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Published: April 28th 2012
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When we travelled through New York earlier this month on our way to Philadelphia we caught our first glimpse of the skyline without the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre. It was April 2001 when we were last in NYC and had stood at the foot of them marvelling in the architecture. Everybody came to see the buildings as part of their trip and the Staten Island commuter ferry was always full of tourists taking photos of the towers that stood tall at the end of Manhattan. Of course we are all aware of what happened on September 11, 2001 – in fact those of us old enough will remember exactly where we were or what we were doing at the moment we heard the news that America was under attack. We were living in the UK and I will never forget our friend Martin’s face as he walked across to us and told us the news – the size and scale of the events on TV were hard to comprehend. All I knew was that the world and New York was going to be a very different place.
In the nearly 11 years that have now elapsed since
that day the area affected has been transformed and is the reason that we visited the 9/11 Memorial made in the footprint of the WTC buildings and surrounds. We chose to do a walking tour that is available through a group of friends and family of 9/11. In hindsight it was the best choice we made – emotional yes, but a wonderful way to really appreciate the Memorial. I could not recommend it enough.
They have a museum full of artefacts and personal memories of the day. It also gives you an insight to how the WTC was made and how it became such an integral part of the Manhattan area. These were towers that rose a near ¼ mile off the ground, had 43600 windows, had lifts that could go from the lobby to the 107
th in 60 seconds and floors an acre in size. To construct them they had to excavate to 70 feet and solid bedrock – and then construct a solid wall around the hole to ensure the Hudson River never burst through. An engineering success that proved its worth on 9/11 as it did not break even with all that debris collapsing into it.
It would have been catastrophic if it had failed as the entire New York subway system would have been flooded. The museum tells you the stories of companies like Cantor Fitzgerald that lost 658 out of 960 staff on that day and the personal stories of those who were lost. They put tissues around the rooms and when faced with the wall of remembrance it is hard not to get emotional – it takes 4 ½ hours for the names of the victims to be read through.
Our walking tour was around one and a half hours. It was done by two guides, Pete and Pat. They were outstanding. They took us onto the Memorial (security is airport style) and we were all wired up with earpieces so that we could listen to them speak and actually fan out a bit. Pete had worked in the WTC for the Port Authority since the buildings were built in the late 60s. He was there in 2001 and he was there in 1993 when the unsuccessful first attack took place. We often forget that using a massive car bomb terrorists had conceived a plan that would blow up the first tower
and that would topple into the second – thankfully their ’93 plan failed but it did leave six dead and a hole six stories deep beneath the tower and cost over half a billion to repair. He told us where we were standing and compared then to now. It is a wonderful tribute to all those lost. Half of the 16 acre site has been dedicated to remembering with the other eight acres being rebuilt. Trees have been planted that over time will transform this bit of NYC into a park. In the footprints of the two towers are large deep pools with water cascading down the sides and then disappearing into an abyss. The names of all the victims from 9/11 including United Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, the Pentagon and the 1993 bombing are etched into dark granite panels that bound these pools. It is a memorial and it is also sacred ground. I was stunned that nearly 40% of the people lost that day have never been found – our guide did not want to go to the South Tower pool for that reason.
As soon as Pat spoke the words “my son was a fireman” I knew her story was going to be emotional. I was not wrong. I challenge anyone to stand under the trees at the base of the former WTC and listen to a mother tell her story from that day and not well up. I was glad I had my sunglasses on. Her son Tom was Rescue 3 and was about to come off shift at 9am after working the night; that never happened and he found himself at the WTC. Pat was a nurse watching the events unfold on the TV but also a mother who did not know Tom was there but thought that it was highly likely. Her other son Danny was also a fireman and she knew he was there. Sadly Tom did not come home from work that day. For ten days they remained on or near the site hoping that his body would be found. In what can only be deemed a miracle her husband scanned the rubble with binoculars hoping to see “something” - he spied a Rescue 3 helmet and when they were able to investigate the spot and found Tom’s body. As she said they were so thankful to be able to take him home and felt very lucky that someone from his own family found him. To listen to this put a personal touch to the entire Memorial – it was so worth doing. There is a story for every victim but we heard Tom’s story. Tom sounded a great guy. He loved his work as a fireman, was a rodeo champion, a dare devil, a cowboy at heart, rode his Harley and loved a party. I chatted with his mother at the end and told her I would have a drink for him later – she said he’d like that! So I did.
The Memorial is far from complete – in fact with financial concerns and construction delays the end point keeps getting pushed back. The large museum is expected to be open within the year. There are over 3000 construction workers on the site. One World Trade Centre is nearly topped off and when it is completed will stand 1776 feet above NYC; this is the largest of the buildings. Beneath the park is a transport hub for the subway and buses – this is state of the art infrastructure to allow Manhattan to get back to the way it used to be.
New York has not stopped. It still bustles. People still race about doing their daily jobs. Cars and taxis still crowd the streets. The smells of the city still permeate your senses. The sidewalks are still full of the vendors selling their wares. The noise of the city is still there. New York is New York – there is nothing to compare it to even after our many weeks crossing the States. However, to me the 9/11 Memorial has taken a little bit of NYC and very carefully acknowledged and remembered those who died while rebuilding the much needed commercial structures to show that the city can re-establish itself and regrow. It has taken nearly ten years but in my opinion they have got the balance right. Show the world that NYC is back but tell the stories of those who died so we can remember.
As Pat said – it allows them to continue living and I guess that is what Tom would have wanted.
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Moving tribute. Thanks for a first hand account of your second visit. I was engrossed and only the smell of burning toast took me out of your blog/. We only remember the pre 9/11 towers but your personal feelings and what is obviously an amazing architectural tribute to that day that has resulted in a new New York. Americans can do it so well. Perhaps Banksie could do a sabbatical there? He is in deep dung in a story that gets worse by the day. Until we catch up on June 2 stay well. I have a VW Passat for the Manchester 8 days. Love to you both. Awaiting the pblication of the first novel! Your writing is great.