This is an email that I sent out to friends after the tragedy on 9/11/2001. I'm reposting it here for the upcoming 10th anniversary. I'll be in the city on 9/11/2011 for the tenth time joining my friends and former associates Wilson, Pete, Kevin, Tony and Slava same as we have for the past 9 years. The former Global Information Delivery Department of the now defunct Industrial Bank of Japan.
Hello All;
Where to begin? Numerous friends and associates have called and sent me emails this week inquiring how I was doing in the aftermath of the bombing of the World Trade Center. I started to write a response back and while writing, actually started to feel better as I got my thoughts out. I have been quite confused as to why this tragedy occurred and what I’ll need to do to come to terms with how I feel having witnessed it.
First off, I'm OK, no injuries aside from very sore feet from wearing dress loafers for what turned out to be around a 10-mile walk.
I’ve been working for the past few months at an investment bank downtown. My office/cube is on the 10th floor of 1 State Street Plaza on the corner of State and Whitehall. I got a call @ 9:00am from my wife Judy telling me that the Trade Center was on fire. I looked out the window and sure enough it was ‘smoking up good’. A few moments later she called back and said she saw on the TV in her cafeteria that an airplane crashing into the building caused the fire.
She said they reported it was a small plane. I tried to rally a few of my associates to come outside to check it out. Most were reluctant but I convinced the other consultant Kevin by saying 'hey this is history.... we have to check it out'
Kevin and I walked over to Battery Park (It's behind our building) to get a closer look. He was a bit slow moving trying to recollect how many of his friends and former associates were working in the Trade Center and whether they’d be in this morning.
We walked over and closer, looking up at the opening in the building. From our vantage point (we were 5 blocks south) it didn't look that bad. In retrospect what we were looking at was the exit hole from the 1st plane.
We had no way of knowing it was an airliner that had crashed into the building.
After walking northwest bound for about 5 minutes we heard the other plane which was in full cruise @ about 400 500 feet off the surface. We heard the plane well before we saw it. It was the sound you’d hear at an air show.
We looked up as the noise intensified and saw the second Jet as it flew directly over our heads. The bottom was gray and in the very few second seconds between seeing the plane and the impact my thoughts went from thinking it was a military jet either patrolling after the catastrophe , or a firefighting plane that was going to help put out the fire. The plane was maneuvering. As it passed over I saw the top was blue making me realize that it was a commercial airliner either US Airways or United who have that type of paintjobs on their planes.
Only seconds elapsed between seeing the plane and the impact and I thought that some navigation aid was misconfigured but dismissed this immediately as the day was clear and the visibility was unrestricted. There was just no way I could bring myself to think that the pilot’s intentions were nefarious
The plane rolled right, then to the left as it hit the building in a nose low attitude. It was incredible. I have never seen anything like this in my life. It appeared that it hit with its wing as the fireball and debris appeared to continue through both walls of the building. There was no way I was believing that someone had intentionally just flew what appeared to be a 737 through the World Trade Center
The noise and fireball I can't describe. The sound of the engines at full cruise and accelerating, the impact and resulting explosion, all incredibly loud yet seemingly delayed by what I think was the distance between where I stood and the tragedy.
Turning and looking for Kevin I said something like ‘Holy Shit did you see that?’ Kevin was already gone. The impact from the plane was subsiding and a huge plume of black brown and gray smoke was emanating from the side of the tower. People were crying, screaming and running everywhere. I stood there in disbelief transfixed by the spectacle unfolding around me.
I saw hundreds of people running away most of them heading towards me in the park. At that point I remember wondering ‘why are these people running’ and then ‘hey you should be running too’ so I turned and ran southeastward through the park and out to State Street. I used my cell phone to call my wife and was alternately talking to her and the people around me, people of all walks of life talking in disbelief about what they had just seen.
Walking back to my building I was thinking ‘just go in, get your stuff and split’, while alternately wondering ‘how am I going to get out of here’. All of the people working in the plaza had been evacuated to the sidewalk on the east side (front) of the building. I saw some coworkers and immediately went up to them, wanting to tell them of the horror I just had witnessed. Everyone was facing north, looking up at the towers smoking, standing there in disbelief. They wouldn’t let anyone upstairs so I hung on the sidewalk having to squat down as I was getting dizzy and short of breath.
