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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums09/11/2001 I was 7 months pregnant and working at the Pentagon
Last edited Sun Sep 11, 2022, 08:29 PM - Edit history (1)
I never ate breakfast before I was pregnant, however if I didn't eat breakfast, and then I walked across North parking to get to the pentagon by the time I got to the building I would be nauseous.
It only took me one time to learn that lesson lol.
So the morning of 9/11, I was planning to go to work early. I could be at work between 7 and 10 AM.
I was planning on getting there around 8 AM. I live 2 exits away from the pentagon so usually it takes me about 20 minutes to get to work even in the worst traffic.
That morning just as I was about to walk out, I hadn't eaten breakfast and the little guy said "Hey mom time to eat". So I put everything down and I made myself some breakfast and I started watching the news it was a habit of mine eat cereal and watch TV.
That's when I saw the 1st plane hit the world trade center. I immediately called my best friend and "I said turn on the news a plane just hit the world trade center oh my goodness". While we were talking the 2nd plane hit. At this point it was about 9:10 AM and "I was like I have got to go to work".
So I got off the phone with her and I headed to work. For some reason that morning route 27 was blocked up for about 45 minutes. I allegedly confess I got around the traffic by driving in a few merge lanes don't tell anybody.
Just as I was pulling into North parking, I hear this loud boom. I don't know if I stopped my car or if my car just stopped. all I know is I couldn't move for a second or 2 and I just started thinking no no no no please no no.
As I came around the exit ramp and the pentagon came back into view, I saw a 100' flame shooting up from the side of the pentagon that I worked on. I was on the PenFed Renovation Team.
We had about 80 team members that included the construction workers and everything.
We were 3 weeks from finishing up the 3rd corridor, and just beginning to start working on the 4th corridor. Fortunately that meant most of the offices on the 3rd corridor were empty. Unfortunately a few military personnel had begun moving into the offices just that week.
I pulled into the North parking annex where my bosses were, To let them know that I was alive. and I needed to get to a phone. See where my husband worked at Fort myer they had a giant television they watch as they were getting ready to go on parades and stuff. I knew my husband Feared WE our Baby and I were dead.😥😥😥
I remember it took me an hour to get through to him on a landline. My mother always taught me to be very calm cool and collected in crazy situations. And so with the calmest voice I could muster, I said "Hi this is Heather, Mike's wife I need to speak with him now please".
And then I heard about 25 voices scream out over the phone, "MIKE IT'S YOUR WIFE SHE'S ALIVE, SHE'S ALIVE"!!!!
At that point I lost it, I just started bawling, but everyone was like "Heather, Heather think of your baby honey don't cry don't cry don't lose it".
And I didn't, I got myself together and I let him know I was OK.
At that point we didn't know if everyone we worked with was dead or alive.
I didn't find out that my coworkers had survived until 12 hours later.
They had taken off running out of the building and just into the street they weren't able to get back into the pentagon. They had nothing on them no ID, no keys to get to their cars. Fortunately some kind woman picked them up. It was 2 women that I worked with one lived in Maryland 1 lived in Southern Virginia
This perfect stranger took both of them home. Till this day I stand on the kindness of that woman did, I wish I knew her name.
There were so many stories like that that we never heard of on the news. Perfect strangers helping dejected pentagon workers that survived, to at least get back home that day.
And the traffic was, remember it typically took me 20 minutes to get home in traffic. That day it took me 2 hours
A few days later one of our coworkers Frank came into the office his was face covered in bruises. Of course we asked what happened. He said, He was walking outside on the helipad when the plane flew in so low he had to dive to the ground to Avoid it. And the force of the plane made his body roll uncontrollably.
(So when internet weirdos starting saying it wasn't a plane, I was so pissed)🙄 Frank had no reason to lie🤷🏾♀️
The aftermath was Hard, They turned a section of North parking into a to a Debris field, and and they had cadaver sniffing dogs that would go through the debris looking for any kind of human remains so the families could have something to bury😥😥😥
There was a conference room where there were military personnel sitting around the table and standing around a television watching what was happening during 911. All that was left of them was the ash of where their bodies had once been watching the news about NYC
If the plane had hit any other section of the pentagon it probably would have leveled the entire pentagon.
