email582.xml
Title
email582.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
email
Date Entered
2002-08-22
September 11 Email: Body
Dear friends:
Sue is okay. I am okay. Oscar the cat is okay. Thank you for the pouring out of well wishes. For those not pouring out, I love you all. For those of you who did not realize, we lived? one block from the building formerly known as the World Trade Center, AKA Ground Zero.
DAY 1
And the story begins like this-I left for work at 0745-I drive to work-the car was parked approximately 100 feet from the base of the South Tower where I typically park it on the street-All cars left in that location were blown up-I often go to my gym b/4 work but I was being a lazy shit that morning-the gym is in the World Trade Center Marriott Hotel-the same hotel Bergen and his posse stayed at for the 1999 Ohio State Go Bucs Kickoff Classic-that hotel is no more-Had I gone to the gym I would have been at that a/o until 0815-0825.
I did not learn of the tragedy until I got to work. I immediately called my wife to make sure she was okay. We all thought it was an accident at first. Sue was doing her hair at the time oblivious to the blast. After I got off the phone with her the second blast occurred and I did not speak to Sue for nearly two hours but it seemed like eternity. They evacuated our building. Sue tried to get OScar the fat cat but he would not come out from behind the couch so she was forced to leave the meow for himself.
Sue began walking north away from the towers before the collapse-thank god. A number of people we know stayed to watch and were injured (they are okay). Sue's friend Tammy from the wedding party worked on the 40th floor of the first tower but she was able to get out safely. Sue was forced to walk over 100 blocks to her friend on E. 74th Street. She of course stopped at her favorite store Kmart to purchase her favorite Kmart clothes sneakers and sweats to continue her million woman march (She was wearing a business suit).
I was trapped in the Bronx until night time because no subways were working and all bridges were closed to even foot traffic. Finally, I was able to subway down to where Sue was. I picked her up and we then went back to the Bronx and got my car and drove out of the city to Sue's parents in Rockland County.
Day 2-Operation Oscar commences
I was on the move early morning. No unauthorized personnel was allowed below 14th Street so I attempted to contact some NYPD friends to see if I could get a ride into Ground Zero. They told me the area was too hazardous and that I should wait until tomorrow. I of course did not listen. I drove to the Bronx DA's office where I biked into Manhattan for the 15 mile trip downtown-I crossed the 155th Street Bridge and biked down the Henry Hudson Parkway (mostly because I thought it as a nice bike trail and I always wanted to do it)-I finally made it to the freeze zone at 14th Street where the police were not letting any unauthorized personnel through. Of course I tell them my name is CPT Smith and my reserve unit has just been activated and I must get to my apartment to get out my military gear. I flashed my ID and I was allowed behind the police barricades. I traveled several more minutes and I reached the area where the media could not go past still a 1/4 mile from the apartment. A swat team of police surrounded me I told them again I was trying to get my military. (Mind you I am wearing shorts and a tee-shirt). Some police Captain told me he basically did not give a sh__ who I was and that he had to have authorization from the command center. His mistake was to walk away from me b/c when he was not looking I went past the police barricade.
At this point I am 2-3 blocks from Ground Zero-I picked up a mask I found b/c the air was hard to breathe. The only people in this area were police and firefighters. I felt like Richard Dreyfus in Close Encounters. I got to an area one block from Ground Zero.
Words can not describe it. I actually began to cry thinking about all the bodies. It was like a nuclear winter. There was soot and debris strewn everywhere. I made it to my apt complex. There is a traffic circle in my complex which once had a beautiful garden. No more. Destroyed with smoke soot, garbage. I went to my building where I was stopped by the NAtl Guard but I explained my situation and I was in. I tried to go up the service stairs but there was no power and I foolishly forgot my flashlight. It was darkness like I have never seen before (an oxymoron). I went back down and got a flashlight from a man that happened to also be sneaking into the building.
I ran up the steps in to the apartment and yelled for the cat who had now been in the apartment for about 36 hours. I heard him behind the couch he would not come out. He clearly had not eaten at all or drank anything but I was happy he was okay-I fed him and calmed him down for about 10 minutes-At this point I put on my BDU's so I would not have any problem getting out of the area.
I put the cat in a mesh knapsack and left the apartment which has a significant amount of debris and damage. The cat was screaming for his life. I got outside and all of the NAtl guard troops started saluting me b/c I outranked them in my uniform and all the police that were giving me a hard time were now on my side. I made it back to where i left the bike and now for my favorite part of the story.
There was a crowed of people at the entrance to the freeze zone cheering for all the police and firefighters and NAtl Guard. The crowd was waving the American Flag and screaming. And here comes CPT Smith on his mother in laws bike ( no banana seat or basket) carrying the cat in my left arm and steering the bike with the other-And the crowd starts going nuts for me cheering and waving the flag. I continued the ride to 34th St. Penn Station where me the cat and the bike rode the subway back to the Bronx where we lived happily ever after. Operation Oscar complete.
