September 11, 2001 Remembered

September 11, 2001 - Tuesday morning do you remember where you were and what you were doing at the moment that our lives in the United States came to a halt?
Things has changed forever since that fateful day.
Changes that will never be the same.
Of course we say these changes were all for the best but never the less some changes may have not been.
We now no longer live in a country of the free, but we live in a country of what will happen next.

What are we allowed to do.

I remember that fateful day as it was yesterday.
I was living in Robeson County, North Carolina. I had just gotten off the phone to my daughter that was living in Fort Bragg, North Carolina with her husband whom was in the Army and my grand daughter who was only 2 yrs of age at the time.

We had our normal morning talk and I had just started cleaning house. I usually put on some music but for some reason I turned the T.V. on in the dayroom as I cleaned.

That’s when the news channel was interrupted by the announcer saying something had happen to the Twin Towers in New York City.
Something about a plane flying into one of the towers.

Then moments after the lives changed in our safe and perfect world.
My knees buckled and I just sat down where I was standing it was as if everything had just stopped moving.
I reached for my phone but at this time even where I lived the phone line were now busy and you couldn’t get a phone call out.


And this is how the disaster began to unfold at 8:48 am., that’s when American Airlines Flight 11, carrying 92 people from Boston to Los Angeles, crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, the landmark glass and steel complex at the southern tip of Manhattan that provided office space for 50,000 workers.


That’s where Islamic militants had detonated a bomb there in 1993, killing 6 people that was 8 years prior. That’s when yesterday’s terrorism turned out to be far worse.

Eighteen minutes later, United Airlines Flight 175, carrying 65 people on the same Boston to Los Angeles route, tore through the South Tower with even a larger explosion.







The collisions shrouded New York’s helter-skelter financial district in pallid ash and smoke, and created mass pandemonium inside and outside of the towers.
Workers were screaming, and running for the stairways, gasping for air.
Several of them began leaping to their own deaths from the upper floors.


But even with this going on the scene soon shifted from the America’s financial Mecca to it’s very own military fortress.

At about 9:40 am, American Airlines Flight 77, carrying 64 people from Dulles to Los Angeles, barreled into the west wing of the Pentagon in yet another fiery collision, destroying at least four of the five rings that encircle the world’s largest office building.
I remember when the Pentagon spokesman calling the casualties “extensive,” and although it was clearly not as extensive as New York’s.


Then the Federal Aviation Administration came on the network saying they were promptly banning takeoffs nationwide, and ordered domestic flights to land at the nearest airport and diverted international flights to Canada.

But that's when the officials soon confirmed that a fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, carrying 45 people from Newark to San Francisco, had crashed in Shanksville, Pa.

It had been hijacked as well and one passenger had called 911 from a cell phone.
It had been heading towards Washington when it went down

Then the reports went back to the World Trade Center.
Shortly before 10:00 am, the South Tower collapsed with an earthshaking roar. Smoke replaced steel as if the building had suddenly imploded.
A half hour later, the North Tower collapsed.
The mayor at the time Rudolph Giulani publicly urged New Yorker’s to stay calm and stay put unless they happen to be below Canal Street in the lower Manhattan area.



Trade Center as Flight 11, a Los Angeles bound jet was hijacked after takeoff from Boston with 92 people aboard, and Flight 77, which was seized while carrying 64 people from Washington to Los Angeles.
In Pennsylvania, United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757 in route from Newark, N.J. to San Francisco, crashed about 80 miles southeast of Pittsburgh with 45 people aboard.
United said another of it’s planes, Flight 175, A Boeing 767 bound from Boston to Los Angeles with 65 people on board, also crashed, but it did not say where.
And the fate of those aboard the two planes were not yet know

An emergency dispatcher in Westmoreland County, Pa. received a cell phone call at 9:58 am, from a man who said he was a passenger locked in the bathroom of the United Flight 93.
“We are being hijacked, we are being hijacked.”
The man told dispatchers the plane was going down, that he heard some sort of explosion and saw white smoke coming from the plane, and then they lost contact with him.
Evacuations were ordered at the United Nations in New York and at the Sears Towers in Chicago.
Los Angeles mobilized it’s anti-terrorism division, and security was intensified around the naval installations in Hampton Roads, Va.
Even Walt Disney World in Orlando Fl, was evacuated.


