In Remembrance

sharkbyte · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2003 10:59 pm Post subject: In Remembrance

This is a post regarding September 11th, which is fast approaching, and my experiences in those few days, and some quotes which I have gathered. I know several of you were more directly affected, but this is something I needed to post.

I was in the main conference room, at the Swan & Dolphin Hotel, at Disney in Orlando. In the middle of the opening speeches for a week long software convention.
The first announcement, explained that the first tower was hit (believed an accident). The second plane hit, and the conference was stopped, the news put onto the large projection screens, and 1,000 people - from all over the world - watched the events unfold.
There was a mad rush for the phones, as many of the attendees dealt with people who worked in NYC, and everyone wanted to make sure their friends/colleagues were safe.
You could have heard a mouse walking across a carpeted floor when we all watched the first tower collapse.
Disney made the decision to close everything, and I watched the second collapse while packing in my room.
I spent 2 hours working the phones to find a van so the four of us, from my company, could drive back to Massachusetts. We spent the next 23 hours listening to the news, or eating in front of TVs, in roadside cafes.
Two of the things that I always think of, were seeing the portable signs (used for warning of upcoming road construction, and such) flashing that NYC was closed....and seeing smoke plumes as we travelled around NYC, heading home.
When I got back, I picked my daughter up early from daycare, and just hugged her for a good 5 minutes.
My wife has never quite understood why I was so 'taken' by Sept. 11th. But I have tried to explain to her, I was on a plane from Boston to Orlando, 24 hours before the attacks. What if they had decided to go 1 day earlier? It could have been my plane.

So, here are some quotes that I have collected, over the past 2 years...

"No one is going to stop me from living and being free." Ellen Mariani. Her husband was killed on UA Flight 175.

"At the Ground Zero family service, a little kid asked me to get him a rock from the pile and my knees buckled." Lieutenant Fred Scholl, Rescue 3, FDNY.

"After the first tower fell, we kept searching for people. Was I wary of the second one coming down? Yes. But we don't abandon people." Firefighter John Ceriello, Squad 18, FDNY.

"This is what hell must look like." Lieutenant Dave Simms, Ladder 20, FDNY.

Yelled to Captain Pat Brown, FDNY, "Don't go in there, Paddy!" Brown's response..."Are you nuts?!? We've got a job to do!" He never made it out.

"What happened to my sister was very inhumane," Dr. Larry Hawk, president and CEO of the ASPCA. His work helped rescue animals abondoned in homes/apartments, and take care of the paws of search and rescue dogs, working at Ground Zero. His sister worked in the WTC, and is one of the casualties.

"You want to know what kind of people they are? Just watch the way they handled themselves." Mayor Rudy Giuliani, referring to the determination and spirit of all New Yorkers.

"I'm waiting for someone to say, 'It's not true, it didn't happen.'" Ivana McCoetter, former WTC worker.

"When we practice terrorist scenarios, they always tell us, 'First responders will be casualties.' We arrived first, at the towers. They tell us 'Engine 5, go up with Engine 10 to 79. Put that fire out.' So we go up the stairs...That's what we do. We put out fires." Firefighter Jimmy Andruzzi.

"On a normal day, we value heroism because it is uncommon. On Sept. 11, we valued heroism because it was everywhere." Time magazine. September, 2001. The only issue to ever have a black border. No by-line.

I'll finish up with a couple of pictures...there is one, special picture, that I will add once I find it.

Thanks for reading through this.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/wtc_other/ground_zero/best_029.shtml

http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/wtc_other/ground_zero/best_036.shtml
_________________

Fred Astaire · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2003 11:47 pm Post subject:

I remeber where i was. It was in third period of school, in spanish class. The principle came on the intercom system but the one in our rooms didnt work ( we were in the new classrooms and they wernt installed yet). My teacher stood out in the hallway to listen to the anounchment, then she came back in adn told us that a plane crashed into the first tower, but they thought it was accidental. There was a trip to visit the world trade centers later that day, that was cancled once we got word of what happened. Basicaly, every class kept going on teaching normaly (with the exception of history), but anyone could go to the library where they had couslers to talk to. In history we talked about what happened and what was going to happen, we also watched the news. Once i got home i turned on the tv and tunned into CNN, until i went to bed.
_________________

for Blue

Azrael · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2003 11:56 pm Post subject:

I was taking a tax class when the towers were hit. I didn't even know it had happened till I came back on base. I had to stop and pick up some crazy glue, and I heard people talking about it in the store. I went home and listened to the radio (I didn't have my TV at the time), I fell asleep listening to the news, but one thing I remember is right before I fell asleep, they started playing patriotic type songs on the radio. Well, that was all well and good, but then they played a Neil Diamond song. Now don't get me wrong, I love good ol' Neil, but the song they played was America, you know the one where he says "They're coming to America!". I just thought it was a little bit of a bad choice in songs.
_________________
Under construction!!!

