9/11, My Hometown Remembers

Liz here's my Sept 11th. Title:SMOLDERING SMOKE ON A BEAUTIFUL DAY. For me it was normal beautiful September morning. I came to my cubicle here in USACE Army District Vicksburg Ms. Like today, Tuesday was a lovely day,a lovely morning. I was sitting at desk in front of my pc answering and reading email. When on WQBC talk radio CBS news breaks in with Dan Rather:"SMALL PLNE CRASHES INTO THE TOWER." Imeediately my ears get glued. During those fifteen minutes news comes. Unclear and vague. Around 9am I bolt up from my desk and when I get to the break room a dozen employees are glued to CNN. Then I saw it. I couldn't believe it. The twin towers on spewing dark smoke on beautiful day. I don't how long I remained in breakroom for all sudden time moved like realtime. By 930am news bullentin breaks in a plane crashed into the pentagon; and after the first tower has fallen. Another bullentin breaks in: another plane crash in the fields in Pennslyvania. All of us realized something is terribly wrong our work day has been shaken up. Our colonel breaks in announcing to employees to park thier cars in more secure locaions. Since we didn't get work done we wonder the hallways trying to learn info. Even here Vicksburg runors were flying of Al Qaeda. Rumors I can't remember. Other stories I heard of an arab doctor rejoicing the towers had fallen. He's now left Vicksburg. Within forty eight hours, I'm under my first real military alert:Threatcon Charlie. For orders come down from the generals in Washington. Yes, we were at war. Within those forty eight hours my senses became aware. As the days, weeks clocked by I was becoming aware of my envoriment. Suddenly small details would leap out at me. Liz during those chaotic weeks there wasn't an hour, a day thought about you New Yorkers. I discovered I had the nightmares too about the towers falling. Since then I've become a 9/11 historian I have large collection of photograph books like Here is New York,Aftermath which chronicle Ground Zero. For me the pictures told the story. This better make your day. I got to know New York through the witnesses accounts. I didn't care political affelation but I read journalists,like Heather Neart, and ordinary witnesses who provided some vivid insights. My personnal goal is to come to New York,Lower Manhattan and walk,photograph Ground Zero. Since you're a New Yorker I want to tell you this: "Liz I haven't forgotten."

Postscript to what I wrote I above. I donated money for a cobblestone for the Sept 11th Memorial.Thi was last year in fact. As a result of that donation I'm now a member of 9/11 Memorial.org.:) I didn't donate much but I since,I,too was part of something big. Just wanted to let New Yorkers know outside Manhattan that there are lot of US who still care.:)

Hello Maureen, I loved and appreciated your article very much. I live in Rockville Centre and have a direct connection to 9/11...I worked in the North Tower and was there that awful day [many from town were]. I can tell you the two thoughts that pushed me along that day were getting home to see my wife and children and to get to St. Agnes and thank God for saving me. I also needed to pray for those still there. I lost many, many friends that day and still suffer from tremendous survivor guilt. Why did they die and I survived? That will never go away. Each year I think/hope that this year it won’t hurt as much and every 9/11, I kiss my wife good bye, hug and kiss my kids and go on my way with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. I think of those that are no longer here and it kills me. Rockville Centre is a very special town. The sense of community caring for and supporting each other is heartwarming. Thank you for remebering 9/11.

I live in the midwest, Elizabeth, and although we were insulated in part to the tumult that was that september 11th, many of us cried, too. The imensity of it all was impossible to take in, even for us. All I can do this day, is say that the memory of what happened that day, through the tears, and the fears, the death and distraught masses, mourning and wailing, reminds me of others, throughout the world, who have suffered even more, if that is possible, with the abiding evidence of both mans' inhumanity to man, and also, the altruistic bent, in time of need, of those who rise to the occasion, and do what needs to be done--with sensitivity, sympathy, and compassion, for all those who mourn. May He strengthen you, and give you renewed resolve to continue to make a difference with your life and mission. And just as we must remember those who were lost in the holocaust in Germany, so many years ago, we must also strengthen our resolve to remember, and encourage others to do the same. If we do not, someone, somewhere, is bound to say that it never really happened. Joey45.

A place of comfort,tradition,community involvement,religion and compassion - a hometown to be proud of. Thanks for your thoughtful article, your friends were remembered lovingly on the anniversary.

Dear Lizzy!! Remember me!! You and Mary Fisher used to call me "Butter"... I'll never forget you. You are one of the funniest girls I ever met. My sister Pat sent me the 9/11 article and it is really beautiful. Rockville Centre and South Hempstead were terribly hit by 9/11, and on 9/11 every year we relive those horrible hours. Regards Butter Margaret Barry Sharp

Tragedy is indeed the antagonist of Comedy. And at the same time tragedy strikes, it strikes anyone, in any way, for reason or no reason at all. 9.11 to Katrina to Hiroshima to Titanic to a loved one lost due to cancer. I once read a short story of a woman who had lost her child at birth, and was in perpetual mourning. Asking a doctor/psychologist, the response was find me one house where death has not been experienced. Upon returning to the doctor/psych. she found catharsis and healing was able to begin. Why ? Because... She realized she was no longer alone in her pain. That story always makes me think of Lincoln's quote "Two things bring large groups of people together... A common enemy and a [Natural] Disaster" It is clear and true, loss - almost proportionally the greater the proportion, the greater civilization nudges to accommodate and respond. Hopefully the response to 9.11 won't be such to encourage any increase of activity from those plane flying psychotics who decided to board, take over, and crash those planes. 9.11 is also a reminder of how dangerous religious fundamentalism is and can be. I've never heard that POV expressed in any journalism or any press though.

A hometown to be proud of - a place of comfort, tradition, community involvement,religion and compassion. Thank you for your thoughtful article, your friends were remembered lovingly on the anniversary.

Dear Elizabeth: Great article, I lost 20 friends down at Ground Zero. It is great you wrote this with the hectic week you have going on on Wall Street.

Thursday night on the History Channel I watched the special 102 minutes that changed America. It was various povs of the World Trade Center from over 100 videographers all across New York City. Some of it was raw news footage but edited together it told it all. It was one of the best documentrys of 9/11 I ever watched. Since I'm a photographer and I have two digital cameras. Would I done it if I was there? of course. But I wouldn't have look at my own photographs if I did. Honestly I miss seeing the World Trade Center in the lower Manhattan cityscape. But I haven't forgotten it. By the way I Googeled Rockville Centre and it's real interesting. Colonial comes to my mind. Just thought I pass that on.

Dear Elizabeth... Thank you for the wonderful piece on RVC, though as an altar boy in the 60s for the life of me cannot remember cars being blessed on the way to the beach. I do remember lectoring at the 10:30 "beach Mass" in the high school basement. Thanks for remembering Stephen and Tim.