At the World Trade Center Mike Smith, a fire marshal was saying “everyone is screaming and crying and running. Everyone cops, people, firefighters it’s like a war zone here…”
A woman named Jennifer Brickhouse from Union N.J. was going up the escalator into the World Trade Center said she heard this big boom. “All this stuff started falling and all this smoke was coming out.” “People were screaming, falling, and jumping out of the windows from high in the sky.”
Nearby crowed roads laid with dust and dirt flying everywhere. The planes blasted fiery gaping holes in the upper floors of the Twin Towers.
















Later the lower Manhattan lay in heaps of gray rubble and broken glass. And the death toll on the crashed planes alone would surpass that of the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995, which claimed 168 lives in what was the deadiest act of terrorism on U.S. soil.

I remember so well but how many people now remember what they were doing on that day the world actually stood still for the day.
The firefighters of 9-11 they saved a lot of people at the expense of lives lost in there fire houses.












The pictures that came across the networks of these men and women that left their families that morning to got to work.
Now they stood in a war zone going through the scrap pieces looking for not just survivors but even their own.
It’s these men and women the firefighters, and the police officers, that we called our hero’s then that we now today fail to remember that gave everything they had to save another human life something they did everyday of their work lives.

We now have let drift into the back of our minds.
It’s become away of life now all the security we have to go through at airports and other major transportations. But to what extent has this come from? What price was paid?

These men and women were trained to do a job.
But no type of training could have prepared anyone for what happened on this day.







71 law enforcement officers, 343 New York City Firefighters, 1 Jersey City, New Jersey, firefighter and over 3,000 civilians were killed at the World Trade Center. Placing the safety of others before their own, law enforcement officers among with fire and EMS personal rushed to the burning Twin Towers of the World Trade Center to aid their fellow New Yorkers and to lead them to safety. It is estimated that because of their work 25,000 people were saved.



"Even though you were taken away from your Families, Friends, Co-Workers and all the lives you have touched.”

I hope each and everyone of us can say

“ You will always stay within our Hearts, Prayers, & Thoughts for ever!”






















"The NYPD Wall of Heroes as follows"

Sergeant John Coughlin
Police Officer John Dallara
Police Officer Vincent Danz
Police Officer Jerome Dominguez
Sergeant Michael Curtin
Police Officer Stephen Driscoll
Police Officer Mark Ellis
Police Officer Robert Fazio
Sergeant Rodney Gillis
Police Officer Ronald Kloepfr
Police Officer Thomas Langone
Police Officer James Leahy
Police Officer Brian McDonnell
Police Officer John Perry
Police Officer Glen Prettit
Detective Claude Richards
Sergeant Timothy Roy
Police Officer Moira Smith
Police Officer Ramon Suarez
Police Officer Paul Talty
Police Officer Santos Valentin
Police Officer Walter Weaver
Detective Joseph Vigiano


"Honoring the Rescuers Those Who Answered the Call"

