nmah5065.xml

nmah5065.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-16

The story of two companies GovPX and GARBAN
Ed Jerlin of Garban was ready to transition the real time
GARBAN-GSCC link into production. GSCC and GARBAN
records matched for a four days in a row. This was on
September 10th. For all of us at vFission a start up
this was to be a new beginning. Significant! A completed project for a major financial firm now known as GARBAN ICAP.
GARBAN was housed in 26th floor of the North Tower.
I, Raman Kannan, a part time employee of world's greatest
firm GovPX Inc, a part time consultant of vFission,
was to be at GARBAN on September 11th finalizing the
production environment for this application. Ed Jerlin and
Gordon Skidds CTO of Garban had patiently trained us with
their data formats, processes, network of systems etc.
I had never attended any after work school events with my
kids. I am not sure how why I attended the Back to School
night at the Holmdel Satz Middle school on September 10th.
I was late and missed my usual train into Manhatten leaving
Middletown train station at 6:42 AM. If I missed that train
I had the habit of taking the next best express leaving
Middletown at 8:11. I was on that train reviewing list
of critical resources and tasks needed for a succesful launch. This train used to terminate at Newark Penn Station and I would normally take the PATH into World
Trace Center. What gracious buildings they were. In the
busy life I lead never had the time to stop and enjoy the
beauty they offered. Never questioned their existence.
When I got out of the train my cell was ringing and there
was huge crowd. At first, I had taken it for usual delay
we had become used to at the PATH. But then there were
loud announcements, mostly inaudible. My wife on the phone
was commanding me back home. Everything was quite unusal.
So I decided to take the express back to Middletown
leaving right after 8:50 AM. I shared that car with
10 others. I had a radio and was relaying back all the
radio news broadcast. There was no doubt that this was
the work of terrorists. Past Rahway station we could not
see anything until my station arrived. When I came home
around 9:52 I found something very wrong with the TV
picture. A whole tower was missing. I kept asking my
wife what happened. My thoughts immediately razed to
Rich Bonnecki and Don Laster at Garban. Rich and I shared
the same town with almost identical spirit. Don had earned
my respect as a superlative technician practicing very
rigorous discipline of software engineering. I thought about these two in particular because I was afraid for their safety. Rich by habit always shrugged off PA announcements never came out of his office. Don while mentally far superior to myself had a physical disability.
He could not climb down the stairs on his own. I was now very concerned. I tried to call Rich at his house and left
a couple of messages. I called the CTO and told him I had
the latest data for many of their reference data. I later learned that Don made it to safety and Don almost had an entire software backed up at his residence.
With Ed's permission I sent all the software components by email to Don. Everything had to be put back together.
Peter McDonald, Rich and I culled all the data from my data archives. GARBAN lost all their technology assets. I always felt that GARBAN was a chaotic place because of the market they were conducting business in but cared for their people like no one else. Sure enough, in affirmation of that observation everyone including Don made out to safety except Ms. Karen Diettrich. She had gone to a higher floor (above 100s) to be at a meeting. Many friends I had at Garban were hurting. Many refused to come back to work. Even Vito did not want to be bathered at his house in Vermont. Ms. Karen Diettrich had two lovely twins
boy and a girl. I was heart broken when I saw them at
the funeral.
Garban is now back on track and everyone is working hard as ever. Bill Sweeney and Byron Nicas who are my professional mentors at Citibank were not near the scene
and suffered major delays getting back home. Bill Sweeney
had asked me to convey to his family that he is safe and well. Which I did and Bill always made me feel part of his
core team.
GovPX where I held a 3 day job was located on the 26th Floor on 2 World Financial Center (AKA ML building) right
opposite to the North Tower. Senior VP had seen bodies falling down but every one made it to safety. CEO Dr. Larry Leuzzi was a seasoned mathematician and never allowed distractions in life to sway him one way or the other. He also felt the burden of supporting his 26 employees and their financial commitments. There was only
one way out: bring govpx back on line. I owe a lot of my professional recovery to GovPX and especially Senior VP Angelo Susi and CEO Larry Leuzzi. On September 15th
4 days after the mindless attacks, a core team of GovPX technology division including the senior VP of GovPX, climbed the stairs to the 26th floor with the help of US Coast Guard and carried down most essential hardware essential to the fixed income ticker plant that govpx operates. GovPX operated out of SIAC backup site until March 2002 and personal were housed at
64 Wall Street 8th floor. During this offsite operation GovPX employees climbed to the 26th floor to retrieve important hardware elements to complete our recovery. In February 2002 GovPX moved back to 2 WFC and we are back on line happily ever after.
We have big dreams leveraging new technologies and products for the coming years.

Garban generously paid all our bills but that was the
end of vFission. I no longer could take the risk of being
a consultant, and GovPX needed my 5 day attention to bring back the systems. Our Senior VP Mr. Angelo Susi generously recommended that I assume a full time position at GovPX.
I am now a full time employee of GovPX. I spend more time at home and do not work on weekends or evenings like I used to. Ever more grateful to Almighty than ever before.
Twice HE has saved me in 1993 I got stuck in an elevator bank in 111 Wall at Citibank office complex and in 2001
I was unusally late and never reached my destination
26th Floor World Trade 1 so called North Tower.

Allow me to express our emotions as a poem
on behalf of all those who wanted to be there working
in lower Manhatten but could not:

BLESS AMERICA FOR EVER TO COME
In GOD who resides in all
Now reside all those who perished
Where they strolled and stroked in life
In death,they left behind a deep scar
on mother earth and right in our hearts
There is no cause that can justify
the pain, suffering and misery

In death there exists no difference
Those who sought death intent on pain and mayhem
And those who sought death to breath life
The vile and the valourous have both merged in death
Father, mother, son and strangers have all merged
For ever, in death they left deep scar
In all of us living a fleeting moment

Mindless and the mindful all have merged
leaving behind lot of memories forever to come
nations around the globe have united
to rid the senseless demons living amongst us

Lest we may sport the idea job well done
They have left behind sons, daughters, moms and dads
We will never be done until we see them through college
All have happy endings and full life too
Poems, Podiums, speeches, memorials are never enough

Buildings must arise taller than ever before
Or we may be taken for the imbecile
The wicked must be punished until justice served
The vile must be chased out into oblivion
or we may be taken for the impotent
Emotions and high rises alone cannot mean job well done
We will never be done as a nation
until we fulfill all their obligations
they left behind just as our own

Oh! Almighty God! Oh Cosmic Purusha!
We are despondent and dependent on Thy
Give us strength and courage to erase the sick
Give us clarity and wisdom to root the evil out
Give us sound judgement to build upon the good
Oh! Almighty God! Bless us in America!
America, The Land of living free!
America, The Land of giving hearts!
Land where millions come to learn!
Land where most stay to earn!
A land where all live in dignity
A Land where Thy grace shines brightest
Thank you for all that we have, oh My Lord!
Please bless America for ever to come.
Om Namo Narayana!

Yes. We did.
I also understood the value of speaking one language.
Although I am a naturalized US Citizen, spoken language brought me closer to many during this time. But for a few
that made faces I never had a problem expressing my opinion and feelings during this ordeal.