It was pandemonium on the streets. The corner of State and Whitehall is across from the Staten Island Ferry and the South Ferry subway stations along with a downtown exit from the FDR drive. Traffic was in gridlock on those streets with emergency vehicles driving on the sidewalks on State Street. It was then when I became cognizant of the noise of horns blaring and emergency vehicle sirens. The trade center was emitting strips of what appeared to be aluminum shavings, which I assumed were part of the aircraft. It was similar to the tickertape you’d see during the Yankee’s parades in the Canyon of Hero’s (Lower Broadway) over the past few years.
At this point the towers were just burning and there was a breeze blowing the smoke to the south, but it was way above our heads. At times the smoke obscured the sun making it appear that it was dark out similarly to the way entering fog while diving will make it dark. The air quality was still good aside from the smokers indulging themselves a cigarette.
We were told we would be safer inside and we went back to our desks. We talked
about what had happened. People were of all different moods. Everyone was trying to call their loved ones and get messages out that they were OK.
Watching out the north wall of our floor (all glass) everyone was discussing what we thought was going to happen. It was then the 1st tower collapsed. It was horrific; no special effects in the movies could ever duplicate that sight and sound. I cannot describe the despair I felt at that moment, as it is still incomprehensible to me. I’m not aware whether it was the fear of debris shattering the windows or people not wanting to witness this spectacle anymore as people pulled down the window shades were on that wall.
We were told to go downstairs and instructed to stay in the building lobby as the street outside appeared as if a smoky blizzard was raging.
A short time later another loud noise was followed with more smoke, dust and debris as the second tower collapsed and it became like night outside. We couldn’t see the second tower collapse as the windows of the building lobby face eastward. This kept me from believing that it actually collapsed. Whitehall Street became engulfed in a tidal wave of particulate matter rolling southward towards the harbor.
After several minutes passed the sky lightened a bit and I went outside (all the smokers were out there still) and looked towards the towers where there was nothing but a huge plume of dust rising several stories. I couldn’t see the towers and went inside.
The air quality within the lobby was getting intolerable between the smoke and exhalation of the occupants of a 30-story office building all milling about in the lobby. The Bank security people determined that we would be better off in the Sub-Cellar Data Center two stories underground. Everyone was so frightened as we didn't know if more planes were going come along at any time and fly into ours or the surrounding buildings. We had no link to the outside world and were unaware of any of the other bombing attacks. Once downstairs I hooked up my laptop and sent out an email to my wife letting her know I was alive and to call the rest of my family and let them know that.
After about an hour Kevin and I decided that we'd walk up the east side of Manhattan with several other people to get out of downtown, which we did. I now understand how people in other parts of the world and at other times felt/feel when terror strikes occur during the normal course of their day.
Donning painter’s masks we ventured outside. State/Water Street was completely void of traffic save for the constant movement by rescue and police vehicles. As I recollect I’m amazed at what it must have taken to clear the streets of all traffic. The streets had an apocalyptic appearance covered by a few inches of dust, with blowing smoke paper and debris everywhere. The only sounds were that of emergency vehicles.
Thousands of people were filing away towards any route off Manhattan. It was very orderly as people were in shock. The crush of the crowd reminded me of the organized chaos usually experienced when leaving a football game except with a much grimmer undertone.
As we walked east out of the financial district, relief workers were offering people paper masks as every passing vehicle would kick up clouds of dust or have it trailing off the horizontal surfaces similarly to snow drifting off your car when you don’t brush before driving away. I put my sunglasses on as this material was the consistency of ash/fine sand and was stinging my eyes as the wind blew it as we walked.
Taking up an easterly heading down Water Street and while passing South Street Seaport (where I had eaten lunch the afternoon before), my thoughts turned towards the tourists that typically would be visiting the shops and restaurants there any late summer afternoon at lunchtime. How must they feel, vacationing and sightseeing in downtown New York? I then thought about the tourists that would have been killed visiting the trade towers, the early birds (like my wife), who wouldn’t want the long lines later in the day.
Police officers from organizations I never knew existed made everyone stay on the sidewalks to keep the roads clear. Everyone followed directions and cooperated fully with the authorities. Relief workers were in the streets every few blocks offering rest rooms, water, phones and just someone to talk to if needed.
