How will you observe 9/11 Patriot Day?

[Kestrel]

The administration was on top of it; Condoleezza Rice was to give a presentation on the Dangers of North Korea that day.

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

I might watch the ceremonies, or part of them, if I happen to be up. Truth is after living through it any reminders are painful. I was up late doing work the night before. Then my father wakes me up. He tells me a plane hit the South WTC Tower. At first I thought a Cessna or something similar. Then I watch the footage. It's a freaking airliner, and doing cruising speed besides. I'm thinking instant death for everyone on the plane, plus everyone in the building within a few floors of where it hit. Then a few minutes after another plane hits the North Tower. At that point I think everyone watching knew this wasn't an accident, but a deliberate attack. Then about 35 minutes later they tell us yet another plane has crashed into the Pentagon.

I wrote a report on the WTC in college. I remember the towers were designed to withstand a strike from an airliner going at full speed, so the thought of collapse didn't even enter my mind. I figured they'll eventually get everyone who didn't die out of the towers, then repair the damage. Then right before 10 the South Tower collapses. My parents and I are sitting there in stunned silence. 29 minutes later the North Tower goes. Both times I'm in awe at how big the dust cloud is, basically engulfing all of lower Manhattan.

I later learn about the fourth plane which was fortunately stopped, but at the cost of the lives of everyone on board. The rest of the day is just surreal. Repeats of the planes hitting the towers, the towers collapsing, hurried opinions from experts of terrorism, plus the general dread that this wasn't over. We were wondering what was next. The Empire State Building? The Statue of Liberty? Late that afternoon WTC 7 collapsed, further adding to the feeling of our city literally crumbling around us.

The footage around the towers was like a horror movie after a nuclear holocaust. Dust everywhere, debris, fires, crushed rescue vehicles, etc. The worst part was footage of the towers before they fell. Some of what looked like "debris" falling was people jumping. I can't even fathom how bad things were in the towers if the better choice was to jump 100 floors to certain death.

I didn't sleep for probably 48 hours. I'm thinking this is just the primer. They might unleash nuclear weapons next on NY or one of the other large cities. I couldn't do anything, but I wanted to be awake if the end came.

In the aftermath I searched lists online of possible victims. The name of my neighbor's son came up. Not long after my mother found out from his mother that he was gone. Fortunately, he was the only victim I knew.

I went down there with my mother as soon as they reopened parts of lower Manhattan, roughly two weeks later. As the precession of people made their way closer, there was stunned silence as soon as the remnants of the towers became visible. There was also the smell of smoke and burning flesh. And scars on all the nearby buildings from when the towers fell. When I was a kid we all went to lower Manhattan with my grandparents. My maternal grandfather was fascinated by the towers going up. He took loads of pictures. I never dreamed I'd be around long enough to see them gone.

For many months afterwards I had nightmares. Among them was being in the towers, feeling the floors getting hot, then the feeling of weightlessness when the collapse started. Was it my vivid imagination, or some of the victims sharing their last moments with me? I'll never know. I also had strange dreams where I was inside what I call ghost towers. Sort of like what was left behind after the real towers fell. No people inside, just eerie silence.

I last visited the site in 2018. On account of caring for my mother I can't go down there as often as I might like. I really hate the so-called Freedom Tower. I wish we would have rebuilt the towers as they were, but better reinforced, instead of that awful monument to terrorism with no windows on the bottom floors. The best message we can send to these people is you won't keep us down. You knock it down, we'll rebuild it exactly as it was.

Thank you for sharing your experiences.

While we would like to forget painful and awful experiences, I think we owe it to the victims and the survivors to remember 9/11/2001.

 

[Chauncey Gardiner]

The administration was on top of it; Condoleezza Rice was to give a presentation on the Dangers of North Korea that day.

 

[bykfixer]

After Trump left 😎

 

[bykfixer]

Make America skate again

 

[knucklegary]

View attachment 48541
Make America skate again

Maybe Trump can ask Kim what happened to PK?

