Re: with all the 9/11 posts it made me wonder.. any wtc survivors on here

Re: with all the 9/11 posts it made me wonder.. any wtc survivors on here

Posted by beautyq115

Posted by JRG71

I'm reading all of these stories - I guess I just want to share mine.

I remember sitting on a bench across the street from my office the morning of 9/11. I had gotten a promotion, and it was my 2nd day at my new office. Things didn't go so well for me the day before - I remember sitting on that bench thinking - today I'm going to do a better job - I had a 10am appt at 1 Liberty Plaza so I went up to my office early to prepare.

I was in my office by 8:30am - I remember that a guy I worked with came running into the office area, frantic saying that a plane had hit the wtc - and he was going over there to see about his wife and brother-in-law. None of them made it back.

I remember not believeing that it was a terror attack and when my manager asked us to take a partner & bunker down in the lobby of the building - Even with the debris that hit the windows and even when we made it to street - how pitch black it was outside... And the smell - I will never forget that smell. I still didn't get it.

I remember that I had a Nextel phone at the time, and it was the only working phone in the area - I let everyone use it to call home.

I remember that as we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge there was a girl wearing these great highheeled sandals - and she was covered in blood. She was disoriented and kept saying how she survived the 93 attack too.
She leaned on me the entire walk to Fulton Street in Brooklyn. I will never forget her.

I remember walking across the Brooklyn Bridge and hearing the fighter jets above - not knowing that's what they were and thinking, why are they letting planes go by? And are we going to make it across this bridge?

I remember that we all walked to Fulton Street in Brooklyn - me with the girl (I wish I knew her name) - the manager from my company, and another co-worker. The manager knew someone in Brooklyn with a car rental agency - we rented a Toyota Camry and he took all of us home.

I remember when I got home that my brother-in-law was missing (FDNY) and that my sister was calmly hysertical.
He called home at 10pm that night - He is now retired from the FDNY at 33 because of serious lung isues as a result of the recovery efforts.

I remember getting the call that our friend and fellow flight attendant had perished - She worked for Cantor Fitgergald. I remember thinking how ironic it was that she wouldn't work out of Saudi Arabia with all of us because she was afraid of terror attacks, and how it was a terror attack at home that took her from us.

I remember having to go back to work the following Monday or Tuesday - and not being able to get downtown because of supicious activity - and got out at 14th street, and seeing all of the pictures of the missing, and just crying in the street.

I still cry when I think of September 11th.

Re: with all the 9/11 posts it made me wonder.. any wtc survivors on here

These stories are bringing it all back.....
I worked downtown and DH ( just a friend then) was in 2 WTC- he got out pretty early and walked to Brooklyn. It was the worst day, that day co-workers became family because we all took care of each other.

That day has changed how I look at things forever...

Re: with all the 9/11 posts it made me wonder.. any wtc survivors on here

Although I was living in California by 2001, I still can't watch, read or talk about this day without sobbing. I didn't even watch the news that morning, it was such a beautiful day here in CA and I wanted to get to school early for a presentation I was doing for my students. I got in my car to hear, NY is gone, destroyed and will never be the same. I didnt' know what happened- just that NYC was on fire. I almost ran my car into a telephone pole. I called my boss hysterically crying(why her I don't know) and asked her to tell my what happened and was my family still alive. It took me hours to get through and hear everyone was alive, especially my sis who worked two blocks away.
I will never forget the terror on my students faces as they wandered about school that day. They were so afraid we were going to be "next". It reminded me how lucky we are to live where constant threats of death don't hang over us each minute.

My friend lost her husband that day and is planning her wedding this New Year's to someone new. But she has memorials planned for all day tomorrow. She will never be the same. I just can't imagine all the pain and fear that day caused and is still causing.
My heart goes out to everyone who lost someone close to them that day.

Message edited 9/10/2006 2:54:27 PM.