The corridor the plane hit, had been reinforced with blast proof windows and really strong steel and as a result the building stood for 30 minutes before it collapsed. Long enough to save as many people as possible that could walk and run.
Some of the blast proof windows were found across Route 27 intact.
The nose of the plane, stopped one breeze way before my office.
My office was in A Ring, and the nose of the plane stopped in B Ring, made a big hole and we could look out our back door and see where the nose of the plane stopped.
Of the 80 people on the penfed renovation we lost one person that day. I'm not a religious person, but I will say it's an absolute miracle, because the pen fed team had begun to work on the 4th corridor that day.
And so none of our team was on the 3rd corridor. Sadly Allan Boyd had gone out to smoke and never returned. His wife also worked at the pentagon and their children were at the pentagon day care. And his wife was pregnant at the time. I never saw her again she took the children and moved back to their home state.
After my son was born I couldn't bear to walk into that building anymore so 2 weeks after my maternity leave ended I quit. See after 911 every time a plane would fly over if you were outside everyone would stop and just make sure the damn thing stayed in the sky.
And there used to be a bridge you would have to walk over RT 110, to get to the North entrance of the pentagon. Every time AAl white truck or white Van passed by, this was also remember the beltway bandits had started killing people shortly after 9/11 as well. It was a hot mess not even gonna start with that.
So police would stop white vans, and plain white trucks, before they could go under the bridge. Well all of us that would be walking over the bridge would also stop to make sure nothing was about to happen.
I will say this as someone who could have been dead that day, had I been in that building over 200 pounds 7 months pregnant not much of a runner at that time, I never wanted our country to go to war over what happened. Because I knew had I died A-war wouldn't bring me back.
And in a lot of ways it hurts me more all the people our country went off to kill because of what happened 9/11.
Sometimes I believe the terrorist got what they wanted in the end, Look at how this country lives in absolute fear now of every least little thing. September 10th, I could walk into the pentagon barely Flash my badge and skip off to my office. September 12th, suddenly my bags were being checked and I was being treated as if I was a potential terrorist as well. And that's what our country has done to all of us every time we go to the airport, the every time we enter a government building We are treated like we are potential perpetrators at 9/11. I've been in some government buildings where I forgot I had an electronic in my purse, in my purse, and the security officers put their hands on their gun as they are gone as they ask me to check my purse again. And all I'm thinking is, "please don't shoot me it's just an ipod"🤦🏾♀️
In a lot of ways no matter how many people we killed in the wrong countries. They still win, because America still lives an absolute fear at least the government does.
And fear is no way to live, it's no way to run this country.
I'm happy to say that little baby I had is turn turning 21 years old in December. And he's currently a junior in college. And he's amazing, both my children are. I went on to have another little boy who just turned 17.
We still live in the same place because 2008 when the market crashed we decided let's just stay where we are we're good.
I will never watch a movie about 9/11 because I know it will be filled with a bunch of lies. I don't watch memorials about 9/11. And the only time I speak about this day is on 9/11.
And I can only tell this story one time. So forgive me for not going back and fixing all of my typos like I normally tried to do. I don't even want to read what I wrote it's too hard.
I'm going to go do what the terrorist didn't want me to do on that day. I'm going to go live my life
And I'm going to go love my family, And I'm going to have an amazing day.
Because that's how we defeat terrorism, WE DON'T ALLOW IT TO CHANGE US💜💜💜💜💜💜💜
I implore everyone that reads this, please go do something amazing today. celebrate your family celebrate your loved ones. Let this day live in history and nothing more.
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blm
(114,653 posts)Heather MC
(8,084 posts)💜
Srkdqltr
(9,748 posts)
Gaugamela
(3,498 posts)
tblue37
(68,436 posts)about the cheers that went up when his co-workers told your husband you were alive, I actually got choked up. We often don't get a chance to know how we are valued by other people.
ms liberty
(11,229 posts)
broiles
(1,454 posts)It's hard to celebrate my day even after 21 years. On that day my daughter in New Jersey called and I assumed it was to say happy birthday, but she said "turn on the tv now!" We walked around like zombies the rest of the day, no week. Thank you for your essay.