We walked through Chinatown, into the East Village and then up 1st Avenue. When 1st became too crowded we simply walked to 2nd and then ultimately 3rd where we stopped for a drink at a bar that Kevin was familiar with. I looked at my watch and was amazed that it was close to 3:00pm. We had been walking since 11:30. The owner was seating people and told us they weren’t serving outside, as none of their employees were able to come in. We went into the Bar and tried to order a drink. I was talking with an older guy at the bar who told me to be patient with the bartenders as none of the people who were working there were employee’s, but the barfly’s that drink there every day.
Getting thirsty hot and impatient, we left there and went to the pub across the street. TV’s were on and the place was filled with people staring at NY1, CNN, CNBC, and FOX News drinking. I bought Kevin a Heineken and had a club soda. I went downstairs to piss, spotted a phone and called Judy. When I went upstairs I realized I couldn’t just hang in the bar all afternoon, I was determined to get off Manhattan..
My original plan was to walk to Grand Central to see if the trains were running. If not my next step was to walk to my apartment on E82nd change into sneakers and workout garb and walk until I was in a place that Judy could come and pick me up.
I walked with Kevin until 38th street. He went home and I went on to Grand Central. All the trains were local every stop so I got on the 1st one figuring that once I was clear of the island Judy could pick me up anywhere as she had a car.
The train was packed but I got a seat. I have to confess that I looked down or away when I saw someone coming down the aisle more deserving of my seat (old ladies and the like), but I had just walked about 10 miles in dress shoes and was pretty needy myself.
I finally got my cell phone to work, and was touched by the scores of people who had left me voice mails, just saying that they were thinking of me and please call as soon as you can. Anyway I can only say that I am very grateful and appreciative of how precious my life is and what a wonderful privilege it is to be as blessed as we are, living and working in a free world.
We’ve probably seen the end of our liberties as we have grown to know them. I’ve included some pictures of the skyline we took before this tragedy so you can remember. I don’t think the government will ever let us fly this close to New York again and I’ve heard that Washington National airport may never reopen. My hope is that this terrible act does not change the way we live too appreciably.
Stay well and out of harms way
Your Friend
Sean
Where to begin? Numerous friends and associates have called and sent me emails this week inquiring how I was doing in the aftermath of the bombing of the World Trade Center. I started to write a response back and while writing, actually started to feel better as I got my thoughts out. I have been quite confused as to why this tragedy occurred and what I’ll need to do to come to terms with how I feel having witnessed it.
First off, I'm OK, no injuries aside from very sore feet from wearing dress loafers for what turned out to be around a 10-mile walk.
I’ve been working for the past few months at an investment bank downtown. My office/cube is on the 10th floor of 1 State Street Plaza on the corner of State and Whitehall. I got a call @ 9:00am from my wife Judy telling me that the Trade Center was on fire. I looked out the window and sure enough it was ‘smoking up good’. A few moments later she called back and said she saw on the TV in her cafeteria that an airplane crashing into the building caused the fire.
She said they reported it was a small plane. I tried to rally a few of my associates to come outside to check it out. Most were reluctant but I convinced the other consultant Kevin by saying 'hey this is history.... we have to check it out'
Kevin and I walked over to Battery Park (It's behind our building) to get a closer look. He was a bit slow moving trying to recollect how many of his friends and former associates were working in the Trade Center and whether they’d be in this morning.
We walked over and closer, looking up at the opening in the building. From our vantage point (we were 5 blocks south) it didn't look that bad. In retrospect what we were looking at was the exit hole from the 1st plane.
We had no way of knowing it was an airliner that had crashed into the building.
After walking northwest bound for about 5 minutes we heard the other plane which was in full cruise @ about 400 500 feet off the surface. We heard the plane well before we saw it. It was the sound you’d hear at an air show.
We looked up as the noise intensified and saw the second Jet as it flew directly over our heads. The bottom was gray and in the very few second seconds between seeing the plane and the impact my thoughts went from thinking it was a military jet either patrolling after the catastrophe , or a firefighting plane that was going to help put out the fire. The plane was maneuvering. As it passed over I saw the top was blue making me realize that it was a commercial airliner either US Airways or United who have that type of paintjobs on their planes.
