I was living in New Jersey at the time. We were getting ready to close one lane of traffic on a busy four lane road to do some maintenance work. When a low flying jet flow overhead. Something just did not sound right. The engines were screaming but the plane looked like it was in slow motion. We watched it go by and just assumed that they were having issues and returning to Newark International Airport or to JFK Airport. Minutes later we heard that a plane flew into one of the towers . And we could clearly see the smoke from where we were. Then on our work radio we were told to stop everything that we were doing and return back to our shop ASAP. What the hell is going on ? was the question that we were all asking. A few of us were firefighters or EMS members. We were told to leave work and report to our fire houses. That is when we found out what was happening. Everybody was placed on stand bye. I had a number of friends and people that I knew that was at ground zero that day and days later into months. Months later Our station became active as a host for firefighters attending LODD funerals, Memorial services etc. When body parts or even just a little bit of bone was found and ID'ed by DNA. . I had a neighbor who lost two family members that day. And they were never able to have full closer because those two family members remains were never found or Identified. How does one recover from it fully ?
Yeah we went in there and kicked ass on Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, and now they're stronger than ever. Killing them makes them martyrs and they're constantly replaced by new recruits. Anti-Americanism is rampant there and in the Middle East, we're the Great Satan. I first joined the Hip Forums in 2000 when it was Hippyland. I participated in it sporadically, it's likely I would have stopped eventually. But after 9/11 the forums were all abuzz and I got into some heated discussions, notably with one woman calling herself LaughinWillow, who felt it was well deserved and had no sympathy for those who died that day because of the harm Evil America has caused the world. Last I heard of her she joined a commune. So 20 years later I'm still a member, ironically if not for 9/11 I probably would have stopped and forgotten all about this site. Funny how that worked out.
This is Gary Box on 9/11 his truck was stuck in traffic, he got out of his truck and ran to the towers. Gary died that day, his body was never recovered. This is What a Hero looks like.
Fellows: I am a 9/11 survivor. I then worked on Wall Street, and had earlier passed through the WTC after getting of the PATH train from J. It was such a beautiful day that i had decided to try to take a same-day personal day, and take a few cruises on the Staten Island Ferry and on the Circle Line. Sadly, that never happened. As on most mornings, a friend of mine from work and I were in the first floor of Borders Book Store (WTC) when a loud "BOOM!" and a solid shaking hit; I had first thought an out of control bus or truck had slammed into the building. When I saw debris falling from the upper floors, I thought that a transformer might have blown. Suddenly, announcements were made over the PA to evacuate the building, through the Concourse. It was surreal; people screaming, shouting, dropping personal belongings, falling down, stumbling, as they ran for the exits. When we got outside, I could not believe what I saw; a huge, gaping hole in one of the towers, flames and smoke belching out. I had heard someone saw a plane had hit; even then, I was not thinking of terrorism; far from it. I thought that a plane had either went out of control or the pilot had had a heart attack at the controls. I had just turned the corner (Broadway) to head back to work, when ANOTHER loud explosion sounded; I heard some guy screaming: "Another plane just hit!" THAT was when I knew this was NO ACCIDENT. What I should have done was try to get home right then, but, instead, I went back to work, where everything was at a standstill; everyone was in shock. I managed to get through to my mother from a pay phone, to let her know I was OK. I then began helping people from the street, coming into my building to seek shelter. They were covered in soot and dust, some bleeding, some with torn clothing. I steered them towards the cafeteria, which was turned into a makeshift emergency clinic. With no windows in my section, I had no idea what was going on; when the Towers collapsed, myself and two of my supervisors just stood huddled in a group, as the building shook, trembled, and vibrated as though an earthquake had hit. I thought for sure our building was coming down as well. When we were finally given the OK to leave, it was, to say the least, a surreal scene to witness. Abandoned vehicles, turned-over vendor carts, a city bus up on the sidewalk, its doors opening and closing, even though it was empty. Everything was covered in debris and soot; smoke obscured the skies; all we could hear was helicopters and military aircraft. With all public transit out, my friend and I, along with many others, walked miles uptown to board a chartered dinner cruise boat, to cross back to New Jersey. No one talked, it was deathly still on board. The huge, billowing clouds and flames coming from the WTC ruins was nightmarish and unearthly. Once back in New Jersey, it was chaotic trying to find a bus that would get us at least part-way home. Two buses later (after over six hours of trudging and seeking transport), my friend and I finally arrived home. My mother was almost delirious when I got home: I had not spoken to her for over 6 hours. For days afterwards, the bitter stench of smoke from the ruins covered my town, just across the Hudson, and a huge, ominous cloud hung in the east for several days. I called it "The Cloud Of Souls". Now in my mid-60's, the nightmarish images of that horrific day still haunt me as would images of a terrifying nightmare. Some days later, I saw an image on the news that truly frightened me; a huge steel beam in the PATH train councourse had come down and crushed the SAME turnstile I had just passed through that morning. How very blessed I was, that I survived; far, far too many made it home that horrible day. I remember seeing a number of empty seats on my bus, in the days after the attack.....that truly was an unsettling sight, believe me............may the souls of all those who never made it home that nightmarish day rest in peace...... "Live long and prosper"
