story20639.xml

story20639.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2006-09-11

I had an interview that day in the morning at 11 am Deutsche Bank across the street from the WTC on Liberty St. I was running late to my current job at Chase two blocks east of the WTC on Liberty St. I was usually walking past the WTC up Liberty to work at 8:40 in the morning. I took my time that day since it was a beautiful day and I was getting focused for my interview later that morning. I thought I might go to the Tie Rack in the WTC for a lucky scarf or something for my interview.

My bedroom window in Battery Park City wraps around the room and looked directly north east at the WTC. The blinds were down as the sun was strong. I heard a big boom - sounded like a truck going over a metal plate in the road. My dogs started freaking out. I heard sirens and I went to my living room window which faces the west side highway. I saw fire trucks fighting their way up the highway. I went to my bedroom and opened the blinds to see fire coming out of the north tower. It was the reddest red I have every seen. I thought there was a fire in a kitchen somewhere in the building and I was sure that the fireman would put it out. I thought what a shame it would be to have the building damaged like that and I wondered how long it would take to fix it after the fire was out.

I proceeded to continue to get dressed for my interview trying to stay focused. I kissed the dogs goodbye and headed out to the WTC to go to the Tie Rack not thinking the fire in the north tower would effect the shopping area.

As I started towards the towers (one block away) the second plane came and slammed into the south tower. I have never felt such an impact before nor seen such a horror.

I quickly made my way back into my apartment building to get my dogs out as I was now in a total state of shock wondering what was next.

I stood with my dogs and everyone else in my neighborhood as the towers burned and the people jumped to their lives. It was the most horrendous site I have ever seen. Not being able to come to their rescue was very frustrating and upsetting. They waved what looked like towels or shirts.

I started to wonder whether or not the buildings were going to come down and I seriously thought they would. I didn't know where to go or what to do and neither did anyone else. I made my way south with no real destination. While standing on the esplanade in front of the holocaust museum the north tower came down. People were running from all directions screaming with their shirts over their faces rolling on the large lawn. Many people had children on their shoulders from a nearby nursery school. Many people jumped into the river. I threw my bag with my cell phone - wallet and everything for my interview - and I picked up my dogs so they wouldn't get trampled. Two small pugs. I threw off my sunglasses and my suit jacket and I ran south. I ran into a building across from Battery Park. A policeman had broken into a Starbcuks in the building and he was handing out water. I met a buy from Deutsche Bank and he convinced me to continue heading south. He helped me carry my dogs. We ended up at 1 State Street. He decided to get on the ferry or train and leave. I didn't want to do that, I was afraid to go underground on the train and I didnt know a soul in Staten Island.

I made friends with Eddie Dowling who was working the front desk of the office building at 1 State Street as well as the other men on staff. I called my parents from a newspaper stand in the building -- they told me that the bridges and tunnels were closed. There was no way off of the island of Manhattan.

I stayed with Eddie and his boss Richie who was the brother of the head of fire safety at the WTC. He made sure that the guys put a makeshift bed together for me and my dogs in an air-conditioned room in the building as we were covered in dust and my older pug was having a hard time breathing. I think Richie knew his brother was dead. He still remained calm and made sure we- total strangers- were taken care of.

One of the guys, Jack Sullivan, gave me a pair of his work pants as my skirt was ripped. He also gave me a bar of ivory soap - to wash my face. He was a former marine and made me feel safe. Another guy on the crew gave me $10 which I put in my shoe for later. This was survival.

I stayed up all night hanging out in the lobby with Eddie Dowling as the fireman walked back and forth with their heads down - covered in WTC dust.

Eddie told me his life story and that his daughter was a stewardess and his son was a NYC Detective. He was calm and positive and made me feel safe. He was a very sweet man. We sat and smoked cigarettes.

I realized at some point that my best friend, Kate, worked for Deutsche Bank across from the WTC and she might very well be dead.

A young man came to the building to charge a battery for a golf cart he found at the WTC site. He was on his first day of work as an EMT. I think he was 18 or something. I was one of the few resident/civilians around at this point - it was midnight on 9/11. I told him about throwing my bag in a bush and he offered to take me on the golf cart back to Battery Park to look for it while he taxied some doctors to ground zero. We took the cart and there I was on the west side highway - across from my apt building and a block from ground zero at midnight on 9/11. The highway was covered in metal and ash and wall to wall trucks. It was a very scary scene. All of the lights were out in my neighborhood. It looked as though it was gone - dead. I asked him to take me back to 1 State Street.

I slept on the floor of the office in the building on cushions collected from couches in the building.

I woke up at 5 am and said goodbye to Eddie I needed to get to my parents outside of the city. I had an absolute nervous breakdown at the Staten Island ferry terminal where they had triage set up. I couldn't get anyone to take me out of the zone - 14th street to the battery - and I was exhausted and disoriented. An official with Fire EMT came over and asked me why I was crying and told him I just wanted to go home to my parents. He had two fire EMT workers drive me home in a burned out EMT SUV.

It was a horrifying and exhausting experience.

A woman who worked for MCI or AT&T (I think) in the WFC found my bag that day and dragged it home with her to Brooklyn over the Brooklyn bridge. She called me and told me and I went to get it that following week. Everything was in place and she apologized for going through my bag to get my info. She was an angel. I wish I still had her name. That time was so confusing I lost her information.

My older pug, Bianca, ended up with severe eyes injuries from the fiberglass and was hospitalized with ulcerated corneas. She ended up dying in April 2005 from severe lung disease. I blame 9/11. My younger pug, Cammie, had three cancer operations in 2005 and 27 weeks of chemotherapy in 2006. I blame 9/11. I wonder what is going to happen to my health as a result. I guess we just wait and see.

I hope we never have a day like that in America again. But I fear that we will.