were accounted for. It wasn't long after I arrived that I realized the young man in the elevator was talking about the 2nd plane crash not the 1st. Only now was it clear to me, this was not an accident. We had been attacked! Fear surged through my body, but I was not panicked. I tried to remain calm.
One of our employees had a small television in the office so we were able to get up-to-the-minute news. I couldn't bring myself to look at the television. I was told that people were holding hands and jumping out of windows from 100 stories above. The intensity of the fire was so great; they saw that as their only way out. Shortly after this, we heard that NYC was in a state of emergency, a total lockdown -- all NYC airports, bridges, and tunnels - everything came to a halt.
I couldn't keep up with the phone calls. I was answering so many phones; I couldn't make any outgoing calls. One of my co-workers came to me and told me I better go over to one of the AA's who was very upset so I ran over to console her. At the same time, my sister Jane (who also works for the same company) came to tell me that our sister Anne was not at work and there was a possibility she may be at the WTC on a job interview. She had been on an interview at the WTC the Friday before and it was possible she was on a second interview. I told Jane I couldn't even allow myself to think about that -- it terrified me. I told her that Anne would be fine.
Telephone communication began to deteriorate. It was difficult calling out especially to cell phones.
The next announcement we heard was that the Pentagon was attacked. Our nation's entire air traffic system was shut down. All flights were cancelled until further notice. Only President Bush, in Air Force One was allowed to fly. I said out loud "This is War!"
I will remember the following moment, as though it was yesterday, for as long as I live. A co-worker came over to my desk and told me that one of the towers just collapsed. In my mind I could see myself standing on my mother's terrace, looking at the Manhattan skyline and seeing only one tower standing. I imagined all of the people in the building, the staircases crumbling beneath them, free-falling to their deaths. I had the sensation, which I have experienced in a dream that I was falling; only I wasn't dreaming I was awake. I couldn't breathe; I gasped for air and wept uncontrollably. I remember saying "Oh my God all the people, how can someone hate so much!" Two co-workers came over to console me. I knew I had to regain my composure. It was around this time, after the first tower went down, that Jane called me to say that our sister Anne was safe and at home. I said a prayer of thanksgiving, but now I was shaking inside. Less than 30 minutes later, the nightmare got worse when the North Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed. A few minutes after, we heard that another plane, believed to be headed for the White House or Capitol buildings had crashed in Pennsylvania. God Help Us All!
Employees were congregating in my work area. Everyone wanted to know what to do. Everyone was scared and wanted to go home, but remained calm. We communicated to all personnel by voice mail and e-mail that if it was possible to get home; they were free to go as long as each person notified their manager that they were leaving, and called to say that they had arrived home. Employees were stationed at the lobby of each floor to record who was leaving for the day.
Mayor Rudolph Giuliani ordered the evacuation of Lower Manhattan at about 11:00 AM. Once we heard the bridges were open to pedestrians, Jane and I along with two co-workers decided not to wait until subway service resumed. We decided to walk home together. On our way uptown, we stopped at a store along the way so that two of us could buy sneakers for the 2+-mile journey ? we weren?t the only ones, many women were buying sneakers to replace their high heels. There were thousands of people evacuating the city and yet it was eerily quiet, except for the sirens of rescue vehicles on the way to the scene. Even the sound of car horns was absent. Everyone was calm, polite and focused and lent a helping hand to anyone in need. The four of us continued up Lexington Avenue and over the 59 Street Bridge, encouraging each other along the way and trying to allay each other?s fears. I'm so glad the four of us were together and able to calmly make our way home.
It was on the 59 Street Bridge that we got our first look at the World Trade Center. It was a brilliant sunny day and all that could be seen was smoke and dust clouds covering lower Manhattan. Devastating. Although none of us said anything at the time, I think for an instant we all thought the same thing, "What if they were to bomb the bridges?" I couldn't let myself dwell on that. When we reached the apex of the bridge we could see thousands of people ahead of us. It looked like the Verrazzano Bridge the morning of the New York City Marathon. We left the office at about 12:30 PM and were over the bridge by 1:30 PM. We said farewell to one of the ladies at Queensboro Plaza. She continued on to her home in Long Island City. She told me later that people had set up tables outside their homes and offered water to everyone passing by. We continued on to Queens Boulevard. We had another 2 miles to go. Along the way, we met 2 other people from our company. At about 40 Street and Queens Boulevard, the MTA had set up a staging area of buses to transport people out of the area and down Queens Boulevard as quickly as possible. Jane and I were not interested in getting on a bus. The other ladies just missed getting on one, but things worked out for them. A pick up truck was stopped at a light. A young man asked the woman in the passenger seat if a few people could get in the back. The driver agreed so our co-workers, along with about 10 other people, climbed into the pick up truck. There they were standing in the back of the truck and as it pulled away, it reminded me of how ?the Press? precedes a parade with cameras ready. They were well on their way to getting home safe.