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! These were the TRUE heroes, not the overpaid, prima-donna pro athletes that far too many think of as heroes. Guts......TRUE guts.....and BRAVERY far beyond the call of duty......... "Live long and prosper"
newo" I, literally, COULD have been "blown away", had not I been spared on that horrific day. I later heard several horror stories from people who rode my bus (who worked in the WTC) who had survived; one fellow, a elevator mechanic, had been with an NYPD officer in the lobby of one of the towers as the buildings were collapsing. The tremendous force of the downdraft blew open the elevator doors, and literally, blew these men off their feet, before walls of flame belched out. Thankfully, both escaped, but with numerous injuries. With PATH train service from NJ now totally out to downtown, I opted for the ferry. The twice-daily sight of seeing the billowing clouds of smoke waft from the jumbled, mangled ruins was far, far, beyond sobering. It would be months before i even felt comfortable at taking the subways again. I still look back at that hellish day, and feel it was all a hideous nightmare.....a nightmare that I could not awaken from. And the members of the FDNY and NYPD were all the GREATEST of heroes, and STILL are, to this day. Countless "everyday heroes" also performed unselfishly and courageously, on that terrible day in our history..... "Live long and prosper"
As a firefighter at the time in New Jersey I was at my fire station . I had friends that ended up on location as mutual aid from N J . And a lot of N.J. police officers and firefighters rotated in and out of NY city to back fill fire stations and police stations. Some of the people that I know worked at Ground Zero that day or days after. To this day I remember a lot of the stories from many different people. My neighbor lost a few family members because of it. It will always stay with me. Never to be forgotten I attended a number of memorial services for missing firefighters.... And then funerals once body parts were Identified by DNA. . A lot of families needed closure . Some were never able to have a funeral for their lost ones were never identified . And my heart still go out for those families .
As a firefighter, you, indeed, were one of countless great heroes on that horrific day. I have always had tremendous respect and admiration for firefighters, and, after 9/11, that respect and admiration ascended to even greater heights. To this very day, the images of destroyed FDNY equipment at Ground Zero still haunt me; indeed, it all seemed like something out of a surreal science fiction film. There was a VERY heart-wrenching political cartoon done by Mike Luckovich (Atlanta Constitution) showing a group of firemen standing at the Pearly Gates, all with halos above their heads. One fellow is speaking into his phone: "We've reached the top....." Man, that STILL hits me hard, today. I know that, at the time of 9/11 FDNY was operating 211 engine companies, and 143 ladder companies. The FDNY, tragically, lost 347 members on that nightmarish day. I've read that the FDNY also lost the following equipment: 19 pumpers 18 ladder and tower ladders 2 rescue units 1 tactical rescue support unit 1 satellite wagon 1 mask service unit 2 support units 2 fleet maintenance trucks 10 ambulances 24 sedans 16 GMC Suburbans Many other FDNY vehicles were damaged. Of course, vehicles can be replaced; sadly, a human life cannot. TRUE heroism was displayed by ALL firefighters on that day; we all saw, firsthand, what REAL courage and GUTS were. Thank you again, my friend, for sharing your experiences here with us....stand strong and tall..... "Live long and prosper"
A little off-topic, but regarding firemen...... Back in the 60's, I was growing up in northeastern NJ, just across from Manhattan. There was a huge apartment house fire on a major thoroughfare that, sadly, claimed the life of a fire chief. I still so clearly remember standing with my folks, as his funeral procession passed; his casket was carried aboard one of the pumpers from his Company. My folks and I (and everyone else) saluted. I remember (I was about 10 at the time) being very befuddled and confused. Up until that time, I thought that firemen were invincible (the same way I believed doctors never got sick) I remember this all still so clearly today, as well as the sad clanging of the pumper's bell, as the Chief's coffin passed by. Basically, what my young mind had believed, up until that time, was that heroes (like firemen and police officers) could not die. In spirit, however, great heroes NEVER die....their courage and bravery still remains with us, throughout our lives. Many years later, every time I passed by the site of that fire on the bus (the site now occupied by a used car lot), I always blessed myself. A small rememberence for a true hero....... "Live long and prosper"