Sue is okay. I am okay. Oscar the cat is okay. Thank you for the pouring out of well wishes. For those not pouring out, I love you all. For those of you who did not realize, we lived? one block from the building formerly known as the World Trade Center, AKA Ground Zero.
DAY 1
And the story begins like this-I left for work at 0745-I drive to work-the car was parked approximately 100 feet from the base of the South Tower where I typically park it on the street-All cars left in that location were blown up-I often go to my gym b/4 work but I was being a lazy shit that morning-the gym is in the World Trade Center Marriott Hotel-the same hotel Bergen and his posse stayed at for the 1999 Ohio State Go Bucs Kickoff Classic-that hotel is no more-Had I gone to the gym I would have been at that a/o until 0815-0825.
I did not learn of the tragedy until I got to work. I immediately called my wife to make sure she was okay. We all thought it was an accident at first. Sue was doing her hair at the time oblivious to the blast. After I got off the phone with her the second blast occurred and I did not speak to Sue for nearly two hours but it seemed like eternity. They evacuated our building. Sue tried to get OScar the fat cat but he would not come out from behind the couch so she was forced to leave the meow for himself.
Sue began walking north away from the towers before the collapse-thank god. A number of people we know stayed to watch and were injured (they are okay). Sue's friend Tammy from the wedding party worked on the 40th floor of the first tower but she was able to get out safely. Sue was forced to walk over 100 blocks to her friend on E. 74th Street. She of course stopped at her favorite store Kmart to purchase her favorite Kmart clothes sneakers and sweats to continue her million woman march (She was wearing a business suit).
I was trapped in the Bronx until night time because no subways were working and all bridges were closed to even foot traffic. Finally, I was able to subway down to where Sue was. I picked her up and we then went back to the Bronx and got my car and drove out of the city to Sue's parents in Rockland County.
Day 2-Operation Oscar commences
I was on the move early morning. No unauthorized personnel was allowed below 14th Street so I attempted to contact some NYPD friends to see if I could get a ride into Ground Zero. They told me the area was too hazardous and that I should wait until tomorrow. I of course did not listen. I drove to the Bronx DA's office where I biked into Manhattan for the 15 mile trip downtown-I crossed the 155th Street Bridge and biked down the Henry Hudson Parkway (mostly because I thought it as a nice bike trail and I always wanted to do it)-I finally made it to the freeze zone at 14th Street where the police were not letting any unauthorized personnel through. Of course I tell them my name is CPT Smith and my reserve unit has just been activated and I must get to my apartment to get out my military gear. I flashed my ID and I was allowed behind the police barricades. I traveled several more minutes and I reached the area where the media could not go past still a 1/4 mile from the apartment. A swat team of police surrounded me I told them again I was trying to get my military. (Mind you I am wearing shorts and a tee-shirt). Some police Captain told me he basically did not give a sh__ who I was and that he had to have authorization from the command center. His mistake was to walk away from me b/c when he was not looking I went past the police barricade.
At this point I am 2-3 blocks from Ground Zero-I picked up a mask I found b/c the air was hard to breathe. The only people in this area were police and firefighters. I felt like Richard Dreyfus in Close Encounters. I got to an area one block from Ground Zero.
Words can not describe it. I actually began to cry thinking about all the bodies. It was like a nuclear winter. There was soot and debris strewn everywhere. I made it to my apt complex. There is a traffic circle in my complex which once had a beautiful garden. No more. Destroyed with smoke soot, garbage. I went to my building where I was stopped by the NAtl Guard but I explained my situation and I was in. I tried to go up the service stairs but there was no power and I foolishly forgot my flashlight. It was darkness like I have never seen before (an oxymoron). I went back down and got a flashlight from a man that happened to also be sneaking into the building.
I ran up the steps in to the apartment and yelled for the cat who had now been in the apartment for about 36 hours. I heard him behind the couch he would not come out. He clearly had not eaten at all or drank anything but I was happy he was okay-I fed him and calmed him down for about 10 minutes-At this point I put on my BDU's so I would not have any problem getting out of the area.
I put the cat in a mesh knapsack and left the apartment which has a significant amount of debris and damage. The cat was screaming for his life. I got outside and all of the NAtl guard troops started saluting me b/c I outranked them in my uniform and all the police that were giving me a hard time were now on my side. I made it back to where i left the bike and now for my favorite part of the story.
There was a crowed of people at the entrance to the freeze zone cheering for all the police and firefighters and NAtl Guard. The crowd was waving the American Flag and screaming. And here comes CPT Smith on his mother in laws bike ( no banana seat or basket) carrying the cat in my left arm and steering the bike with the other-And the crowd starts going nuts for me cheering and waving the flag. I continued the ride to 34th St. Penn Station where me the cat and the bike rode the subway back to the Bronx where we lived happily ever after. Operation Oscar complete.
September 11 Email: Date
Friday, September 14, 2001 7:09:45 PM
September 11 Email: Subject
Re: Operation Oscar by CPT [NAME DELETED]
Collection
Citation
“email582.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed December 3, 2024, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/39373.