MontanaMama
(24,720 posts)9/11 2001 was a bad day indeed…I often wonder about those who’s birthdays, anniversaries or other special remembrances fall on September 11th. I hope you are celebrated by your family and friends. I’m sending my best wishes.
COL Mustard
(8,205 posts)I was in the Army then, my office was in Skyline Towers, about 4-5 miles away. We had people who were watching the events (I was, of course). I had a meeting scheduled in the Building for that afternoon which obviously didn't take place. A colonel who happened to be temporarily in our office got the first call about the Pentagon being hit. We all ran to the huge plate glass window in our office (pro tip - don't do that!!!) and we could see smoke from the crash. A few minutes later we heard this huge explosion that rattled that plate glass window. There wasn't anything we could do from there, so I picked up my son from his daycare and went home to hug my wife. I knew several people who were killed that day and I still think of them on the anniversary.
Mike Selves
Sandra Long
LTC Jerry Dickerson
Bob Maxwell
SGM Larry Strickland
Ernie Wilcher
Although I didn't know David Laychak, I had worked for his father a few years earlier.
I try to keep them in my memory as much as I can, but of course over the years life has gone on, but I still try to remember this day. It defined a lot of people.
Be well!
MLAA
(19,740 posts)COL Mustard
(8,205 posts)I still work in the Pentagon, now as a civilian employee. I watched the commemoration on Friday. It's still very moving.
We contractors never really saw the military personnel because we were working in empty offices empty
COL Mustard
(8,205 posts)My job got insourced a few years later and now I'm a govvie. Best career move I ever made.
Hope you are well on this melancholy anniversary.
electric_blue68
(26,856 posts)If I hadn't slept late I would have been about 1 1/4 miles Northeast of The Towers.
Instead I think they'd closed down the subway after second plane hit - between Brooklyn from where I was now living and Manhattan. Even if they hadn't I wouldn't have headed there.
I worked for about a year in the South Tower (2) on
on the 73rd flr NE corner office 9/'80 - part 8/'81.
We had such a glorious view!
Heather MC
(8,084 posts)Always Remember the Beauty
electric_blue68
(26,856 posts)
Wild blueberry
(8,291 posts)Hug your kids
Puppyjive
(985 posts)My boyfriend called me and said 'turn on the news'. I watched in horror and I knew we were losing a lot of people that day. My son was born the following March.
niyad
(132,298 posts)
Tetrachloride
(9,618 posts)Heather MC
(8,084 posts)Tetrachloride
(9,618 posts)and well spoken. I remember attending a talk of his.
MLAA
(19,740 posts)Hugs all around you
sueh
(1,955 posts)Baitball Blogger
(52,322 posts)Down to the end where you said you weren't going back to check for typos because it's too painful.
I know that feeling. You've experienced something unique that you felt had to be shared. But that didn't make it any less painful to write about.
Huge hug. And thank you for sharing your experience with us.
Heather MC
(8,084 posts)Ty
I did go back and check the typos last night because I because I am a perfectionist
It took me about 8 hours before I was able to do it
twodogsbarking
(18,754 posts)Tell your sons you love them, even when they are adults.
Heather MC
(8,084 posts)💜
DeeDeeNY
(3,953 posts)It had to be difficult to write.
FakeNoose
(41,585 posts)
Karadeniz
(24,746 posts)result of that one moment in your life. Thanks for sharing !!!!
Stuart G
(38,726 posts)
okaawhatever
(9,565 posts)Heather MC
(8,084 posts)
MyMission
(2,010 posts)I was in lower Manhattan, and as you said...
"I will never watch a movie about 9/11 because I know it will be filled with a bunch of lies (or filled with images I saw first hand) I don't watch memorials about 9/11. And the only time I speak about this day is on 9/11."
I'll add that I was in NYC last August to celebrate my 60th birthday, the first time I went back in 17 years. I thought I might go see the memorial at the site, no desire to go in to the museum, but I decided I was there for a celebration and didn't want or need to go there. I used to work there, although I was not working there on 9/11, I was very familiar with the entire WTC complex.
I was born and raised in NYC, my parents and I used to go to the market that was there before the site was chosen to build "the tallest buildings in the world". I watched them go up, and watched them fall.