Re: with all the 9/11 posts it made me wonder.. any wtc survivors on here

I lost a friend and his brother on 9/11 - They were fire fighters.... They loved there country and there jobs - Its truly sad all the lives lost that day.. I never thought NY would ever go thru anything like that... I gave believe its already been 5-years....



- To everyone.....

Re: with all the 9/11 posts it made me wonder.. any wtc survivors on here

I thankfully did not lose anyone personally, but I was deployed down to ground zero and the family assistance center at pier 94 within 3 days of the attack. I worked primarly with the NYFD (i'm a red cross disaster mental health provider ad part of their crisis mobile unit), I have never spoken of what I saw, or the stories I was told, it was very intense and although I never met the victims, I met their families and friends so I feel a connection to them when I hear their names. I was there until January 2002, it is an experience I will never forgot, although i wish I could Oneday I spent almost an entire day at Ground Zero with a family from Cantor as they waited during the recovery efforts, we sat and prayed and cried, I will never forget them, they still leave me messages at work just saying "hello and thank you". during time of crisis we bond in a way like no other. I becmae family to many families during the 4 months Iwas down at the sites. God Bless all of you

Message edited 9/10/2006 3:23:09 PM.

Re: with all the 9/11 posts it made me wonder.. any wtc survivors on here

I was driving to work listening to Z-100 when I heard at the plane hitting the towers...i remember at first they all thought it was an accident...When i got to work, one of my bossess said, this was not an accident, this was done on purpose. At the time I worked for a daycare we didn't have cable tv, so we were listening to everything on the radio...then we heard about the second plane hitting...my co-worker got worried bc her brother was a Police Officer in the City, she couldn't get in touch with him...I tried to call my dad and couldn't get through....that feelilng of not knowing was horrible...
One by one all the parents came back and took their children home and we were able to go home...When i got home i sat on the couch with my mom and watched everything on TV, we just cried, it wasw horrible...till this day I still cry watching images from the attacks...to everyone who was there that day or who lost a loved one a big to you

Re: with all the 9/11 posts it made me wonder.. any wtc survivors on here

Reading these stories are heart wrenching.

Even though I may have had friends who lost family in the towers, we all suffer that loss.

Every time I see the skyline with or with out the towers there is such a sadness.


In a way, we are all survivors.

Re: with all the 9/11 posts it made me wonder.. any wtc survivors on here

Everyone's stories are so sad ..... JRG--I just got such chills reading your story. It's amazing -- DH and I were watching a special on 9-11 last night on the discovery channel and they followed the story of a few men who didn't know eachother---but together got out of the building alive -- and they said how it made them brothers. They were complete strangers but will never forget eachother. Getting through something like that creates a place or a path in your mind/memory that will never go away.

I wasn't in the city that day. I didn't work in Brooklyn yet, but everyone said you could see it from our school. I was teaching in private school then, in Brentwood at the Academy of St. Joseph. I don't know if any of you know the campus but it is a HUGE campus, set a bit of a ways back from the street so I felt like I was in this safe fortress. I taught Pre-K -- and the kindergarten teacher came across the hall crying with her cellphone in her hand --- saying we were under attack and that the pentagon and WTC had been blown up. My memories of that day were of going from 9am through 3pm not knowing what was going on. I couldn't turn on the radio and listen to the footage with 3 and 4 year olds. Some of their parents picked them up early -- some weren't able to get there early so I stayed there actually until well past 4:30 in the afternoon -- trying to keep upbeat and not seem worried or nervous for their sake, but literally shaking all day not knowing what was going on.

I remember being afraid to go home that night --- I didn't know what to expect outside. I had heard that they closed some roadways down and I just expected our entire world to be in a state of war. I was afraid to leave my building, and then took the back roads home and just got there and turned on the TV fixated on the footage. I stayed up until well past 3am just watching CNN.

