It is hard for me to believe that we are coming upon the 10-year anniversary of September 11, 2001. A day I don’t imagine any of us will ever forget. It was one of those moments where you also remember exactly what you were doing. My mom had told me she felt the same way about the day John F. Kennedy had been shot. And just like us in our September 11 horror, she said the nation was glued to their TVs for any and all updates.
One distinct moment that really stands out for me is while I was viewing the burning of the first building, which I thought was a horrible aviation accident, we were told about the pentagon. When I heard this, I knew we were under some type of attacks, but the moment I stood in front of my TV and witnessed the second plane hitting the second tower, the feelings of being certain that we were under attack are indescribable. My mind raced and my next thought was my kids. I questioned if I should go get my kids from school and bring them home with me. Looking back it seems my mind was asking a thousand questions while still trying to comprehend what I was seeing on my TV. The moment those two massive buildings just crumbled was like a second jolt of horror and the jolts just kept piling on top of us.
For me personally when I come across pictures of that morning, my emotions still rise quickly and then heavy sadness. To be honest, I don’t seek out documentaries, books, reports, etc about that day and the days after. This is one moment in our history that I do not want to revisit. I don’t mean that in reference to remembering those who died, I mean in reference to study, analysis, and horrible details.
On that day and for about 3 days after, I was glued to the TV. I lost sleep and other things just seem to fall to the wayside without much effort. After about 3 days, the scenes were even going through my mind when I did get to sleep. I realized I needed to unplug. I was so overwhelmed and I felt useless as well. When firemen would line up to honor those who had been found and were now coming out of the rubble in a black bag, I’d cry. I was crying too much. To hear and even see scenes of firefighters and police officers going into the buildings others are desperately trying to leave would set me crying.
I realized that my kids needed to be unplugged also. I even made an official announcement to them, saying we are going to turn it off for a few days. I never heard any complaints. At that time my son was 12 and my daughter was 15. They would come home and tell me about conversations from teachers and students in the days following 9-11. 
Today I read a headline that instantly caught my attention: Twin Towers Steel Rise Again. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is giving away massive steel beams and other steel artifacts that were once part of the North and South towers.
I read that an outpouring of requests from school and fire departments across the country and even across the world, were flooding into the Port Authority. The agency that built the twin towers decided to release 15,000 linear feet of steel that was removed from Ground Zero. Out of 1,500 requests, not only the Port Authority but also a Federal Court Judge in Manhattan approved 1,083.
I read that each and every piece of steel and artifacts is evidence of a crime. Bill Baroni, Port Authority deputy executive director, explained that the approval process included making sure the pieces were going to be publicly displayed and open to the public. They also wanted to ensure that each piece was treated with respect and dignity. Police officers, firefighters, and politicians across the country have been picking up their pieces of steel in Hangar 17 at the J.F.K airport. Hangar 17 is where all of it has been stored since 2001. These people often arrive with police or fire truck escorts. Each piece is draped with an American Flag just as you would for a fallen hero.
Some of them interviewed stated they had to work on keeping their composure and focus on remembering and moving forward. Some pieces have already made their destination. Hillard, Ohio and Grand Junction, Colorado are just a couple.
It has been noted that when the steel is spotted on the back of flat bed trucks, people stop in respect. Service members salute and parents explain the significance of the massive steel beams to children who are not yet 10 years old. What an honor for the truck drivers who get to transport these artifacts.
I can’t imagine having lost someone in such a horrible way. I think to see these beams and artifacts being preserved in this way have to be seen as positive. I hope so. It is unfortunately a part of our history. The words Never Forget also come with each steel beam.
If you ever get a chance to visit such a memorial please tell us about it. I hope you are having a good week, take care and stay safe,
KJ
If you liked that post, then try these...
No comments:
Post a Comment