Actually I only saw one fall, while standing on a street corner less than a mile away, surrounded by hundreds. I worked at NYU at the time, on West 4th between Greene and Mercer. Mercer gave a direct, unobstructed view to the towers. I was "on counter duty" from 9 to 1 that day in the student services center, financial aid office. I was able to call my parents in NC. There weren't many students coming in, and all of us kept rotating "breaks" to go outside, smoke, and walk to the corner to see what was happening. I was standing on that corner when the first tower collapsed.
I saw it.
I went back in, sat at the counter, and watched it again as it was shown on the big TV's we had at either end of the area. Yes, I got to watch the replays and reports in between watching it live.
The next time I went out to look, there was one tower, still standing with a gaping hole, and I wondered if they would rebuild the one that had fallen. When I went back in, many of my coworkers were preparing to leave, to bus or walk home since subway service was suspended.
I was on duty til 1, had friends and family downtown, although I lived in Brooklyn at the time.
I went out one more time, with a coworker who was going to walk to the Bronx, and we saw the tower was still standing. I turned to walk back to the office, and behind me I Heard a collective gasp, from 100+ people who were watching as the second tower fell. That was eerie. I didn't go back to look. I went inside and watched it on TV.
And I remember I heard sirens, almost like a constant combination of sounds, fire, police, ambulance. Perhaps there were air raid sirens too?!? I have these auditory memories in addition to the visual ones; the gasp and the sirens.
At 1 I took lunch, walked to a friend's apartment where I saw others who'd stopped by, covered in dust and debris after walking up from the financial district. When I got back to work at 2, there were only 2 others left in the office, preparing to shut down like everything below 14th street.
At that point the subway was running again, albeit slowly, so I decided to head home to Brooklyn. I got off a few stops early to stop at the library, a big comfort place for me. They were closed, and any stores still open were planning to close by 6. I walked to Coney Island Avenue, which has a straight line view to NYC, and heads towards the ocean. I saw the 2 columns of dust over the spot where the towers had been, and I recall seeing the shimmering particles in the sky, moving towards the ocean. It felt like I was watching the souls of thousands, in glittering gypsum.
I stayed home Wednesday and Thursday, everything below 14th was shutdown, but had to return to work Friday because I was deemed essential personnel for the university. I remember seeing the "missing" posters, everywhere, and the memorials too. Thousands died in NYC.
When I was heading to work on Tuesday, 9/11, I came up from the subway and there were three people standing there, looking up. I looked up and saw smoke pouring from one of the towers. I looked back at them and asked what happened, and they said a plane had just flown into the building. It was surreal, but I was not alarmed. I crossed Broadway, walked one block to Mercer, and saw people stopped to watch the smoke pouring out of the building.
Then, I saw a plane, flying from the right to the left, going behind the buildings.
Then I saw a giant fireball explosion.
Then I thought "Dear God, I hope that plane didn't get hit by the exploding building."
Then I realized that plane had hit the second tower, causing the explosion.
Then I walked a block to my office, entered babbling that I'd seen the plane hit, the explosion.
Then I watched the replay and commentary on TV, and spent the morning as I described.
For years after, whenever I saw a plane flying from right to left, I'd get goosebumps and felt compelled to watch it fly by. 21 years later it still happens sometimes.
Thank you for sharing your memories and experiences, and for your closing thoughts.
"I implore everyone that reads this, please go do something amazing today. celebrate your family celebrate your loved ones. Let this day live in history and nothing more."
electric_blue68
(26,856 posts)in Manhattan. So I can visualize your experience. Yikes!
Thank you for sharing.
One of the times in Summer of '02 or '03 I was visiting the area possibly heading towards the then World Financial Center, now Brookfield Place (west of the Towers/now Tower) promenade.
The standing broken towers, and the lower buildings had been all torn down. So there was now a big, open sky.
I almost flinched when I heard, then saw a plane flying through that air space first time!
colorado_ufo
(6,251 posts)Your first hand experiences put a lot of my doubts to rest. Your advice at the end of your writing applies to everything in life. You helped a lot of people today, and from me personally I send appreciation from the bottom of my heart. I am so glad that you were able to write this for us all.
3Hotdogs
(15,355 posts)Ferris had an unobstructed view of the W.T.C. from the second floor walkway. I was teaching a first period class when Charlie (English teacher) opened the door, motioned me into the hallway and told me a plane had just crashed into the W.T.C.
