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9-11-2001 A day to remember

Hawkeye

Hawkeye

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For me I will always remember it when it stood. the plaza has like 50 mph winds/gusts and the underground mall was huge. You could walk forever underneath there to avoid the wintry weather above.

On that date my wife (pregnant at the time) and I were living in NY but I was working in NJ. I was surprised to hear on Z100 about a "small plane" had hit the trade center and thought it was hoax - but switching channels to 1010WINS I realized this was serious. In the end by the time I arrived to the office, we had all gathered at first around the PCs to check the newsites (but then we got 404 errors because of too many hits to the site) and migrated to the cafeteria to watch TV. We were told the bridges/tunnels would be closed and my coworkers were trying to find hotels/places to stay in NJ. I guess I was crazy but I said I had to be home with the wife. A catastrophe like this and I just wanted to be near family - not holed up in some hotel in Morris Plains.

I drove all the way up into NY via the Tapanzee and found myself one of the few vehicles driving south on I-87. Most of the ramps/exits were starting to be blocked by police vehicles and occasionally a EMS responder would go blasting by me going 90 on I-87. Needless to say I was a little freaked. Everyone is trying to get out and I am trying to go in to be with my wife.

I was forced off I-87 by a roadblock of police vehicles in the Bronx. I drove around to see dozens of vehicles/18 wheelers all stacked up around I-95 cross bronx/ due to the closure of the GWB. All during this time my cell was pretty much useless and I was in a panic around what was going on.

I finally found the 3rd avenue bridge and got into Manhattan that way (weird how the police didn't stop that). I'll never forget as I rolled down the window asking someone for directions to Manhattan and he yells "YOU ARE IN MANHATTAN!!!". It took me only 4~5 hrs driving but I had finally made it.

I found the streets of (uptown) manhattan to be virtually deserted. The usual cavalcade of taxis were all gone. The eery smoke coming from the towers could be seen as a plume from uptown. I went into my apartment finding my wife. There's more to this story here but i'll skip it as there were some "people" who couldn't get back to NJ that were staying at our place.

But those 24~72 hrs are just something that I will never forget.
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I salute all of you who are first responders or have family in those professions. It's a privilege to know there are people who are willing to sacrifice so much for the safety of others.
 
dnov99

dnov99

FRAG SWAP VENDOR
That is some story Phil.

I cannot believe it has been 10 years, as it still feels like yesterday. I worked in the WTC for 20 years, but incredibly did not go into work that day, although I was there for the first bombing in 1992. I watched the 2nd plane hit and both towers fall from my roof deck in Hoboken NJ where I lived at the time.

I lost four friends and 2 of my best friends that day, that worked for Cantor Fitzgerald. One of my best friends and the best man at my wedding lost his mother on the plane that hit the pentagon. Our group of friends was affected by even more ways then you can imagine that day.

Working there for so long and seeing how many people travel through that area every day, it is a absolute miracle that more people did not perish.

Here is to all those that perished that day and their families and to all the heroes that risked their lives to save so many. I will never forget...
 
A

albie611

nobody will forget that day......... for me my day went like this : i was working on my home and didnt have the radio on like i normally do.
was having carpets installed that morning and was finishing up some work in the garage while i was waiting for the carpet gus to show up. when they did they told me they could only drop off the rugs and would come back annother day...didnt know why so i said " your boss said you would be done today" and then they told me we were under attack"

i was shocked to hear this-- i turned on the radio and tv and then saw the infamous footage .... minutes later 2 apache hellicopters flew over my house ( i live neer sandy hook ) and i ran to the bulkhead at the end of my street only to see the destruction in the distance.

15 minutes later i was in my truck driving 90 mph to work to get on WOFD Engine5 and then into the city.
on 9-11-01 there were only 2 fire engines working at ground zero that were not from FDNY--- 1 from WOFD and 1 from Paterson Fire Dept. .... others would come but we got there befor they closed off all incoming trafic for security checks ... WOFD Engine 5 remained at ground zero for 9 days rotating manpower every 12 hours......... I am proud to have helped when it was needed....It's what we do.......

we will never forget......... my heart goes out to all who were affected on this day 10 years ago....
 
qwik

qwik

It was a day of mixed emotions for me . I was retired from the NYCPD at the time but still had a brother and cousin who were active duty. My brother was assigned to 1 Police Plaza as a Capt. And I could not reach him . My cousin was part of the terrorist task force at 1 WTC. My cousin was outside the building during the collapse and was able to contact family to let them know he was ok.
My main concern was my Brother. We did not hear from him for hours. He was scheduled to do an early shift which would of put him in the middle of it. He was two weeks from retiring at the time ,woke up and noticed it was such a beautiful day and decided to go in a little late. He was on the train headed in and it was stopped as the buildings fell. He was able to walk to Queens Ny and then get home to LI and notify us all.

The rest of the day was just an emotional turmoil. Being a retired Police Officer I felt I needed to help but was unable to get into NY . The next day I volunteered for the Red Cross and helped as much as I could. I am thankful my family was protected that day and hope this country never forgets that day and those who gave and are still giving !
 
