Sept 11, 2001 - 20 Years Later

September 10, 2021

This Saturday marks 20 years since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon, and Flight 93 in Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 innocent people lost their lives on the morning of September 11, 2001 and many more, including first responders, have died from health complications in the years following the attacks. September 11th remains one of the darkest and deadliest days in U.S. history.  

Each year as I reflect on the memory of September 11th, it’s a stark reminder of how life can change in a flash.
 
That day I left my home in Branford before sunrise and arrived in downtown NYC, just a couple of blocks away from the Twin Towers. My husband was also traveling for work in D.C. and arrived early at the Jefferson Memorial, nearby the Pentagon. My brother, who worked for us, was on location in midtown Manhattan. The three of us closer to the events that unfolded that day, than we could ever have imagined when we crawled out of bed that early morning.
 
From the 26th floor of John Street, and even with the blinds and windows closed, the loud noise of the plane hitting was sudden, putting an abrupt stop to our work as we wondered what happened.  Then came the wailing sirens piercing through the usual early morning din of the city.  Everyone was in complete shock and unsure what to say and how to behave. We were torn between watching it unfold in front of our eyes and looking to the news coverage on TV for answers. Many of us chose to turn away from the horror of what was happening outside our window of the high rise that morning.   Our focus immediately turned to reaching out to our family members to let them know that we were okay. After what seemed like hours of trying to find a phone connection, we were able to tell our sister-in-law home in CT that we were safe and to let other family know.

Sadly, it wasn’t the same for thousands of people. Our family was more fortunate than many others that day, and for that we are thankful. So many innocent victims just showing up for their jobs, like we were, that did not make it home that night. The first responders that arrived to a devastating scene and yet continued on in an effort to help others. Many of them lost their lives that day and some others who we lost because of health complications from exposure during recovery efforts at Ground Zero.  Each year when the anniversary of 9/11 comes around, I take the time to consider how thankful my family and I are, and take the time to think about those we lost to this unnecessary event. These memories are a reminder for me of the fragility of life.

I hope you will join Branford’s September 11th Remembrance Ceremony at 8:30am on the Branford Town Green to honor those that we lost and those that were there for us that day.