[HALO]cpt._Keyes · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2003 11:59 pm Post subject:

i thought we were watching Armagedon, you know with Bruce Willis, cuz the first thing i saw was the burning towers, they looked the same in the movie, aunt works in NY, basically whole family from there, friend of my cousin, managed to make out, as they fell behind him, he then walked to the water, affected us indirectly too, my dad, works for intellegince, he was working 12-18 hr days getting intel on all ships entering the US never saw him for about 3 months
_________________
You dont know who I am but you will instantly fall in love with my voice, chances are I will be the best thing you have heard your whole life, I am the voice of the angels.
Coast Guard Radiomen
-K.Jeffrey(cpt_Keyes)

[HALO]cpt._Keyes · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2003 12:02 am Post subject:

im in the Coast Guard now, hopefully, i will do my part to prevent this from happening again, you know, for basically the whole day, only one coast guard boat was in commnd of NY Harbor, just 3 people, the highest being a petty officer, was coordinating the resuce of every one off the island
_________________
You dont know who I am but you will instantly fall in love with my voice, chances are I will be the best thing you have heard your whole life, I am the voice of the angels.
Coast Guard Radiomen
-K.Jeffrey(cpt_Keyes)

sharkbyte · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2003 1:33 pm Post subject:

Here is the pic I was looking for...

_________________

sharkbyte · Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2003 8:06 am Post subject:

*bump*
_________________

GellyRoll · Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2003 10:33 am Post subject:

I remeber i was in my first period and they were watching tv i was wondering why the hell are we watching tv not doing work. I went into my second period and the same thing happend i couldn't understand what was happening i was really confused. Then in my 3rd period boom a plain goes right into the tower i didn't know if it was a reply or live but i was shocked! When i got home that day my dad explained what happend i was like OMG why would they do that those ascholes. Then that evning UD, me and my friends lite candles for remebernce.
_________________
[img=http://img429.imageshack.us/img429/4480/sidepicture4vy.jpg]

Blown · Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2003 10:38 am Post subject:

Well being west coast I was just waking up, and the odd thing was I actually turned the news on, something I hardly ever do and found out that way. Was kinda wierd since I turn the news on in the morning maybe 2-3 times a yr. Usually I'm too lazy and sleep in.

Anyway, I cant believe its already been 2 yrs. Seems more like 1 yr to me.

[njk]Nopeace4u-DBD · Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2003 6:13 pm Post subject:

I remember coming into school from vocation school & my friend was like want to hear a story & I was like OK whatever, and he said that terrorist hijacked some planes & hit the world trade centers, he was like good story huh? I was like not really moron, then he said yea it wasn't a story it really happen, i was like BS & left school went home to turn on the news & saw the massive destruction & watched as they collapsed, i was horrified as I know my fathers boss (good friend of family) was on his way up there to a meeting, well it turns out he never made it to the world trade centers cause he got caught up in traffic & the people he was to meet never made it out the building

THis day will never be forgotten in the hearts of many & my wishes go out to all the families, men, women, children, workers, that all got ther elives taken away that day. And of course all the people who gave there lives to save countless others.

_________________
Death Before Dishonor :: Semper Fi :: 1st Marine Division 3rd Tracks Bravo Co.

FingerDemon · Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2003 6:32 pm Post subject:

I had four family members that worked in the WTC Bldg 4 (which was partially collapsed by the falling towers and completely burned by the end of the day). Two of them hadn't gotten to work yet, and two others ran for their lives at the sound of the first impact (they made it out okay). I didn't know they were safe yet, and I was allowed to leave work early. I continually called the rest of my family while I waited for my wife to get out of DC and for word on our NY family. I live very close to an airport and at one point long after all air travel was grounded I heard a jet overhead. I ran outside and looked up to see an F-15 flying air cover for the DC metro area. A pilot ready to shoot down a plane load of people if necessary. It's not a thought you can easily forget.

FingerDemon