Only seconds elapsed between seeing the plane and the impact and I thought that some navigation aid was misconfigured but dismissed this immediately as the day was clear and the visibility was unrestricted. There was just no way I could bring myself to think that the pilot’s intentions were nefarious
The plane rolled right, then to the left as it hit the building in a nose low attitude. It was incredible. I have never seen anything like this in my life. It appeared that it hit with its wing as the fireball and debris appeared to continue through both walls of the building. There was no way I was believing that someone had intentionally just flew what appeared to be a 737 through the World Trade Center
The noise and fireball I can't describe. The sound of the engines at full cruise and accelerating, the impact and resulting explosion, all incredibly loud yet seemingly delayed by what I think was the distance between where I stood and the tragedy.
Turning and looking for Kevin I said something like ‘Holy Shit did you see that?’ Kevin was already gone. The impact from the plane was subsiding and a huge plume of black brown and gray smoke was emanating from the side of the tower. People were crying, screaming and running everywhere. I stood there in disbelief transfixed by the spectacle unfolding around me.
I saw hundreds of people running away most of them heading towards me in the park. At that point I remember wondering ‘why are these people running’ and then ‘hey you should be running too’ so I turned and ran southeastward through the park and out to State Street. I used my cell phone to call my wife and was alternately talking to her and the people around me, people of all walks of life talking in disbelief about what they had just seen.
Walking back to my building I was thinking ‘just go in, get your stuff and split’, while alternately wondering ‘how am I going to get out of here’. All of the people working in the plaza had been evacuated to the sidewalk on the east side (front) of the building. I saw some coworkers and immediately went up to them, wanting to tell them of the horror I just had witnessed. Everyone was facing north, looking up at the towers smoking, standing there in disbelief. They wouldn’t let anyone upstairs so I hung on the sidewalk having to squat down as I was getting dizzy and short of breath.
It was pandemonium on the streets. The corner of State and Whitehall is across from the Staten Island Ferry and the South Ferry subway stations along with a downtown exit from the FDR drive. Traffic was in gridlock on those streets with emergency vehicles driving on the sidewalks on State Street. It was then when I became cognizant of the noise of horns blaring and emergency vehicle sirens. The trade center was emitting strips of what appeared to be aluminum shavings, which I assumed were part of the aircraft. It was similar to the tickertape you’d see during the Yankee’s parades in the Canyon of Hero’s (Lower Broadway) over the past few years.
At this point the towers were just burning and there was a breeze blowing the smoke to the south, but it was way above our heads. At times the smoke obscured the sun making it appear that it was dark out similarly to the way entering fog while diving will make it dark. The air quality was still good aside from the smokers indulging themselves a cigarette.
We were told we would be safer inside and we went back to our desks. We talked
about what had happened. People were of all different moods. Everyone was trying to call their loved ones and get messages out that they were OK.
Watching out the north wall of our floor (all glass) everyone was discussing what we thought was going to happen. It was then the 1st tower collapsed. It was horrific; no special effects in the movies could ever duplicate that sight and sound. I cannot describe the despair I felt at that moment, as it is still incomprehensible to me. I’m not aware whether it was the fear of debris shattering the windows or people not wanting to witness this spectacle anymore as people pulled down the window shades were on that wall.
We were told to go downstairs and instructed to stay in the building lobby as the street outside appeared as if a smoky blizzard was raging.
A short time later another loud noise was followed with more smoke, dust and debris as the second tower collapsed and it became like night outside. We couldn’t see the second tower collapse as the windows of the building lobby face eastward. This kept me from believing that it actually collapsed. Whitehall Street became engulfed in a tidal wave of particulate matter rolling southward towards the harbor.
After several minutes passed the sky lightened a bit and I went outside (all the smokers were out there still) and looked towards the towers where there was nothing but a huge plume of dust rising several stories. I couldn’t see the towers and went inside.
The air quality within the lobby was getting intolerable between the smoke and exhalation of the occupants of a 30-story office building all milling about in the lobby. The Bank security people determined that we would be better off in the Sub-Cellar Data Center two stories underground. Everyone was so frightened as we didn't know if more planes were going come along at any time and fly into ours or the surrounding buildings. We had no link to the outside world and were unaware of any of the other bombing attacks. Once downstairs I hooked up my laptop and sent out an email to my wife letting her know I was alive and to call the rest of my family and let them know that.
After about an hour Kevin and I decided that we'd walk up the east side of Manhattan with several other people to get out of downtown, which we did. I now understand how people in other parts of the world and at other times felt/feel when terror strikes occur during the normal course of their day.