As Jane and I walked along Queens Boulevard, we heard planes overhead. Knowing full well that all planes were grounded, this was not a comforting feeling. Someone ahead of us said they were Fighter Jets. I couldn't believe it. My home -- Fighter Jets -- NYC -- World Trade Center Collapsed -- War -- Thousands Dead. It was surreal. I didn't want to look at them for fear I would see them in pursuit of another plane. I had missed witnessing the first plane crash into the North Tower by seconds and if they were in pursuit of a plane, I did not want to be an eyewitness. Thank God they were just patrolling the area. The city was on Full Alert. It was a day or two later that we learned Fighter Jets were only 8 minutes away from New York City prepared to intercept the hijacked planes. There just wasn?t enough time.
We arrived at Mom's at about 3:00 -3:30 PM. Mom was home and listening to the news on the radio. She and Jane embraced. It was good to be home. Michael, our brother, had driven home safely from the city; Anne and our nephew Thomas joined us as well. The first thing I did was to go out onto the terrace to see the skyline. Thick, dark, acrid smoke covered lower Manhattan. We sat and watched the news. I could not believe my eyes. I watched the 2nd plane attack, I thought to myself -- my God, what had the passengers thought when their plane was hijacked? ? what had the workers in the building thought when they saw the plane coming towards them? The absolute horror and terror imposed on them broke my heart. We saw the people above the fires hanging out the windows waving white clothes to signal distress -- then in desperation, holding hands and jumping to their deaths. I watched the collapse of the towers, the tsunami cloud of dust and debris which caused people to run for their lives, the look of fear on their faces, people tripping and being helped up, young students so frightened, tears streaming down their faces, being escorted by their teachers to safety. I still was not able to grasp the enormity of this event.
Regular programming on television was pre-empted. All networks and cable channels were providing 24-hour coverage. The whole world was watching the coverage of this deliberate, premeditated, evil attack on innocent men, women and children.
As we watched the news, we shared our stories.
- Jane spent the morning calling to make sure all of our family members were safe. She called our brother in Maryland to find out whether our sister-in-law Miguela worked in the vicinity of the Pentagon and if she was safe. Our nephew Tim answered the phone. They were not aware of what was happening until Jane told them to put on the television. Jane also called our sister Anne at work. That?s when she realized there was a chance she might be on a second interview at 2 WTC. Jane assisted in accounting for the employees who work downtown. She was in touch with her good friend when the buildings were collapsing. Her friend was on the main concourse of the WTC and heard the first plane hit the north tower. At first, she took shelter in the Border?s bookstore in the lobby of the Trade Center. She saw the 2nd plane hit the south tower and knew she had to get out of there. While she was running uptown, she fell and hurt herself. She did not think she was going to live. She made it to an office at 11 Park Place. Jane told her to get out of there and get as far away as she could from downtown. Thankfully, she escaped.
- Thomas saw the first tower collapse from his classroom window. Something a 17-year-old should never have to witness. The teachers tried to maintain normalcy, they drew the shades and continued with their lessons. One of Thomas? classmates was called to the principal?s office. His mother worked at the Trade Center. She did not come home. Thomas? father, Harry, picked him up from school on his way home from the Upper Eastside of Manhattan. Harry also walked over the 59 Street Bridge.
- Michael was on the 59 St Bridge, driving to work, talking to his boss on his cell phone. As he was driving, he witnessed the second plane crash and a ball of fire explode from the center of the South tower.
- We have 2 cousins that worked in the area. One escaped by running north and east (as he ran north, the thought occurred to him - What if they hit the Empire State Building next?) and the other by running to Brooklyn.
- Anne had been at a doctor's appointment. When she got home and entered her apartment building, a neighbor asked her if she had heard about the World Trade Center. Anne said no and went upstairs. From her terrace, she could see a cloud of smoke behind the North tower. It looked as though one tower was gone, but that couldn't be she thought to herself. She went next door to her neighbor to find out what was going on. He told her one of the towers did collapse. His phone rang. While he was talking on the phone, Anne saw the North tower collapse. She went back to her apartment, out onto the terrace, got on her knees and prayed.