Joseph Agnello, Lad. 118
Lt. Brian Aheam, Bat. 13
Eric Allen, Sqd. 18 (Deceased)
Richard Allen, Lad. 15
Capt. James Amato, Sqd. 1
Calixto Anaya Jr., Eng. 4
Joseph Angelini, Res. 1 (Deceased)
Joseph Angelini Jr., Lad 4
Faustino Apostol Jr., Bat. 2
David Arce, Eng. 33
Louis Arena, Lad. 5 (Deceased)
Carl Asaro, Bat. 9
Lt. Gregg Atlas, Eng. 10
Gerald Atwood, Lad. 21
Gerald Baptiste, Lad. 9
A.C. Gerard Barbara, Cmd. Ctr.
Matthew Barnes, Lad. 25
Lt. Steven Bates, Eng. 235
Arthur Barry, Lad. 15
Peter Bielfeld, Lad. 42
Carl Bedigian, Eng 214
Stephen Belson, Bat 7
John Bergin, Res. 5
Paul Beyer, Eng. 6
Brain Bilcher, Sqd. 1
Carl Bini. Res. 5
Christopher Blackwell, Res. 3
Michael Bocchino, Bat. 48
Frank Bonomo, Eng. 230
Gary Box, Sqd. 1
Michael Boyle, Eng. 33
Kevin Bracken, Eng. 40
Michael Brennan, Lad. 4
Peter Brennan, Res. 4
Capt. Daniel Brethel, Lad. 24 (Deceased)
Andrew Brunn, Lad. 5 (Deceased)
Greg Buck, Eng. 201
Capt Vincent Brunton, Lad. 105
F.M. Ronald Buca
Capt. William Burke Jr., Eng 21
John Burnside, Lad. 20
Capt. Patrick Brown, Lad.3
A.C.. Donald Burns, Cmd. Ctr.
Capt. Frank Callahan, Lad. 35
Dennis Carey, Hmc. 1
Michael Cammarata, Lad. 11
Brian Cannizzaro, Lad. 101
Michael Carlo, Eng. 230
Michael Carroll, Lad. 3
Peter Carroll, Sqd. 1 (Deceased)
Thomas Casoria, Eng. 22
Michael Cawley, Lad. 136
Vernon Cherry, Lad. 118
Nicholas Chiofalo, Eng. 235
John Chipura, Eng. 219
Michael Clarke, Lad. 2
Steven Coakley, Eng. 217
Tarel Coleman, Sqd. 252
John Collins, Lad. 25
Robert Cordice, Sqd. 1
Ruben Correa, Eng. 74
James Coyle, Lad. 3
Robert Crawford, Safety
Lt. John Crisci, H.M.
B.C. Dennis Cross, Bat. 57(Deceased)
Thomas Cullen 111, Sqd. 41
Robert Curatolo, Lad. 16 (Deceased)
Lt. Edward D’Atri, Sqd. 1
Michael D’Auria, Eng. 40
Scott Davidson, Lad. 118
Edward Day, Lad. 11
B.C. Thomas DeAngelis, Bat. 8
Manuel Delvalle, Eng. 5
Martin DeMeo, H.M. 1
David DeRubbio, Eng. 226
Lt. Andrew Desperito, Eng. 1 (Deceased)
B.C. Dennis Devlin, Bat. 9
Gerard Dewan, Lad. 3
George DiPasquale, Lad. 2
Lt. Kevin Donnelly, Lad. 3
Lt. Kevin Dowdell, Res. 4
B.C. Raymond Downey, Soc.
Gerard Duffy, Lad. 21
Michael Elferis, Eng 22
Capt. Martin Egan Jr., Div.15 (Deceased)
Francis Esposito, Eng. 235
Lt. Michael Esposito, Sqd. 1
Robert Evans, Eng. 33
B.C. John Fanning, H.O.
Capt. Thomas Farino, Eng. 26
Terrence Farrell, Res. 4
Capt Joseph Farrelly, Div. 1
Dep. Comm. William Feehan, (Deceased)
Lee Fehling, Eng.235
Alan Feinberg, Bat. 9
Michael Fiore, Res. 5
Lt. John Fischer, Lad. 20
Andre Fletcher, Res. 5
John Florio, Eng. 214
Lt. Michael Fodor, Lad. 21
Thomas Foley, Res.3
David Fontana, Sqd. 1
Robert Foti, Lad. 7
Andrew Fredericks, Sqd. 18
Lt. Peter Freund, Eng. 55
Thomas Gambino Jr., Res 3
Lt. Charles Garbarini, Bat 9
Chief of Dept. Peter Ganci Jr., (Deceased)
Matthew Garvey, Sqd.1
Bruce Gary, Eng. 40
Gary Geidel, Res.1
B.C. Edward Gaeraghty, Bat. 9
Dennis Germain, Lad. 2
Lt. Vincent Giamona, Lad. 5
James Giberson, Lad.35
Ronnie Giles, Sqd. 288
Paul Gill, Eng. 54
Lt. John Ginley, Eng. 40