Donning painter’s masks we ventured outside. State/Water Street was completely void of traffic save for the constant movement by rescue and police vehicles. As I recollect I’m amazed at what it must have taken to clear the streets of all traffic. The streets had an apocalyptic appearance covered by a few inches of dust, with blowing smoke paper and debris everywhere. The only sounds were that of emergency vehicles.
Thousands of people were filing away towards any route off Manhattan. It was very orderly as people were in shock. The crush of the crowd reminded me of the organized chaos usually experienced when leaving a football game except with a much grimmer undertone.
As we walked east out of the financial district, relief workers were offering people paper masks as every passing vehicle would kick up clouds of dust or have it trailing off the horizontal surfaces similarly to snow drifting off your car when you don’t brush before driving away. I put my sunglasses on as this material was the consistency of ash/fine sand and was stinging my eyes as the wind blew it as we walked.
Taking up an easterly heading down Water Street and while passing South Street Seaport (where I had eaten lunch the afternoon before), my thoughts turned towards the tourists that typically would be visiting the shops and restaurants there any late summer afternoon at lunchtime. How must they feel, vacationing and sightseeing in downtown New York? I then thought about the tourists that would have been killed visiting the trade towers, the early birds (like my wife), who wouldn’t want the long lines later in the day.
Police officers from organizations I never knew existed made everyone stay on the sidewalks to keep the roads clear. Everyone followed directions and cooperated fully with the authorities. Relief workers were in the streets every few blocks offering rest rooms, water, phones and just someone to talk to if needed.
We walked through Chinatown, into the East Village and then up 1st Avenue. When 1st became too crowded we simply walked to 2nd and then ultimately 3rd where we stopped for a drink at a bar that Kevin was familiar with. I looked at my watch and was amazed that it was close to 3:00pm. We had been walking since 11:30. The owner was seating people and told us they weren’t serving outside, as none of their employees were able to come in. We went into the Bar and tried to order a drink. I was talking with an older guy at the bar who told me to be patient with the bartenders as none of the people who were working there were employee’s, but the barfly’s that drink there every day.
Getting thirsty hot and impatient, we left there and went to the pub across the street. TV’s were on and the place was filled with people staring at NY1, CNN, CNBC, and FOX News drinking. I bought Kevin a Heineken and had a club soda. I went downstairs to piss, spotted a phone and called Judy. When I went upstairs I realized I couldn’t just hang in the bar all afternoon, I was determined to get off Manhattan..
My original plan was to walk to Grand Central to see if the trains were running. If not my next step was to walk to my apartment on E82nd change into sneakers and workout garb and walk until I was in a place that Judy could come and pick me up.
I walked with Kevin until 38th street. He went home and I went on to Grand Central. All the trains were local every stop so I got on the 1st one figuring that once I was clear of the island Judy could pick me up anywhere as she had a car.
The train was packed but I got a seat. I have to confess that I looked down or away when I saw someone coming down the aisle more deserving of my seat (old ladies and the like), but I had just walked about 10 miles in dress shoes and was pretty needy myself.
I finally got my cell phone to work, and was touched by the scores of people who had left me voice mails, just saying that they were thinking of me and please call as soon as you can. Anyway I can only say that I am very grateful and appreciative of how precious my life is and what a wonderful privilege it is to be as blessed as we are, living and working in a free world.
We’ve probably seen the end of our liberties as we have grown to know them. I’ve included some pictures of the skyline we took before this tragedy so you can remember. I don’t think the government will ever let us fly this close to New York again and I’ve heard that Washington National airport may never reopen. My hope is that this terrible act does not change the way we live too appreciably.
Stay well and out of harms way
Your Friend
Sean
WFC 1&2 Judy took this picture on 9/24/1988 from the right seat of N8229F while flying @ 500’ MSL which is the floor of the New York Class Bravo Airspace. This is about the height the planes were flying at when they struck the tower
Financial District &Battery Park Taken by Judy on 9.24/88 moments earlier than the trade center shot I was standing on the north edge of the park when the 2nd plane hit the tower. My building at the time was the square black one next to the shiny one in the lower right corner
Financial District &Battery Park Taken by Judy on 9.24/88 moments earlier than the trade center shot I was standing on the north edge of the park when the 2nd plane hit the tower. My building at the time was the square black one next to the shiny one in the lower right corner
Final approach into Washington National Airport 2/19/2001. You'll never get this shot from a GA Airplane again
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