 

[bykfixer]

Started early

 

[Monocrom]

Truth is, that day; everyone who lived in NYC for awhile anyway, fell into one of three categories:
1- Deceased
2- Knew someone(s) who died
3- Knew someone who lost a loved one

I was fortunate to be in category #3
Then again, I've lost touch with a lot of folks.
We all do. Friends or acquaintances we went to school with.
In small communities, if you stay there past H.S., you're a Townie.
That expression doesn't exist in NYC.
Everyone moves here to find success. Or stays here.
Who knows, maybe I'm in the 2nd category, but have no clue.
Perhaps a lot of folks are. Just don't know it....

 

[bykfixer]

My shirt for tomorrow
That and 'Merican made boots, 'Merican made trousers', Merican made Maglite ballcap, 'Merican made socks, 'Merican made belt, 'Merican made sunglasses and 'Merican made skivies. I'll drive a 'Merican made truck to my job where 100% 'Mericans work and spend all day typing on a Chinese made computer.

 

[orbital]

+

I'll start with this,

~from Milwaukee, Steve Miller should slot in here

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

I was thinking about moving to New Mexico, buying a gun, then suing the governor for $2 million to pay for my new house. Then I realized there's already a line of people in Albuquerque who plan on doing the same. Wouldn't be any money left for me by the time I get there.

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

I was listening to a late night program on AM radio about 9/11/2001 and how about the same amount of LEOs and Firefighters that died on 9/11 have since died early from heart disease and cancer. I got to wondering, how did the City cleanup all that dust? Did they fire hose it into the storm sewers? Surely they didn't street sweep it dry or leave it to blow around. New Yorkers? Inquiring mind wants to know.

 

[jtr1962]

I was listening to a late night program on AM radio about 9/11/2001 and how about the same amount of LEOs and Firefighters that died on 9/11 have since died early from heart disease and cancer. I got to wondering, how did the City cleanup all that dust? Did they fire hose it into the storm sewers? Surely they didn't street sweep it dry or leave it to blow around. New Yorkers? Inquiring mind wants to know.

It was taken to a special site in Fresh Kills landfill:

The New York landfill site home to 9/11 debris, human remains - France 24

The New York landfill site home to 9/11 debris, human remains

www.france24.com

This is about the most detail I've read regarding what was done with it. We're talking 600,000 tons of debris.

I think a lot of the dust was put into dump trucks, and taken to Fresh Kills, but I'm not sure. It was way too thick in many places for a street sweeper to handle.

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

It was taken to a special site in Fresh Kills landfill:

The New York landfill site home to 9/11 debris, human remains - France 24

The New York landfill site home to 9/11 debris, human remains

www.france24.com

This is about the most detail I've read regarding what was done with it. We're talking 600,000 tons of debris.

I think a lot of the dust was put into dump trucks, and taken to Fresh Kills, but I'm not sure. It was way too thick in many places for a street sweeper to handle.

That article is sad. I'm speechless.

 

[Monocrom]

Honestly, the big chunks of ruble were trucked away. As mentioned above, landfills. But, good luck carting away massive amounts of dust. It's dust. You try moving that, it just spreads into the atmosphere. City did what it could. But realistically speaking a good amount of that dust got blown away by wind. Those who were at street-level near Ground Zero, the ones covered in head-to-toe in dust.... No one talks about it, but you can bet the vast majority of those individuals developed major health/lung issues years down the road. Wouldn't be surprised to hear if many of them passed away at an early age.

 

[ampdude]

If I had been there I think I would have wanted to end my life myself by now. I've been through a lot of terrible things, but that is so bad..

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

If I had been there I think I would have wanted to end my life myself by now. I've been through a lot of terrible things, but that is so bad..

A lot of New Yorkers and visitors walking around with PTSD. I imagine they had to call for counselors from all over the world to help people cope with their losses and the trauma.

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

True words...

 

[bykfixer]

Interesting info on why the towers collapsed. Osama was a mechanical engineer. A dastardly one mind you.

 

[IMA SOL MAN]