Jeffrey Giordano, Lad. 3
John Giordano, Hmc. 1
Keith Giascoe, Lad. 21
James Gray, Lad. 20
B.C. Joseph Grzelak, Bat. 48
Jose Guadalupe, Eng. 54
Lt. Geoffrey Guja, Bat.43
Lt. Joseph Gullickson, Lad. 101
David Halderman, Sqd. 18
Lt. Vincent Halloran, Lad. 8
Robert Hamilton, Sqd. 41
Thomas Hannafin, Lad. 5
Sean Hanley, Lad. 20 (Deceased)
Dana Hannon, Eng. 26
Daniel Harlin, Lad 2
Lt, Harvey Harrell, Res. 5
Lt. Stephen Harrell, Bat. 7
Capt. Thomas Haskell Jr., Div. 15
Capt. Terence Hatton, Res.1
Timothy Haskell, Sqd.18 (Deceased)
Michael Haub, Lad. 4
Lt. Michael Healey, Sqd. 41
John Heffeman, Lad.11
Ronnie Henderson, Eng. 279
Joseph Henry, Lad. 21
Thomas Hetzel, Lad. 13
William Henry, Res. 1 (Deceased)
Capt. Brain Hickey, Res. 4
Lt. Timothy Higgins, S.O.C.
Jonathan Hohmann, Hmc. 1
Thomas Holohan, Eng. 6
Capt. Walter Hynes, Lad.13 (Deceased)
Joseph Hunter, Sqd. 288
Jonathan Ielpi, Sqd. 288
Capt. Frederick Ill Jr., Lad.2
William Johnston, Eng. 6
Andrew Jordan, Lad. 132
Karl Joseph, Eng. 207
Lt. Anthony Jovic, Bat. 47
Angel Juarbe Jr., Lad. 12
Mychal Judge, Chaplain (Deceased)
Vincent Kane, Eng. 22
B.C. Charles Kasper, S.O.C.
Paul Keating, Lad. 5
Richard Kelly Jr., Lad. 11
Thomas R. Kelly, Lad. 15
Thomas W. Kelly, Lad. 105
Thomas Kennedy, Lad. 101
Lt. Ronald Kerwin, Sqd. 288
Michael Kiefer, Lad. 132
Robert King Jr., Eng. 33
Scott Kopytko, Lad. 15
William Krukowski, Lad. 21
Kenneth Kumpel, Lad. 25
Thomas Kuveikis, Sqd. 252
David LaForge, Lad. 20
William Lake, Res. 2
Robert Lane, Eng. 55
Peter Langone, Sqd. 252
Scott Larsen, Lad. 15
Lt. Joseph Leavey, Lad. 15
Neil Leavy, Eng 217
Daniel Libretti, Res. 2
Carlos Lillo, Paramedic
Robert Linnane, Lad. 20
Michael Lynch, Eng. 40
Michael Lynch, Lad. 4
Michael Lyons, Sqd. 41
Patrick Lyons, Sqd. 252
Joseph Maffeo, Lad 101
William Mahoney, Res. 4
Joseph Maloney, Lad. 3 (Deceased)
Lt. Charles Margiotta, Bat. 22
B.C. Joseph Marchbanks Jr., Bat 12
Kenneth Marino, Res. 1
John Marshall, Eng. 23
Lt. Peter Martin, Res. 2
Lt. Paul Martin, Eng. 23
Joseph Mascali, T.S.U. 2
Keithroy Maynard, Eng. 33
Brain McAleese, Eng. 226
John McAvoy, Lad. 3
Thomas McCann, Bat. 8
Lt. William McGinn, Sqd. 18
Dennis McHugh, Lad. 13
B.C. William McGovern, Bat. 2 (Deceased)
Robert McMahon, Lad. 20
Robert McPadden, Eng 23
Terence McShane, Lad. 101
Timothy McSweeney, Lad. 3
Martin McWilliams, Eng. 22 (Deceased)
Raymond Meisenheimer, Res. 3
Charles Mendez, Lad. 7
Steve Mercado, Eng. 40
Douglas Miller, Res. 5
Henry Miller Jr., Lad. 105
Robert Minara, Lad. 25
Thomas Mingione, Lad. 132
Lt. Paul Mitchell, Bat. 1
Capt. Louis Modafferi, Res. 5
Carl Molonaro, Lad. 2
Lt. Dennis Mojica, Res. 1 (Deceased)
Manuel Mojica, Sqd. 18 (Deceased)
Michael Montesi, Res.1
Capt. Thomas Moody, Div. 1
B.C. John Moran, Bat. 49
Vincent Morello, Lad. 35
Christopher Mozzillo, Eng. 55
Richard Muldowney Jr., Lad 07
Michael Mullan, Lad 12
Dennis Mulligan, Lad 2
Lt. Raymond Murphy, Lad 16
Lt. Robert Nagel, Eng. 58
John Napolitano, Res. 2
Peter Nelson, Res. 4
Gerard Nevins, Res. 1
Dennis O’Berg, Lad. 105