MadReefer

MadReefer

Staff member
NJRC Member
Moderator
That summer I was living in another town be of a house fire and was taking the train to Wall St. When school started I drove to the house being rebuilt so the kids could catch the bus for school and I walked to the highway to catch the bus for work. To think I walked right pass it that morning and in it a few weeks earlier is eerie. I remember watching everyone walking along the East Side Hwy as I watched from the office. I caught a ferry out to the Jersey Highlands and a stranger on the ferry was kind enough to let me use his cell and call my wife, surprisingly I got thru. I remember standing on the pier as people started yelling the 2nd tower fell, all those people and the silence was odd. We stood and watched as a plum of smoke, what have you, came upon us and we had no where to go. Just cover your face with your shirt or something. A co-worker came with me and after we arrived in NJ they had transportation for us. Once we got to my house I drove him home to Monroe. A few hours after that told the wife I need to go back to the Highlands and help shuttle people, my daughter came as she wanted to help. Told the person in charge I have huge van that holds 8 people but sadly after 2 or 3 hours we told to leave as no one was coming across. I later found out that my ferry was the last to come over.
 
9supratt4

9supratt4

I remember that day like it was yesterday!! I was living at home at the time and I had the day off from work, so I was sleeping in. My mother came into my room and told me a plane just hit the first tower. At first I didn't believe her, but then I turned on the TV. I sat up in bed watching the 2nd plane hit and then the collapse of both towers.

At the time I was a volunteer with my local EMS. I spent all day at our headquarters hoping to be calling in by NJ Mobilization, but the call never came. A couple of my buddies were able to get in that night and I will never forget the things they told my they saw. I was able to get in on Wednesday night, but those I was with felt out of place and although I lobbied to stay they wanted to leave. But then the call came from my Captain. NJ mobilization was setting up a large convoy of EMS vehicles and personnel to go in for a 12 hour shift on Friday.

We left for manhattan at 6:00am. We were all staged at Chelsea Piers on the West Side Highway. Incident Command would give us orders throughout the day. The outpouring of support from the public and complete strangers while sitting at Chelsea Piers was incredible!! As we were waiting to be dispatched, Giuliani & Bush were visiting Ground Zero and I was watching the fighter jets scream across the sky. Then the Bush Motorcade past right by us, then we got our first assignment and we were sent closer toward ground zero to standby in the area for any EMS calls that came in. I walked the streets with my Captain in complete shock and awe at everything I was seeing...The mangled cars, fire trucks, buildings, etc. Our 12 hours was up and Incident Command told us we could leave. The 4 of us looked at each other and no one had to say anything...we all knew that we weren't going anywhere. My captain told Incident Command that we were on board for another 12 hour shift.

Our last standby location was right in Ground Zero on West St., at The North Cove marina. That's when it really hit. Being only 100 feet from the entrance that was set up to "the pile." We were told by the commander there that if any of the other buildings were going to collapse, they had set up lines on each building in the area that would set off sirens...if we heard those sirens, we were told to run and jump into the Hudson River and the marina. We spent 12 hours there...we hoped and hoped that we would be called in because they found a survivor, but the call never came. We assisted firefighters who were going in and out and did what we could while we were there.

After those 12 hours we called it a day. We got back to our headquarters around 8:00am Saturday. To this day, I cannot talk about, think about or see anything about 9/11 without shivers going up and down my spine and taking over my entire body.

This is one thing that I know I will NEVER forget....and I will be able to tell my children, my grandchildren and hopefully my great-grandchildren about all of the strong, brave and non-selfish people I met that day, from the public handing out food, drink and clothing to keep us warm and the firefighters and police officers who refused to quit and never gave up hope.
 
Tazmaniancowboy

Tazmaniancowboy

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
I remember almost everything from that day, down to the spot where I was standing . I was working on a construction site in Sayreville. We could see the plumes and even more amazing to me was watching the rescue teams from all over NJ gathering across from us and then leaving together in a line that must have been over a mile long at times. I can not even convey how wild it was by keyboard! I think about it and tell the story all the time, but it is amazing how much detail remains in your head about that day.
 
panmanmatt

panmanmatt

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus

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panmanmatt

panmanmatt

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
albie611 said:
that is awesome Matt
Click to expand...

Thanks, Al. It has been 2 years in the making and is still a work in progress. For an idea as to the size, the towers are 16"x16"x6' tall and weigh around 2,000 lbs each. The steel between them is a 4' long piece that came from TWC.
 
panmanmatt

panmanmatt

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Thanks Darren. The firehouse is on the corner of Rt9 and Warren Ave in the Lanoka Harbor section of Lacey Twp.
 
GregW

GregW

I think this past Sunday was the first 9/11 since 2001 that it rained or was even cloudy (in Point Pleasant anyway).

I don't know about anyone else but I avoided TV like the plague this past Sunday. I saw about ten minutes of VH1's replay of the concert for NY from October 2001 and walked away.
 
SirFragalot

SirFragalot

I got up on Sunday morning with the baby to let the wife sleep in. I turned on the TV at the start of the reading of the names. I managed to hold it together until a little girl read off the name of her father and she started crying. From then on, I was an emotional wreck until football took over the stations. During which, I thought about where I was on 9-11. At the time, I was working for a different company making custom railings. Just like every morning, we had Howard Stern blasting on the radio. Back then, he was on 94.1 WYSP. I will never forget hearing it as it happened. (The actual broadcast can be found on youtube in a couple parts.) I remember our boss walking out and gathering us to tell us to go home to our families. Later to find out that his daughter and son in law were lost.
 
JerzyFF61

JerzyFF61

well i just found this thread and seems matt beat me to it!! its amazing! we spent countless hours on the project! i have to say matt was a huge help!! he stepped up and was there with us every night!

here is an amazing picture. the red white and blue in the waterfall happened purely by accident! the red is coming from our display sign out on our lawn:

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