nmah6269.xml

nmah6269.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2003-09-15

I remember it was a Tuesday. The sky was clear and brilliant blue. A perfect day. It was my regular day to work as 911 operator for Nassau County on Long Island. I started work at 7am as usual, getting the usual calls for car accidents, disturbances, etc. Later that morning, I began to hear my co workers murmuring about an explosion at the World Trade Center. None of us had clear information, we all had to stay focused on calls that were coming in at the time. I got up at 9am to take a break. We have a TV in our lunchroom and I wanted to see what was actually going on. I saw a gaping hole and a pillar of smoke rising from one of the towers. At the time I thought it was a terrible accident. Did the pilot become ill? Was there a catastrophic mechanical failure on the plane? I stood there in shocked silence as the tower burned. Then I saw another plane flying in from the left side of the screen, "What the hell is that plane...?" Before I could finish my thought the plane crashed into the second tower. I felt like I was watching a movie. I thought for a second this was some incredible stunt with special effects... This can't be real! I finally snapped out of it and ran out of the kitchen to the Supervisor's Desk. I told my Boss that another plane crashed into the second tower. After that, the rest of the day is a blur. People kept calling 911 to find out what was going on at WTC. I remember ALL highways and parkways were shutdown. When the towers fell, we lost all communication with NYC Emergency Operations. Meanwhile, the usual calls kept coming in; cardiac, domestic disturbance, auto accident, etc. I remember taking another break sometime during the day. I went outside to get some fresh air. I jumped when I heard the sound of jet engines above; It was a lone F-16 heading west towards New York City. Seeing that plane made me realize that the U.S. was going to war. It was not until later in the day that the "ripples" from the attack began to be felt. People started to call 911 for missing person reports. One of the first reports I took was from a woman who said her husband was not home from work. I took all the information and asked what company he worked for. She replied, "Cantor Fitzgerald". I thought to myself, "This guy isn't coming home." I felt really fortunate that I did not know anyone working downtown.

Yes. I don't feel that freedom means the same as it did before the attacks. Now everyone has to have an ID around their neck. There are soldiers carrying M-16's in airports and train stations. There is a Department of Homeland Security. Everything feels restricted and cut-off. The U.S. still has more freedom than anywhere else on earth, but I feel like our freedom is being taken away little by little in the name of national security. I often think of Orwell's "1984".

All the children that will grow up without parents. Will they ever understand the hatred that caused a small group of fanatics to cause such devastation and pain?

I have always flown the flag. I have tremendous respect for what it represents. I see the flag and I think about all the people that have died to keep it flying high. What kind of world would this be if the United States weren't here?