Lt. Daniel O’Callaghan, Lad. 4
Douglas Oelschlager, Lad. 15
Joseph Ogren, Lad. 3
Lt. Thomas O’Hagan, Bat. 4
Samuel Oitice, Lad. 4
Patrick O’Keefe, Res. 1
Capt. William O’Keefe, Div. 15 (Deceased)
Eric Olsen, Lad 15
Jeffery Olsen, Eng 10
Steve Olson, Lad.3
Kevin O’Rourke, Res. 2
Michael Otten, Lad. 35
Jeffery Palazzo, Res. 5
B.C. Orio Palmer, Bat. 7
Frank Palombo, Lad. 105
Paul Pansini, Eng. 10
B.C. John Paolollo, Bat. 11
Robert Parro, Eng. 8
Durell Pearsall, Res. 4
Lt. Glenn Perry, Bat. 12
Lt. Phillip Petti, Bat. 7
Lt. Kevin Pfeifer, Eng. 33
James Pappageorge, Eng. 23
Lt. Kenneth Phelan, Bat 32
Christopher Pickford, Eng. 201
Shawn Powell, Eng 207
Vincent Princiotta, Lad. 7
Kevin Prior, Sqd. 252
Lincoln Quappe, Res. 2
B.C. Richard Prunty, Bat. 2 (Deceased)
Lt. Michael Quilty, Lad. 11
Ricardo Quinn, Paramedic
Leonard Ragaglia, Eng. 54
Michael Ragusa, Eng. 279
Edward Rall, Res. 2
Donald Regan, Res. 3
Lt. Robert Regan, Lad. 118
Christian Regenhard, Lad. 131
Kevin Reilly, Eng. 207
Lt. Vernon Richard, Lad. 7
Joseph Rivelli, Lad. 25
Michael Roberts, Eng. 214
Michael Roberts, Lad. 35
Anthony Rodriguez, Eng. 279
Matthew Rogan, Lad. 11
Adam Rand, Sqd. 288
James Riches, Eng. 4
Nicholas Rossomando, Res. 5
Paul Ruback, Lad. 25
Stephen Russell, Eng. 55
Lt. Michael Russo, S.O.C.
B.C. Matthew Ryan, Bat. 1
Thomas Sabella, Lad. 13
John Santore, Lad.5 (Deceased)
Gregory Saucedo, Lad.5
Dennis Scauso, H.M. 1
John Schardt, Eng. 201
B.C. Fred Scheffold, Bat 12
Gerard Schrang, Res. 3 (Deceased)
Gregory Silkorsky, Sqd. 41
Stephen Siller, Sqd. 1
Stanley Smagala Jr., Eng. 226
Kevin Smith, H.M. 1
Christopher Santora, Eng. 54
Thomas Schoales, Eng. 54
Leon Smith Jr., Lad.118
Robert Spear Jr., Eng. 26
Joseph Spor, Res. 3
B.C. Lawrence Stack, Bat 50
Gregory Stajk, Lad. 13
Capt. Timothy Stackpole, Div. 11 (Deceased)
Jeffery Stark, Eng. 230
Paul Tegtmeier, Eng 4
John Tiemey, Lad. 9
John Tipping 11, Lad. 4
Hector Tirado Jr., Eng. 23
Richard Vanhine, Sqd. 41
Allan Tarasiewicz, Res. 5
Peter Vega, Lad. 118
Lawrence Veling, Eng. 235
John Vigiano 11, Lad. 132
Sergio Villanueva, Lad. 132
Jeffery Walz, Lad 9
Lawrence Virgilio, Sqd. 18 (Deceased)
Lt. Robert Wallace, Eng. 205
Capt. Patrick Waters, S.O.C.
Lt. Michael archola, Lad. 5 (Deceased)
Kenneth Watson, Eng. 214
David Weiss, Res. 1
Michael Weinberg, Eng. 1 (Deceased)
Eugene Whelan, Eng. 230
Edward White, Eng. 230
Mark Whitford, Eng. 23
Timothy Welty, Sqd. 288
Lt. Glenn Wilkinson, Eng. 238 (Deceased)
Capt. David Wooley, Lad. 4
B.C. John Williamson, Bat. 6 (Deceased)
Raymond York, Eng. 285 (Deceased)




Abbreviations:
A.C.- assistant chief; Bat -battalion; B.C.- battalion chief; Cmd Ctr - command center; Div - division; D.C. - division chief; Dep Comm - deputy commissioner; Eng - engine company; F.M. - fire marshall; H.M - hazardous material unit; H.O. - hazardous operations; Lad - ladder company; Sqd - squad; Res - rescue unit.
These are the names that I have found that served during the 9-11 .



Thank you for all you did and all you gave……………………