We Must Never Forget September 11, 2001

We must never ever forget what happened to This Great Nation on September 11, 2001, a day filled with loss, fear and anger.

I want to post two emails (unedited) that I sent to friends and family back then, one around noon on 9/11/01 and the other on the next day:

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Subject: September 11 - I am OK - NYC Under Siege

Date: Tuesday, September 11, 2001 @ 12:07PM

From: Wanjr

To: Internet and Snail Mail List

Hi:

Thanks for the emails. I am OK.

NYC is presently in an under-siege mode. I have just gotten back from the grocery store to put in supplies. It reminds me of Fla. just after a hurricane warning. On the corner of 51st and 2nd Ave. looking south you can see the dense smoke downtown. All mass transit is shut down. Manhattan is isolated now, no transportation in or out of the city. A steady stream of people walking uptown. It is scary and very emotional out on the street. Not sure how long my internet connection will stay up. On the TV they just announced that the police now want to clear the streets in Manhattan.

You know, I feel personally violated and very emotional about this whole thing right now - will keep you all advised.

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Subject: September 12 - Thank You Dear Friends

Date: Wednesday, September 12, 2001 @ 02:09PM

From: Wanjr

To: Internet and Snail Mail List

My dear friends:

The email and calls have helped me during a most difficult time - thank you my dear friends.

Like hundreds and thousands of New Yorkers I went to bed very late last night and awoke this morning very early. When I opened the door to get the 3 daily newspapers there was nothing so I dressed and went to the newsstand and only The Post and The Daily News were available - no New York Times. At 7:30am very few people were on the streets and there was almost no traffic. Was able to get a Post and a News, but no Times.

I feel very very unsettled and more emotional than I expected I would be, partly, I think, because I had such a link with the World Trade Center area. As many of you know, the beginning of the Norris Downtown Tour is the World Trade Center and its outside plaza. On Tuesdays the 1/2 TKTS booth offers advance tickets to Wednesday matinees and I had planned to go down there later in the day to get a matinee ticket, but I wouldn't have been there until noon or later.

I can understand the concept of the buildings being damaged, but the fact that they no longer exist is beyond my comprehension.

I felt so restless that I just had to get out of the apartment so I decided that I would take the subway up to Yankee stadium to swap my last night game ticket for the game tonight. It would be something to do, a distraction perhaps. The streets in the neighborhood were still virtually empty. On the way to the subway entrance you pass a Fire Department station and as I was walking past I observed groups of fireman still in dust covered gear washing each other with fire hoses. Their trucks and other equipment were covered with dust and soot. According to TV reports the fire department sustained major casualties yesterday when the buildings collapsed. I got tears in my eyes as I walked past and then I turned around and hollered ..... God bless you guys .... and several guys waved back. I cried and I am not ashamed to admit it.

I collected myself and got on the train. The subway was about 25% full. No one, and I mean no one, was talking even those who were traveling with someone. When I got to Yankee Stadium none of the businesses that border the stadium were open. The stadium was cordoned off with yellow tape and there was a very visible police presence. I asked the police officers about tonight's game and they said that the remaining games for the week had been canceled. I am not surprised. I came back to the apartment and the subways downtown were the same as the uptown ones with the exception that almost everyone was reading either the Post or the News - still no sign of The Times.

Reading between the lines from all of the local coverage I believe that the final death toll will be horrific. The scope of the physical damage is beyond description, the most often used phrase is ...... this looks like a war zone.

I don't know why I am writing this or even if I will send it.

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We must never ever forget 9/11/01

Bill