story11279.xml

story11279.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2005-02-03

My name james boyle retired president of the Uniformed Firefighters AssociationLoc 94 My son Michael Boyle Firefighter Engine 33 was killed on 9/11/01. I spoke to him that morning at 8;35am he was relieved from duty and was going to the election headquarters of his cousin Mat Farrel who was a candidate for the city council from Woodside Queens. Tuesday Sept 11 2001 was primary day in New York. My office at the Kings County District Attorney office of C. Joe Hynes looked over the east river and directly at the World Trade Centre. I sa the smoke and fire from my office in the North Tower and tuned in on TV from my office. It was such a beautiful late summer day in NY and I wondered how this could happen. While viewing the fire I notice a plane flying South over the Hudson River make a large circile and fying into the South Tower. I immediate lelt my office on the 10th floor and proceeded to walk towards the World Trade Centre over the Brooklyn Bridge. I had monitored the trial of the terroist of the 1993 bombing of the Trade Centre. They had proceeded to J&R music store on Park place and stood on the 2nd floor with a clear view oof the Towers and waited for then to fall after they placed a bomb in the sub-basement.I was President of the Firefighter at that time and was involved for many hours in the rescue of many many people.I never thought the Towers would fall as I made my way against thousanda of people fleeing Manhattan. As I got to the New York City side of the brdge the crowd leaving made it impossible to reach J&R store. I then proceed across City Hall park and was at the corner of Broadway &Barclay street when aloud roar and dark clouds came racing aalong Broadway. I ran into the lobby of 250 Broadway and after a few minutes someone came out of the elevator and in a loud voice said the building had collasped. I immediately proceed towards the fire dept command post at West and Vessy streets. At Church st I notice part of the plane two blocks North at warren st i walked toward the plane and then turned bak and walk to West Btoadway and Vessey Because of the falling debrie on Vessey I walked back to Barclay st on Greenwich st and proceeded West in safety to West St. one block away. At the corner of West & Barclay St looking South 4blocks to the Fire command centre I was nblown to the ground and rolled North on West Stand over taken by hugh black cloud of dust dirt and because I knew the neighbor crawled blindly towards a building of District Council 37 AFL/CIO and fortunatley was able to escape from the cloud. After fifteen minutes I proceeded outside there were cars on fire in a parking lot across West St which is 8 lanes wide. Walking towards the fallen towers a sence of disbelief despaire a feeling of death. A fire chief Peter Heyden told me everyone was dead. At that monent I realized my son might have responded since his unit is only a mile north of the towers and if he did was he a victim? Walking around the sight looking for his unit and asking for him it became obivious his fire unit e 33 was in the buildingwhen it fell. I finaly found his fire rig and the driver Fr Conte told me Michael had jumped on the engine as it responded and was missing with his unit. Engine 33 lost the 7 members that responded that day. I searched for hours with so many wonderful people hoping and praying that somehow they were alive in some pocket in the ruins. About`10 pm i walked back through the streets of lower manhattan towards his firehouse on Great Jones St. I found his bag with all his personal items in the fire house where he had thrown them when he jumpted on the Engine even through he was off duty. I called home and notified my wife and family that I was coming home and Michael was missing with his company and presumed dead. In closing thank you America for all your prayers and support. I will never forgett God Bless America