Originally Posted 9 p.m., Tuesday, September 11, 2001
This article was written by my son, Scott, whose fiancée worked on the 77th floor of the World Trade Center.
2001.
We all had different experiences. Listen to mine.
I
had met my girlfriend in late 2000, and we celebrated New Year’s Eve together
in Times Square, New York. January through August came and went, and we lived
together enjoying our new relationship. We had our ups and downs but more ups.
We grew very close and had a lot of fun as couples do. I knew this would be
the woman I wanted to be with for the rest of my life.
On
September 11, 2001, everything changed. My girlfriend, Ginamarie, worked on
the 77th floor of the North Tower at the World Trade Center, Tower One, the
Tower hit by American Airlines Flight 11.
I
work with a sales firm in New Jersey, where my business is based. Ever since
starting her job at the WTC in January, 2001, Ginamarie had taken a bus from
our suburban New Jersey apartment to Manhattan at 6:48 every morning. She was
normally in her office in the Tower by 8:00 am.
Every
day, I would call her at 8:30 from my car, as I drove to work. Every day, we
would talk for 15 minutes.
This day, September 11, was different. I had a seminar to attend in midtown
Manhattan. Instead of Ginamarie taking her daily bus, I drove her into the city.
We were delayed for about 10 minutes by a colitis problem I had along the way.
We
finally arrived in the City and parked near Madison Square Garden at 8:15. We
saw that several New York Rangers were signing autographs in Penn Station. Because
Ginamarie was already 15 minutes late, she rushed to catch a train to her office
in the World Trade Center. I kissed her goodbye and was planning to meet her
that afternoon at Windows On The World, the famous restaurant on top of the
World Trade Center.
I
stood in line to get a few autographs for the 2001-2002 New York Rangers, thanked
them and wished them luck on their season. It was just another day. I put the
autographs back in my car and walked across the street to the seminar site,
to arrive early for my 9:00 a.m. seminar on the 17th floor.
Nothing
seemed unusual there except that about 15 people were standing by a window looking
South. Time: 8:55. A co-worker who also was to attend the seminar ran into the
room and turned on a TV to see that the World Trade Center was on fire.
Suddenly
a blank despondent stare came to my face: the building my girlfriend worked
in was on fire, and the fire was unmistakably near her floor. I was overcome
by fear and shock. Did the plane hit the floor where my girlfriend actually
was? I knew I had to hear her voice, to find her to make sure she was alive
and ok.
Assuming she was already in her office, I tried to call there but all phone
service was out. I called her cell phone but heard only a loud thrashing noise.
I called her parents in AZ and left a calm message trying not to startle them
but to call me on my cell phone as soon as they heard from Ginamarie because
I had not heard from her. I called my parents to tell them what I was going
to do. I than grabbed my laptop bag and told a friend and coworker I had to
go down there to the Tower, and find her -- my girlfriend was caught in the
World Trade Center.
I
left the office and took a subway to 14th street where the train stopped for
what seemed like eternity, knowing every minute I spent getting there was a
minute less I had to find her. Then, over the train’s speaker came an
announcement that all trains were stopped. I got out and ran about 35 blocks
to get to her, constantly phoning her and trying beyond hope to get her to answer
her cell. As I ran, I looked up at the burning Tower into a surreal scene out
of an awful movie. It appeared like a potato being peeled back. It was terribly
eerie.
Finally
she answered. Later she told me that she had been on an express elevator on
the way to the 78th floor when the elevator smashed back and forth and opened
at around the 10th floor. She later said there was a strong chemical smell and
smoke, and that people were running. Some were crying. Others were running upstairs
to see what was wrong. Not knowing what was going on, Ginamarie ran out of the
building seeing sights no person should ever see. Other people already were
jumping out of windows high in the building. As she got out, she heard another
explosion and debris was flying everywhere. She did not know Tower Two had now
been hit.
After
she and I finally reached each other by phone, we somehow found each other and
cried for what seemed like forever thanking God that we were able to find each
other and be together. We than realized it was not safe where we were and started
to run away from where the towers were back to where I parked in midtown Manhattan.
We did not get out of the City and back to our apartment until around 4:00 p.m.
Although
September 11 taught us the value of our love and never to take even one minute
for granted, our trials were not yet over. I knew I was in the City that one
day for a reason, and that reason was to make sure Ginamarie was not on her
floor at the time of the first plane. I was there for her and knew she was there
for me.
On
November 16, I suffered a seizure and found I had a brain tumor. I had surgery
December 4th and went through 6 weeks of radiation through February. Ginamarie
was there every step of the way, going out of her way to be there during the
surgery and driving me every day for 6 weeks to radiation. Were it not for her,
I’m not sure I would have recovered as fast as I did. She was there for
me during my tumor just as I was there for her on September 11.
Now
that the trauma of 2001 is over, our relationship is stronger than ever. I know
we have gone through more in a six-month span than most people go through in
a lifetime.
Enjoy
each day you are here, and love your significant other. As long as you have
your health, family, and friends, everything else will work itself out. Thank
you Ginamarie.
---Scott
NOTE: Scott and Ginamarie were married a couple of years later and are now living in Arizona.
(Originally, I [Jeff] had written the below article based on early info from Scott...)
After a day like the United States experienced today, happiness comes in the form of small miracles.
My younger son's girlfriend works on the 77th floor of the World Trade Center in Manhattan, in the tower hit by the first jet today. Usually, she gets there by taking a bus from New Jersey and is in her office at 8 a.m.
Today, my son had business in Manhattan and drove her to a subway in mid-town, from which she headed for work. They ran late. She walked into the World Trade center and headed for the elevator and her 77th floor office. The elevator stopped at about the tenth floor. Something was wrong. She and the others on that elevator got out. She rushed downstairs, finally got out of the building and heard "some kind of explosion" apparently from the next tower, and ran like hell. She ran through debris, ash, and smoke, with thousands of other fleeing people, thinking the problem was "only" a big fire in the building's upper stories. She kept hearing more explosions as she ran in high-heels for many blocks.
Meanwhile, my son heard what had really happened and bolted from his business meeting in midtown Manhattan and was running toward lower Manhattan, thinking she was on the 77th floor. She was still running north, away from the complex, pounding her cell phone and trying to get it to wake up. Finally it did and she sent my son this cryptic text message: "I'm OK."
An eternity later, they found each other. Many thousands of others apparently were not so lucky.
I am donating blood. I admit it's been a while. I urge every reader -- you -- to plan to do the same. Call your local hospital or the Red Cross to find out where and when. Our prayers are with the survivors, the victims, and the families. Words don't do justice to the depth of our thoughts for them.
Already Internet disaster donation scams are appearing. Please donate directly to organizations you know are real, like the Red Cross, and not to unfamiliar self-appointed relief center scams.
To give directly to the American Red Cross, visit their site here.
The entertainment benefit broadcast of Friday, September 21, funds from which go to the United Way for disbursement in disaster relief, accepts contributions through www.tributetoheroes.org . The September 11 Fund accepts donations by mail at P. O. Box 203103, Houston, TX 77216.
To see a striking visual and hear the music, "Proud to be an American," click here. (Everyone should see this.)
Thanks for reading this. To see my site, please click the link below.
Updated September 10, 2009