There are things that are difficult to sort out in your head and make sense of. Charlie had a sense of humor... was that it? No, that wouldn't be funny. I recall a plane crashing into the Empire State Building.... 1947? So it could happen.
Minutes later, principal comes on the squawk box.... "When the bell rings --- fuck, what bell, it was a buzzer--- teachers and students, please remain in your classes. There is a big soap spill in the hallway that we need to clean up before we can move safely through the halls. We will let you know when it is cleaned and safe to go to your classes."
That was good creative thinking on her part. We remained in the classroom for about an hour. "No, you can't go to the bathroom."
Charlie came back and took over so I could get a bathroom break.. I was already on the second floor and there, through the window, were two, now there were two, buildings with smoke coming out of their sides.
At 11:00, classes were dismissed and students told to go directly home. I don't know how that worked out with the district elementary school students.
At noon, teachers and staff reported to the auditorium, "the Audi," as it was called. Our students and staff were/are multi ethnic. Black, Hispanic, Indian, Chinese and about 1% Islamic - mostly Pakistani. There we were in the Audi. Principal summarized what was known and said we were to go home to our families and we would conclude the assemblage with a prayer.. Would we please take the hand of the person next to us?
I was in an aisle seat and the person next to me was a Pakistani teacher, wearing a hijab. We held each others' hand while the principal spoke a prayer. I am an atheist and I support the separation of church and state but this prayer in this public school was right and good.
The school was closed for about 10 days as the gym was used to house people who were unable to complete their travel because air transport was cancelled. A couple of hundred people were given shelter in the gym and classrooms of the school.
I live in Essex County, N.J. The Watchung Ridge goes through the South Mountain reservation (designed by Olmsted) and it gave us an unobstructed view of the smoke coming out of the ruins of the two buildings. For approximately a month, hundreds of people would drive to the "res" and silently stare at the smoke. That went on for about a month until the smoke stopped.
When school reopened, we learned that several of our students lost parents and other relatives who worked in the W.T.C. buildings,
One month later, we held a memorial gathering in the field outside of the school.
Hekate
(100,133 posts)…were able to get them. I’m sure there is such a plan for children too young to be let loose in an emergency.
About 1956 a military jet crashed on the athletic field of the jr hi school next door to my elementary school. It was class change at the jr hi and they lost 13 kids, but we in the elementary school were indoors and okay. As far as anyone knows the pilot, clipped by another plane at altitude, aimed for as open a space as he could.
In any case, my mother claimed my brother and me, plus two neighbor kids whose parents were at work.
💔💔💔
I am glad you were okay — thank you for sharing. I’m starting to tear up at people’s reminiscences. My daughter was at work and I was sleeping in after a late night writing on my dissertation. About 9:00 our time in California she phoned to order me to turn on the TV because New York was under attack.
No matter how far away you were from NYC and the Pentagon, you were in some way touched personally, far closer than “6 degrees of separation.” My sis in Massachusetts — well, 4 of her children’s schoolmates lost their grandmothers on flights out of Boston that day. When Bush got his war, one of my niece’s friends, by then 18, joined up out of patriotism; called his dad from Italy and said how badly they were equipped — and died outside Kirkuk. My best friend and her husband were civil servants working in D.C. when the city shuddered with the impact on the Pentagon. In years to come they ultimately changed the family name to something less recognizable than Akbar, because of all the blowback.
My life changed too. I had so many plans for my activities after finishing my dissertation and getting my PhD. I did finish — knowing that BushCheneyRumsfeld would neither know nor care if I failed to do so, but I’d care. But afterward, I shelved my book and joined the war resistance, knowing there would be no going back.
electric_blue68
(26,856 posts)3Hotdogs
(15,355 posts)Bin Ladin got what he wanted. The U.S. is in constant state of fear and responded with pat down, magnetrometers , shoes off at airports and so forth.
How much of the Patriot Act is Kabuki? How much was Rumsfield's grab to suspend the 4th. Amendment.
Bin Ladin didn't get what he wanted: U.S. out of the Middle East. Instead, our presence has increased.
