9/11/2001 (#212, Topic D)

At about 9 am on 9/11/01, our son called from NYC. "Is your TV on?" "No" -- I was busy writing about a research project, and did not bother to turn on the TV. "Please turn it on; the World Trade Center is on fire," he said. I turned the TV on, just in time to see the second World Trade Center being hit by another airplane. It came down at an angle approximating 45 degrees; the point of impact appeared to be about one-third from the top of this high-rise. Fire broke out immediately; soon, the building began to collapse. At that time, I recalled reading, from the papers, a Congressional testimony to the effect that, were the WTC hit between 80th and 120th floors, the whole building would collapse. The airplane appeared to be doing just that, and the end result was exactly what had been predicted. Thinking back, I wonder why such critical information was so publicly disclosed. At one time, my son worked in a financial institution that occupied a couples of floors above 130th of one of the WTC towers. More interested in non-profit organizations, after a few years, he resigned to become the executive director of a small NP. His new office was merely a block and half from the WTC, so, on that day, he saw these first-hand. Our son told us that all staff members of this financial institution -- his ex-colleagues -- perished, perhaps unnecessarily. This was because, after the first tower was hit, these staff members, occupying the second tower, came down safely. Sensing that their building was unaffected, their managers urged the staff to return to work -- just in time to be hit by the second airplane. Our son mentioned that, for the several months following, he was busy attending funeral services of many of his ex-colleagues, which, needless to say, affected him adversely. But, for us, his dad and mom, we are lucky to see him safe and sound. Were he with that financial institution, he probably would incur the same fate accorded his ex-colleagues. What a narrow escape!