nmah5476.xml

nmah5476.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2003-03-30

I arrived that morning on the path from Exchange place in Jersey City at 8:45 am. When I came up the huge escalators I knew something was wrong. My path was a right turn off the escalators heading south toward work, just a block away from the south tower. As I got to the top of the escalator the usual bustle that accompanied each business day was completely missing to my right. I think there were still employees at the "gap" but no- one was coming from the north tower which at that time of morning would have been hundreds or even thousands of people. One woman was yelling at a Cop to my left where the police had located a station after the '93 attack. The cops were all on walkie -talkies or phones. Very few people were to my left toward the east. But way more than there were to my right looking at the entrance to the north towers by the gourmet coffee place. I knew something wasn't right and headed quickly past Coach, Structure and Sam Goody's.As I approached the exit adjacent to the South Tower a crowd of a hundred or more people were stopped just inside the exit. I could see thousands of objects mostly burning paper falling from the sky. The fire station across the street that I passed everyday was scrambling. People were looking up but not to worriedly. At this point I assumed there had been a bomb above me somewhere in the trade center. People forget how big that place was. When it was safe people began to go outside. I quickly hurried across the street past the fire station a couple delis,Papoos restaurant and then entered my place of work at 74 trinity place. Our offices were connected to the American Stock Exchange where my 30 or so employees spent each day working.As I entered our 16th floor office I heard the firsts discussions about a plane hitting the tower. In the background above where we held our daily trading meetings the TV showed the same seen we could see by looking out a window or stepping outside. No one could understand how a plane could have hit the trade center on such a clear beautiful day. As I remember it, it was the nicest morning of the year until 8:45 am. I was late that day. I normally came in about 8 am. The market had been collapsing for a while and we were trying to sell our company that was involved in an intense industry shakeout. What followed could not have been worse for us financially and emotionally. Anxious to protect our trading positions we were about to gather in the conference room when were heard a load roar of an airplane that seemed feet away from our window. We then saw on TV and simultaneously felt the explosion at impact. An employee of mine immediately yelled "terrorists! I knew he was right. I ordered three employees to the Amex trading floor next door (one building closer to the Trade Center), they were to evacuate all our employees and tell them to go home where we would call them. I had no interest in staying around to see if the Exchanges were gonna open on time or not. Naturally this discussion took place and we were all following the NYSE lead as all markets are connected to some degree. I did not wait to hear the decision in an effort to escape the danger and clarify the issues for the exchange; I notified the Chairman and Vice Chair that we (the third largest trading group in the US options business) would not be there to manage the trading posts. Within minutes all of our employees had been told to leave. I stood out back of the exchange on Greenwich Street near Georges and the Pussycat Lounge. A leading trader had already taken a group to the Staten Island Ferry. Another group headed by foot over the Brooklyn Bridge. Most of our phones did not work. They were busy. As I stood out back doing head counts I was missing two people from our company. Virtually no one else left the Amex.Two or three of us were watching as people jumped in desperation to their deaths. Within minutes it looked like the top might fall off and hit our building so most of the people out back started walking toward Battery Park. Suddenly it started to collapse. I turned and ran but could not see much as I was being hit with debris and other people running. Thick black dust and gray dust covered me. I literally thought I would die. I am an asthma patient I have a pacemaker, I have had two heart attacks and a stroke. The stress of this situation was overwhelming. I fell to the ground after having inadvertently stepped on what I believe was someones throat. I pulled my trading coat over my head in an effort to create a space to breathe without ingesting dust and debris. I did not get up for ten minutes. When I did I followed a crowd of people running toward the water in Battery Park. Even now I have not heard stories of what I saw. But people were panicking. At least two people were caught on barbed wire fence near a construction sight trying to avoid the trample of people from the trade center area. Several people either jumped or were pushed into the river. A number of small boats attempted to rescue us.
Then the second tower started to fall .The rumble was deafening, the screams beyond description. Total panic set in ...planes and helicopters were all around, most of us though they were still attacking. Rumors swept that the pentagon had been hit and that several planes were still in route. We did not know where to go. I spent brief moments trying to analyze how other buildings might fall and how to survive. Several of us found shelter near construction barricades at a restaurant in Battery Park. A construction guy pulled over a truck and started handing out cloth masks. A Chinese worker handed out cups of ice and water. Just then a policeman ran by on a walkie talkie saying the gas main s were gonna blow.
That was it for me, I sat down and prayed. I prayed for my family and friends. I also prayed that whoever did this would be sent to hell. Hours later I was rescued by a small boat and taken to Ellis Island where despondent triage units had little to do. Except cope with scrapes, burns, breaks and shock. I found my way to my car in Jersey City and drove some people to where they needed to be. A few miles outside the city I was finally able to contact my wife and got home at 4pm. But thats another story.
I write this now in the middle of the war in Iraq. This is the first time I have recorded what happened that day. I have sold my business ( big loss from prior to 9/11)I quit my job with the acquiring firm. I am moving to Rhode Island and taking my family out of New Jersey. The year following the attack were nearly as stressful as the attack itself. Its a miracle my heart has held up. Today its easy for me to see the pattern of terrorism and hatred emanating from some Arab Muslim communities. The trials in 1993, which I closely followed, provided a road map for anyone who cared about what the intentions of these people are. I heard nothing from Hollywood starlets then.Hollywoods answer is to feel sorry for terrorists and send money to the dead and dying in NYC.Here's a message for Streisand,Sarandon,Farrel et al. We dont want your money. We want your patriotism. If we cant have that, then we want you to shut up.

Michael George Riley

i lost my business...i moved..my basement is filled with emergency rations..ive left my friends and coworkers in order to save my family.We are not safe and my heart wont last .I at least need to get my family to safer environs.

we were attacked only to the extent they were capable at taht moment.These people are not to be reasoned with.They will use whatever necessary to kill all americans even those holier than thou hollywood stars.We must not stop until terrorism and terrorist leaning countries understand we will fight for our liberty.my childrens innocence has been lost.

yes i flew the flag.I love this country and continue to be proud to be a citizen.