Hekate
(100,133 posts)I have friends who were close, and a cousin’s husband who was in a sense closer, as he ended up on some task force for analysis and assessment and gods know what but he lost a lot of friends. I only heard his story once, back in 2002.
If I may say this: for the sake of your sons, please just print out this post, as is, and put it in a file for them to have someday. They and their children will be grateful.
Thank you I never even considered that
They do know, because in a lot of ways I feel like being pregnant saved Our Life
You kinda love a kid who saved you from a terrorist attack💜
electric_blue68
(26,856 posts)
lunatica
(53,410 posts) 
Laha
(433 posts)
Bayard
(29,635 posts)Very glad you and your son are alive to tell the tale.
Chalco
(1,439 posts)and my daughter was in elementary school. I feared for my husband until he
drove into the driveway.
Years later when my daughter was a teenager she asked me why I needed to know
where she was when she was out with friends.
I said, "When our country was attacked on 9/11 I knew you were safe because you
were at school and I knew your dad was not safe because he was at the Capitol. So
I knew I didn't need to worry about you but I did need to worry about him."
From that moment on she never hesitated to let me know where she was.
We have a Rule "everybody knows where everybody goes"
It's worked out well so far
I'm glad you're familiar safe say one
calimary
(89,967 posts)Thanks for sharing your harrowing story of that day.
Still makes me feel grateful that that morning was RELATIVELY uneventful by comparison.
The kids had already carpooled to school when we got the call to come pick them up, because the school was closing for the day.
Our across-the-street neighbor had a son a year older than our daughter, in the same school. Our neighbor was literally freaking out. The plains hijacked that morning had been heading to California. She'd just taken one of those same California-bound flights home the morning before, after having been out of town setting up for the Latin Grammys. She was shaking, barely able to speak, absolutely panicked. I don't know why I was so calm but I said "get in the car, I'LL drive." And we went up together to collect our kids to bring them home. And then we were all glued to the news for the rest of the day.
electric_blue68
(26,856 posts)Hermit-The-Prog
(36,631 posts)
LAS14
(15,506 posts)
AwakeAtLast
(14,315 posts)I was 5 months pregnant with my daughter! It was anxiety inducing enough just being pregnant at that time, I couldn't imagine also actually being there!
There were many, many miracles that day in the midst of all of the tragedy. Thank you for sharing yours with us!
Heather MC
(8,084 posts)Your baby girl though,💜💜💜💜 Lokey jealous, I only had boys.
electric_blue68
(26,856 posts)Truly terrifying!
Ah, and your husband hearing his shouting co-workers giving him the news of you & baby to be safe survivals!!!
It certainly makes sense that you left.
And omg your co-worker Frank!
Glad you've had your life, children, husband and friends to further live, and treasure it, and them.
Heather MC
(8,084 posts)Thank you so much for your kind.
Yeah Frank coming in with his face all cut up and telling us what happened to him we were just gobsmacked🤯
It's certainly not something you forget when someone tells you I had to dive to the ground to avoid a plane flying over me
electric_blue68
(26,856 posts)
FailureToCommunicate
(14,599 posts)one on the plane that hit the tower, and the other just showing up for work at the restaurant in the North tower.
Even these many years later, it is a terrible, sad day, thinking of their lives snuffed out, and of ALL the lives snuffed out.
electric_blue68
(26,856 posts)Sorry to hear this
hamsterjill
(17,569 posts)Thank you for giving us a first hand account.
I hope you did indeed have an amazing day!!!
Heather MC
(8,084 posts)We did, we celebrated my husband's birthday today, his birthday is September 10th.
Delphinus
(12,521 posts)I am grateful you shared this with us.
electric_blue68
(26,856 posts)Last edited Mon Sep 12, 2022, 01:14 AM - Edit history (2)
It was one of those rare times that once I woke up, washed up, dressed, ate breakfast and head out the door - when I didn't turn on my Walkman as I was leaving.
I was living in Brooklyn near Flatbush Ave about a half plus mile south of Downtown Brooklyn. I get out the door, look around see happy summer cloud,and bright blue sky! Going westward I saw a cop car had pulled over a car on the block before Flatbush Av. That seemed strange.
Before I crossed the street I flipped on my radio.