We could not stop watching the news coverage. No matter how many times I saw the collapse, I couldn't believe it. We listened to Mayor Giuliani?s press conference. He advised everyone in the city to treat Wednesday as we would a ?snow? day. Only essential personnel should enter the city. When asked about the number of people that may be hurt or dead, he replied that the number "would be more than any of us can bear". It was already known that over 300 firefighters and police officers were lost. They had arrived on the scene before the 2nd tower was hit and had entered both towers to assist in a rescue effort. Mayor Giuliani asked that everyone remain calm and stay home with their children and families. We remained at Mom's until President George W. Bush addressed the nation that evening. He informed us that evidence was pointing in the direction of Osama Bin Laden of Afghanistan as the person responsible. Battleships and aircraft carriers were on their way to protect the East Coast of the United States of America. He assured us that we were a nation united and we would hunt down and punish those responsible. After his address, we each went home grateful we were not one of the thousands of families still waiting for word of a loved one. Were they in hospital, did they make it out, did they suffer, did they know how much they were loved, who were they with, where were they? Waiting, waiting, waiting.
A pall had been cast upon this great city. Even the birds left us for a few days. The silence was painful.
Pray for Peace
God Bless America
WE WILL NEVER FORGET
On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, the World Trade Center in New York City was attacked by terrorists. More than a month later, the wreckage, which the rescue workers referred to as ?The Pile?, was still burning! The buildings withstood the impact of two commercial airplanes, but the fire was so intense (2000 degrees) it melted the steel structure, which caused the buildings to implode. Over 3,000 people from 80 nations perished. Everyday since then, I have replayed in my mind moments of that day over-and-over again. I believe the reason I am still replaying it is that I don't ever want to forget that day. I don't want anyone to ever forget how terrorizing and devastating this attack was for thousands of people and the intensity of emotions, disbelief and sorrow that were felt. I think it's important to record my personal impressions of that fateful day and I am hoping that by writing this essay, I will be able to "turn off" the videotape in my mind. A vicious attack was perpetrated on American soil. More people died on 9/11/01 than any other single day in American history. More people died this day than at Pearl Harbor, more than one year during the Vietnam War. It is too much to comprehend.
Tuesday, September 11th:
The morning of September 11 was sunny and warm, a beautiful day. I left later than usual for the office in Midtown Manhattan. Mom needed some assistance that morning and when I left her apartment I was about 30 minutes off schedule. When I got on the subway, as usual I stood against the door, facing the window on the No. 7 Train. As we approached Queensboro Plaza in Long Island City, I could see the Manhattan skyline. Looking south, I noticed the World Trade Center was on fire, I said to the guy standing next to me -- "There's a fire in the WTC! It looks as if a plane has crashed into it!" From my vantage-point, the facade of the building looked broken. I immediately said a prayer for the people inside the building, the firemen who would arrive to rescue them and the people below who might be injured or killed by falling debris.
When I got to the office, on my way to the 23 Floor, a young man in the elevator told me his wife had just called him on his cell phone to say a plane crashed into the WTC. I thought to myself, I was right. I told him I saw the building burning. Still thinking this was a tragic accident I continued on to my desk.
Events of the day occurred very quickly after I arrived at work. My manager coordinated the effort with the senior managers of each division to determine if all of our sales and service personnel were accounted for. It wasn't long after I arrived that I realized the young man in the elevator was talking about the 2nd plane crash not the 1st. Only now was it clear to me, this was not an accident. We had been attacked! Fear surged through my body, but I was not panicked. I tried to remain calm.
One of our employees had a small television in the office so we were able to get up-to-the-minute news. I couldn't bring myself to look at the television. I was told that people were holding hands and jumping out of windows from 100 stories above. The intensity of the fire was so great; they saw that as their only way out. Shortly after this, we heard that NYC was in a state of emergency, a total lockdown -- all NYC airports, bridges, and tunnels - everything came to a halt.
I couldn't keep up with the phone calls. I was answering so many phones; I couldn't make any outgoing calls. One of my co-workers came to me and told me I better go over to one of the AA's who was very upset so I ran over to console her. At the same time, my sister Jane (who also works for the same company) came to tell me that our sister Anne was not at work and there was a possibility she may be at the WTC on a job interview. She had been on an interview at the WTC the Friday before and it was possible she was on a second interview. I told Jane I couldn't even allow myself to think about that -- it terrified me. I told her that Anne would be fine.
Telephone communication began to deteriorate. It was difficult calling out especially to cell phones.
