lc_story97.xml

lc_story97.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2003-12-17

I was at work in my office of the Bronxville School District in lower Westchester County. I needed to bring something to the Superintendent's office and the staff was watching television. A plane had just crashed into Tower One of the World Trade Center. At that time we thought it was an accident. My only two brothers worked in the Trade Center and my husband's only brother also worked in the Trade Center. As we were watching the TV the second plane came in and we realized that we were under attack. I ran across the street to St. Joseph's Church to pray for anyone who might be affected not knowing what was to come. When I got back to my office, I received a call from my sister in law telling me that her husband, and my brother Luke Nee had called. He was in his office at Cantor Fitzgerald and they were stuck. Smoke was filling the office and he told his wife that they were all going to die and that he loved her and his son. September 11 was their 19th wedding anniversary.

I quickly left for home (a five minute drive) to see my husband standing on our front lawn crying. He was a Police Captain in the New York City Police Department and had to rush in to work because there was an all out mobilization. We still had not heard from his brother, James Reilly or my brother John Nee. Luke was the only one we had news about and it was bad. Later on in the day we heard from both John and James and they were OK. They were evacuated and saw terrible things that they do not talk about. I know my brother Johnnie saw people jumping and knew his brother Luke was on the 104th floor and just hoped he was not one of the jumpers.

It has made us more aware of death and the fragile world we live in. I don't think we feel secure any more. Personally it has devastated my parents, Luke's wife and son, and my brother and sister and myself. There is a hole in our hearts and lives.