There were too tragedies that specifically touched me and effected me. The first was of a girl's father -- a girl that I went to college with and hadn't talked to in about 3 years. She was on the news BEGGING for anyone to have information on her father. He worked in Tower 2 and was a paraplegic -- wheel chair bound. She had photos of him, his hair brush, and said that she knew his co-workers wouldn't have left him --- and she just kept saying that if anyone had information about him to please contact her. I found out later that he was never found, nor were his coworkers. It was hard to know that someone who I was friends with in college lost her father to that -- and also hard to think about what he must have went through that day because of his limited mobility.

My second connection is with my uncle Randy. He was NYPD for over 20 years -- and was there helping to sort through the wreck. About 6 months after 9-11 they discovered he had a brain tumor after he was suffering from dizzy spells. He was operated on, and it turns out it was more then just one tumor, but a big one near his spinal cord and then many smaller ones going down his cord. They were able to remove the large one but couldn't recieve the smaller ones. In some senses you could say his story is a sucess because he lived -- but he is a different man.

Physically he is all off. One time he was getting the mail and a car was driving by and it threw him off balance and he fell in the street and couldn't get up. Things like that happen to him all the time now. He is a mess by about 5pm at night, and so he spends a lot of time in his house. He is also suffering mentally and psychologically --- maybe the surgery or tumor or experiences or all 3 brought out some tendancies that he had deep down inside -- or maybe it was caused by what he breathed in during those weeks -- which is all what he things --- he gets so angry at the city because he says that they told them they weren't breathing in anything that could harm them --- and yet he's convinced that the tumor and the problems he has had with his health were a result of 9-11. He is a very different man then he was before 9-11. His life has changed completely.

Re: with all the 9/11 posts it made me wonder.. any wtc survivors on here

All of these stories are so heart wrenching

I was in school at the time living in a dorm. My DH (FH at the time) worked at the world trade center. I couldn't sleep the night before - I had a bad headache so I decided to sleep late and miss class. I remember my phone was ringing like crazy and thinking it was my friends yelling at me for missing class. I remember seeing the sun shine through my blinds and thinking I should get up because its such a beautiful day. Finally, i answered the phone because it was starting to annoy me. I have no idea what time it was.

It was my FH's mother. She was hysterical. Given that I had been sleeping I had no idea why. She asked me - where is FH have you heard from him. I said no - he went to work early today he should have been there by 8. She started screaming and the phone dropped. Her co-worker picked up the phone and said she fainted - I asked her what was going on and she told me to turn on the television.

I turned on the tv. I saw the men and women jumping off the building to try to escape. All I could think was - OMG that is FH - if he was ok he would have called me by now. I listented to my messages - my mother sobbing - PRAY, PRAY...all my family members...but no FH. Still seeing the people jump off the building i ran to the bathroom and threw up.

I can't write the rest of this story because it is too heart breaking to remember. Four hours later I heard from FH. He was alive. He had overslept and was walking towards the buildings when he saw everyone running. He started running. Ran all the way home to queens. He couldn't get in touch with me because of the long lines at the pay phones and just wanted to get out of there. He had no idea what was going on so had no idea what I was going through.

I couldn't watch tv for the next couple of weeks. Knowing what I felt for those few hours thinking that was FH I knew how those people with missing loved ones felt - and I could NOT imagine that feeling never going away.

I remember praying to god but thinking - there are probably thousands of people praying right now why will god listen to me? I went to church every day for the next two years.

Re: with all the 9/11 posts it made me wonder.. any wtc survivors on here

Posted by itsbabytime

All of these stories are so heart wrenching

I was in school at the time living in a dorm. My DH (FH at the time) worked at the world trade center. I couldn't sleep the night before - I had a bad headache so I decided to sleep late and miss class. I remember my phone was ringing like crazy and thinking it was my friends yelling at me for missing class. I remember seeing the sun shine through my blinds and thinking I should get up because its such a beautiful day. Finally, i answered the phone because it was starting to annoy me. I have no idea what time it was.