The next announcement we heard was that the Pentagon was attacked. Our nation's entire air traffic system was shut down. All flights were cancelled until further notice. Only President Bush, in Air Force One was allowed to fly. I said out loud "This is War!"
I will remember the following moment, as though it was yesterday, for as long as I live. A co-worker came over to my desk and told me that one of the towers just collapsed. In my mind I could see myself standing on my mother's terrace, looking at the Manhattan skyline and seeing only one tower standing. I imagined all of the people in the building, the staircases crumbling beneath them, free-falling to their deaths. I had the sensation, which I have experienced in a dream that I was falling; only I wasn't dreaming I was awake. I couldn't breathe; I gasped for air and wept uncontrollably. I remember saying "Oh my God all the people, how can someone hate so much!" Two co-workers came over to console me. I knew I had to regain my composure. It was around this time, after the first tower went down, that Jane called me to say that our sister Anne was safe and at home. I said a prayer of thanksgiving, but now I was shaking inside. Less than 30 minutes later, the nightmare got worse when the North Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed. A few minutes after, we heard that another plane, believed to be headed for the White House or Capitol buildings had crashed in Pennsylvania. God Help Us All!
Employees were congregating in my work area. Everyone wanted to know what to do. Everyone was scared and wanted to go home, but remained calm. We communicated to all personnel by voice mail and e-mail that if it was possible to get home; they were free to go as long as each person notified their manager that they were leaving, and called to say that they had arrived home. Employees were stationed at the lobby of each floor to record who was leaving for the day.
Mayor Rudolph Giuliani ordered the evacuation of Lower Manhattan at about 11:00 AM. Once we heard the bridges were open to pedestrians, Jane and I along with two co-workers decided not to wait until subway service resumed. We decided to walk home together. On our way uptown, we stopped at a store along the way so that two of us could buy sneakers for the 2+-mile journey ? we weren?t the only ones, many women were buying sneakers to replace their high heels. There were thousands of people evacuating the city and yet it was eerily quiet, except for the sirens of rescue vehicles on the way to the scene. Even the sound of car horns was absent. Everyone was calm, polite and focused and lent a helping hand to anyone in need. The four of us continued up Lexington Avenue and over the 59 Street Bridge, encouraging each other along the way and trying to allay each other?s fears. I'm so glad the four of us were together and able to calmly make our way home.
It was on the 59 Street Bridge that we got our first look at the World Trade Center. It was a brilliant sunny day and all that could be seen was smoke and dust clouds covering lower Manhattan. Devastating. Although none of us said anything at the time, I think for an instant we all thought the same thing, "What if they were to bomb the bridges?" I couldn't let myself dwell on that. When we reached the apex of the bridge we could see thousands of people ahead of us. It looked like the Verrazzano Bridge the morning of the New York City Marathon. We left the office at about 12:30 PM and were over the bridge by 1:30 PM. We said farewell to one of the ladies at Queensboro Plaza. She continued on to her home in Long Island City. She told me later that people had set up tables outside their homes and offered water to everyone passing by. We continued on to Queens Boulevard. We had another 2 miles to go. Along the way, we met 2 other people from our company. At about 40 Street and Queens Boulevard, the MTA had set up a staging area of buses to transport people out of the area and down Queens Boulevard as quickly as possible. Jane and I were not interested in getting on a bus. The other ladies just missed getting on one, but things worked out for them. A pick up truck was stopped at a light. A young man asked the woman in the passenger seat if a few people could get in the back. The driver agreed so our co-workers, along with about 10 other people, climbed into the pick up truck. There they were standing in the back of the truck and as it pulled away, it reminded me of how ?the Press? precedes a parade with cameras ready. They were well on their way to getting home safe.
As Jane and I walked along Queens Boulevard, we heard planes overhead. Knowing full well that all planes were grounded, this was not a comforting feeling. Someone ahead of us said they were Fighter Jets. I couldn't believe it. My home -- Fighter Jets -- NYC -- World Trade Center Collapsed -- War -- Thousands Dead. It was surreal. I didn't want to look at them for fear I would see them in pursuit of another plane. I had missed witnessing the first plane crash into the North Tower by seconds and if they were in pursuit of a plane, I did not want to be an eyewitness. Thank God they were just patrolling the area. The city was on Full Alert. It was a day or two later that we learned Fighter Jets were only 8 minutes away from New York City prepared to intercept the hijacked planes. There just wasn?t enough time.
