Did You Know…September 11th, 2001 Edition

I feel this day like a war wound when it rains, Taps playing in my heart on a continuous loop.

I’m told I shouldn’t keep it alive, it’s depressing, irony at its best since, 2,993 people died, 412 being emergency workers mostly firefighters and policemen, while only the remains of 1,643 people were found and identified.

If you agree I should shut the fuck up, I’ll try to understand, however…

a White Labrador Guide Dog named Rosalie led her blind owner, Michael Hingson, down 78 flights of stairs to safety,  Rosalie deserving the Medal of Honor, or at least Filet mignon for life.

Cantor Fitzgerald lost 658 employees, more than any other company. My friend Joe two weeks before, interviewed there so disappointed when he didn’t get the job.

Another man who worked on their 105th floor, switched days off with a colleague after finally getting an appointment with his allergist, his kind co-worker seen no more.

The 11,000 artifacts found treated with tender care now rest at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in memory of their owners.

On that morning, 55-year-old Robert Joseph Gschaar was working on the 92nd floor of the South Tower. At the time of the attack, he called his wife to let her know what happened reassuring her that he would get home safely, but did not. A year after the attacks his wallet and wedding ring were recovered and returned to her.

The 9/11 Memorial and Museum has photographs of all but ten of the fallen killed that day.   

Whole families, including children were on the hijacked planes.

Christine Lee Hanson the youngest, far left, was only 2.  She was happily on her way to Disneyland.

Saint Paul’s Chapel across the street from the Trade Center, amazingly suffered no damage, not even a pane of broken glass. Quite miraculous when you consider everything in over a mile radius was effected.

Days after, its front gates became a touching memorial to the victims, along with a wall of hope for their families some would still be found.  

Photographer Berry Berenson, sister of actress Marisa, married to the late actor Anthony Perkins (1932-1992), was one of the 92 victims on American Airlines Flight 11 from Boston to Los Angeles leaving behind  two sons in waiting. A silver ring was later found among the ruins believed to have belonged to her.

Beneath the Trade Center along with the subway and PATH trains, was an arcade including a jewelry store. The owners had just put all their gems in the window when the first plane hit. A young Latino boy working there, told them they needed to hurry up and go. They refused, saying they needed to put everything back in the vault first, and if he didn’t stay to help, he’d be fired.

The kid ran and got out.

His employers however, did not.

I’ll end with a story I find most poignant.

An MTA driver was told by his dispatcher not to stop at the World Trade Center…to keep going. When he saw all the people waiting on the platform he just couldn’t do it, stopping for them.

His train was the last one to get out before the first tower fell.   Grace and valor last seen.

SB