It was my FH's mother. She was hysterical. Given that I had been sleeping I had no idea why. She asked me - where is FH have you heard from him. I said no - he went to work early today he should have been there by 8. She started screaming and the phone dropped. Her co-worker picked up the phone and said she fainted - I asked her what was going on and she told me to turn on the television.

I turned on the tv. I saw the men and women jumping off the building to try to escape. All I could think was - OMG that is FH - if he was ok he would have called me by now. I listented to my messages - my mother sobbing - PRAY, PRAY...all my family members...but no FH. Still seeing the people jump off the building i ran to the bathroom and threw up.

I can't write the rest of this story because it is too heart breaking to remember. Four hours later I heard from FH. He was alive. He had overslept and was walking towards the buildings when he saw everyone running. He started running. Ran all the way home to queens. He couldn't get in touch with me because of the long lines at the pay phones and just wanted to get out of there. He had no idea what was going on so had no idea what I was going through.

I couldn't watch tv for the next couple of weeks. Knowing what I felt for those few hours thinking that was FH I knew how those people with missing loved ones felt - and I could NOT imagine that feeling never going away.

I remember praying to god but thinking - there are probably thousands of people praying right now why will god listen to me? I went to church every day for the next two years.

Re: with all the 9/11 posts it made me wonder.. any wtc survivors on here

Message edited 9/10/2006 4:55:47 PM.

Re: with all the 9/11 posts it made me wonder.. any wtc survivors on here

Many and and Love to all that have lost someone, To all that witnessed it firsthand, and to all who survived......We will not forget.....

Re: with all the 9/11 posts it made me wonder.. any wtc survivors on here

i am getting chills and teary eyed ready all of these stories....

many many for all of you!

Re: with all the 9/11 posts it made me wonder.. any wtc survivors on here

At the time, my office was much further uptown (23rd and park) and I lived in Queens and always took the f train in to work - well, that morning the trains were all screwy and so I switched at roosevelt ave to the 7 train to try and make up time - and was running late enough that the first plane had already hit - and then from the train, we all watched as the second plane then hit, some people cried but most just stared and tried to figure out what happened....try going into a tunnel after that - although I have to admit I just didn't get what i had seen at the time....i transfered to the 6 trying to figure out what happened still but like an idiot i went to my office anyway, never thought of going home or anything - and wound up at our office until three co-workers and i decided to walk up and accross the 59th st bridge once nat'l guard members wound up by our office and the fire alarms at the building next dr (a nat'l landmark) started going off...it was a long walk in high heeled sandals and my blisters proved it but i was so lucky compared to so many - i will alwasy remember walking up past stores that were closed - everything was closed...it was surreal and we were in this mass exodus...walking accross the brideg and even getting there, the roar of the planes (they were the fighter planes i now know...) was so loud - and on the bridge it was like we were all one, everyone was helpign each other, walking nicely, etc...we were all in shock..
we lost a few friends from college and had several close friends who escaped....its so hard to believe its been 5 yrs...my thoughts go out to everyone affected by this!

Message edited 9/10/2006 5:43:00 PM.

Re: with all the 9/11 posts it made me wonder.. any wtc survivors on here

I was working in the city for an engineering firm and was headed downtown on the 1/9 to South Ferry for a job I was doing at Whitehall station (yes, I was part of the reconstruction of the ferry terminal down there). I didn't get that far, the subway was stopped and I got off the subway somewhere around 23rd street.... The planes had hit. I ended up walking back to my office on 42nd and 3rd avenue. had I know the full story, or if my cell worked, I would have gotten on a train and gone back to LI. By the time I got to my office, the LIRR had shut down, and I was stranded. Then my office phone rang and I got a call from my best friend who lives in FL. She was hysterical, at home watching it on TV and wanting me to see if I could track down her brother who was working in the World Trade Center. At the same time, I heard a loud scream from a guy in my office. The buildings were collapsing and his brother was in one of them. [both these family members were found safe]

It was a LONG day. We couldn't use phones, the lines were so tied up. The LIRR wasn't working and I couldn't get in touch with anyone. At 4 p.m. that day, I remeber walking to Penn Station through the eerily empty streets of NYC. It was so quiet and not a car was cruising around. I ened up on the first train that would get me to LI somehow, and I will never forget sitting next to a man in a suit completely covered from head to toe in dust. He didn't say a word, he didn't have to.