We arrived at Mom's at about 3:00 -3:30 PM. Mom was home and listening to the news on the radio. She and Jane embraced. It was good to be home. Michael, our brother, had driven home safely from the city; Anne and our nephew Thomas joined us as well. The first thing I did was to go out onto the terrace to see the skyline. Thick, dark, acrid smoke covered lower Manhattan. We sat and watched the news. I could not believe my eyes. I watched the 2nd plane attack, I thought to myself -- my God, what had the passengers thought when their plane was hijacked? ? what had the workers in the building thought when they saw the plane coming towards them? The absolute horror and terror imposed on them broke my heart. We saw the people above the fires hanging out the windows waving white clothes to signal distress -- then in desperation, holding hands and jumping to their deaths. I watched the collapse of the towers, the tsunami cloud of dust and debris which caused people to run for their lives, the look of fear on their faces, people tripping and being helped up, young students so frightened, tears streaming down their faces, being escorted by their teachers to safety. I still was not able to grasp the enormity of this event.
Regular programming on television was pre-empted. All networks and cable channels were providing 24-hour coverage. The whole world was watching the coverage of this deliberate, premeditated, evil attack on innocent men, women and children.
As we watched the news, we shared our stories.
- Jane spent the morning calling to make sure all of our family members were safe. She called our brother in Maryland to find out whether our sister-in-law Miguela worked in the vicinity of the Pentagon and if she was safe. Our nephew Tim answered the phone. They were not aware of what was happening until Jane told them to put on the television. Jane also called our sister Anne at work. That?s when she realized there was a chance she might be on a second interview at 2 WTC. Jane assisted in accounting for the employees who work downtown. She was in touch with her good friend when the buildings were collapsing. Her friend was on the main concourse of the WTC and heard the first plane hit the north tower. At first, she took shelter in the Border?s bookstore in the lobby of the Trade Center. She saw the 2nd plane hit the south tower and knew she had to get out of there. While she was running uptown, she fell and hurt herself. She did not think she was going to live. She made it to an office at 11 Park Place. Jane told her to get out of there and get as far away as she could from downtown. Thankfully, she escaped.
- Thomas saw the first tower collapse from his classroom window. Something a 17-year-old should never have to witness. The teachers tried to maintain normalcy, they drew the shades and continued with their lessons. One of Thomas? classmates was called to the principal?s office. His mother worked at the Trade Center. She did not come home. Thomas? father, Harry, picked him up from school on his way home from the Upper Eastside of Manhattan. Harry also walked over the 59 Street Bridge.
- Michael was on the 59 St Bridge, driving to work, talking to his boss on his cell phone. As he was driving, he witnessed the second plane crash and a ball of fire explode from the center of the South tower.
- We have 2 cousins that worked in the area. One escaped by running north and east (as he ran north, the thought occurred to him - What if they hit the Empire State Building next?) and the other by running to Brooklyn.
- Anne had been at a doctor's appointment. When she got home and entered her apartment building, a neighbor asked her if she had heard about the World Trade Center. Anne said no and went upstairs. From her terrace, she could see a cloud of smoke behind the North tower. It looked as though one tower was gone, but that couldn't be she thought to herself. She went next door to her neighbor to find out what was going on. He told her one of the towers did collapse. His phone rang. While he was talking on the phone, Anne saw the North tower collapse. She went back to her apartment, out onto the terrace, got on her knees and prayed.
We could not stop watching the news coverage. No matter how many times I saw the collapse, I couldn't believe it. We listened to Mayor Giuliani?s press conference. He advised everyone in the city to treat Wednesday as we would a ?snow? day. Only essential personnel should enter the city. When asked about the number of people that may be hurt or dead, he replied that the number "would be more than any of us can bear". It was already known that over 300 firefighters and police officers were lost. They had arrived on the scene before the 2nd tower was hit and had entered both towers to assist in a rescue effort. Mayor Giuliani asked that everyone remain calm and stay home with their children and families. We remained at Mom's until President George W. Bush addressed the nation that evening. He informed us that evidence was pointing in the direction of Osama Bin Laden of Afghanistan as the person responsible. Battleships and aircraft carriers were on their way to protect the East Coast of the United States of America. He assured us that we were a nation united and we would hunt down and punish those responsible. After his address, we each went home grateful we were not one of the thousands of families still waiting for word of a loved one. Were they in hospital, did they make it out, did they suffer, did they know how much they were loved, who were they with, where were they? Waiting, waiting, waiting.
A pall had been cast upon this great city. Even the birds left us for a few days. The silence was painful.
Pray for Peace
God Bless America
WE WILL NEVER FORGET
Collection
Citation
“story964.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed December 27, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/13518.