There multiple news people on:
"Firemen covered in ash." "I don't know about you, but we weren't seeing it with our own eyes; I'd say we were watching a Science Fiction movie!" I had No Idea where they were talking about other than it was in one of the Five Burroughs.
I thought it might be one of those big reddish brick buildings in Queens - the ones that are a block long about ?10 - 12 stories high. Where ever, whatever it was it seemed like awful trouble was happening!
I've now made a 90° turn west then north parallel to Flatbush. I'm more than half way down the block when
when they all fall Silent! I cross one more street North , and now turn, and go (northish) west toward Flatbush. They're Still silent. This had to be like 15-30 seconds plus of "dead air" as they say in radio. It's a long time relatively speaking! And it's not such good thing though usually it's a briefly a minor issue for one reason, and another.
Finally one of them says:
"The Towers are GONE."
My brain in an instant once I heard that- must have started working unconsciously putting 2+2 =?!!!4 together. First I spun 180° around now facing away from (hidden) Manhattan staring at my radio as though it had turned into a squawking Ugly Little Monster in my hand! (amazing I didn't drop it!)
.
Then I terrible, slowly turn back around and stare at a distanceat what I thought was a Happy Summer Cloud.
It wasn't a white cloud with light medium gray blue shadows for that time of day. No... It wasn't. It was a beigy, grayish yellow. And... it didn't appear soft cloud puffy ...
It looked... Gritty. (How could a cloud look "gritty"??!!!?)
And the final puzzle piece like Doom fell upon me -
it was the cloud of Destruction. The Towers (my towers - I fell in love w them working there) were ...
Gone.
I clapoed my hands over my mouth, and went screaming home. I hit my pillow hard and sobbed into it for about 10 mins. Then I went silent, and listened to my radio WNYC public radio all day. I was scared to see the visuals at that point. I didn't know if I'd flip out.
My sis called early afternoon. I think she saw the first tower hit from about 4+ miles away on the street before going into work. Her bosses took everyone (small company) back to their nearby apt where they watched the second plane hit tower 2.
She said " HOW could you Not Know (looking at the cloud) ??!!!",after I told what happened. Then she stopped herself, and said more quietly, "yeah, why would you know"...
(if you hadn't heard really what was happening like who'd expect to see that?!!!)
I finally watched the TV from 11pm till 4am. And it was horrific, and TOTALLY Surreal!!!
It took a bunch of years for me not to imagine that one day part of the Sky was going to roll backwards...
and there Our🧡Towers would be there again!
I was often down by the southern end of Union Square Park where (since only residents and workers were allowed below 14th St at first) the tributes of flowers, candles, artworks 3D artworks were put. It was deeply poignant, and sadly beautiful.
When I'd switch subway lines at 42nd & Broadway - that's where I saw the "Missing" posters.
And when they created The Tribute in Lights I'd see it in the evening night above the small apt buildings and brownstones on my block. It was/is one if the most powerful, stunning, achingly beautiful Memorials ever.
After 6 months they turned them off I went down and was there from like 3AM till Dawn when they merged into the day's light, and were turned off.
I went to The NY Historical Soc Museum with my sis where we saw all the stuff they'd gathered up from 14th Union SQ and elsewhere as an exhibit.
We went to the big gathering at Jacob Javits Center to discuss the then proposed Memorials for the site. I wasn't thrilled with what they picked.
But it turned out to be very beautiful, poignant. With the names cut out in metal that surrounds the pools people could stick flowers in them, and they stayed. One Spring like 17 yrs later I finally got to see The Survivor🧡Tree blossom.
I went down there the first Anniversary, and for many years after my sister and I would go down there. She was lucky the husband of a close HS friend stopped to either to have coffee, or check out eye glasses before he would have gone in there. A deeply made friendship in her young adulthood in the late '70s - her friend worked on the ?104rh flr. So her friend was a very heavy woman she never would have made it out in time! But she was fired 2 weeks before 9-11 !!! I practically screamed when she told me that on that same phone call that day.
A couple yrs before I, we stopped going but if it wasn't actually raining I'd go out in my neighborhood to where I could see The Lights in the distance.
It's been raining all day, evening so I didn't want to trek up the big hill where I am now to possibly catch a glimpse. Next year I'll look.
Heather MC
(8,084 posts)TY
I remember being glued to the TV
