Going there today still has a somber mood that can bring you to tears. Even after seven years have passed, the stories, memorials, pictures, and letters and quotes make it seem like it was yesterday. Your heart grieves for the families and friends that lost someone, and you are inspired by the uniformed services that offered their lives to save others.
John Henderson works at the Tribute WTC Visitor Center as a tour guide gave a heartfelt tour this morning. He took the group to the firefighter memorial first at the south side of the area and then moved on to the actual construction site. Looking at all of the new buildings and the plan set in place for the area makes you question how it will all turn out.
Occasionally Henderson would stop at sites around the devastation and let us look on while he told stories of people that survived the attacks and those that didn’t survive. It was heartbreaking to hear how some people just didn’t have the luck to get out while others were given a chance to escape.
Statistically, about 21,000 remains were found: 11,000 of which are unidentified. Fewer than 200 bodies were found intact. Those statistics aren’t the best to hear and add to the chilling effect of the attacks.
After the tour, Manny Papir, a 9/11 survivor, spoke about what his experience was like. At the time he actually worked for Mayor Giuliani as his personal assistant. From Brooklyn he could smell the towers burning, but after reaching the area and staying there so long, he lost all senses except for sight.
His experience is only that he saw. He watched both towers fall, and ran to help with the evacuations. His life was affected through the experiences of others because he was close to many people who lost someone.
9/11 remains in our memory. Even thought the impact might subside over time, it will always define our generation.
1 comment:
Wow, this sounds really moving. Where are these ruins? Wasn't everything cleaned up? And how do I get to go on one of these tours?
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