I got home after 7 p.m. that night, safe. I found out later that day that my cousin lost her DH and that a few friends lost parents as well as friends losing their brothers and sisters.

To this day, I can't watch coverage of 9/11. and I wasn't even directly involved in it. I just happened to work in the city.

Please say a prayer for the families of:
Joseph A. Kelly
Robert Ferris
Michael Horn

Re: with all the 9/11 posts it made me wonder.. any wtc survivors on here

Reading all of your stories brings me back to that horrific day just like it was yesterday. DH (whom I had just started dating) was downtown that day and thankfully made it home unharmed. I remember not being able to get in touch with him for some time- the feeling still gives me knots in my stomach. I remember seeing him when he got home - all dirty and sunburned from walking all day, and how grateful I was just to see him again.

My hearts go out to everyone who lost loved ones - I know that everyone was not as fortunate as I was to have my loved one return home safely.

Re: with all the 9/11 posts it made me wonder.. any wtc survivors on here

I was working in NYC; I saw the buildings burning from the street. A random man asked me what I was feeling as he saw me crying....

I will never forget that on the train in that morning, the girl next to me was hosting a foreign exchange student. It was his first time in the city. She said to him: Aren't you so excited? Don't you want to be there, like now?!

He said: Yes! I can't wait.

I couldn't help but think about him later in the day, how sad it was that it was his first time here.

On the way home, standing on a packed train, I saw three adult men and one train conductor in a fist fight; I got knocked over and almost pulled in. It was because some man started screaming about Iranians, and he insulted someone's family. The fight ensued and it was just chaos.

Re: with all the 9/11 posts it made me wonder.. any wtc survivors on here

My friend from grad school lost her brother. He was a Port Authority Police Officer. DH lost his cousin who was FDNY.

I wasn't in the city, but I was working in the Rockaways in southern Queens and saw the first tower fall as I was looking across the water. (The second tower had thick black smoke billowing from it.) At the time I didn't know what had happened, because it was all white dust. I went back to work where we had the radio on. It was then I learned that it was the first tower that fell. All the libraries were told to close. I had a hard time getting back into Howard Beach were I lived at the time, cause they blocked off the roads near Kennedy Airport and the Cross Bay Bridge. I lied to the officer, telling him I had to get my child from school in HB, and he let me drive over. It's only when I got home and saw the news that it really hit me as to what I saw.

To this day, I can't watch news footage of them being hit or falling.

and to everyone!!!

Re: with all the 9/11 posts it made me wonder.. any wtc survivors on here

Re: with all the 9/11 posts it made me wonder.. any wtc survivors on here

to everyone.

DH was there that night on clean up and cannot even talk about the things he saw

It feels like yesterday

Re: with all the 9/11 posts it made me wonder.. any wtc survivors on here

to everyone.

Re: with all the 9/11 posts it made me wonder.. any wtc survivors on here

My bil was a cop and was not at WTC when they were hit, but was part of the recovery, he was stationed in Staten Island. He lost a lot of friends b/c he used to work at CantorFitz. I don't think he'll talk about what happened that day.

to everyone

Re: with all the 9/11 posts it made me wonder.. any wtc survivors on here

I thankfully dont have any personal stories but my heart still aches for all those that do.

Re: with all the 9/11 posts it made me wonder.. any wtc survivors on here

It's amazing to read all of these stories. I can not believe it's five years since. My life is completely differernt in five years but it feels just like yesterday.

I was not a survivor but worked in midtown that day. The sights, sounds, nervousness, frantic calls home and the "journey" to get back to Long Island is still in my memory.

G-d Bless all those we lost.