New York: Remembering 9/11
September 11, 7.30am: ABC Radio replayed answering machine messages
from people trapped in the twin World Trade Towers after the two
aircraft under terrorist control had slammed into them and on impact
turned into fireballs of destruction that was heard around the
world. Their voices told the story.
It was three years ago that four aircraft were hijacked by
terrorists loyal to Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda organization. Two
airliners hit the towers in New York, one crashed into a field in
Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and the fourth hit the Pentagon in
Washington. A total of almost 3,000 died.
It was the day where we all knew where we were and what we were
doing when we first heard of the attacks in what was a beautiful
late summer's day. For most New Yorkers the anniversary of the
attacks is not circled on the 11th day of September on the calendar.
It is with us every day. Life has never been the same since then.
It is still there on September 10 or 12, even mid July. Every day. A
violent, vicious and world-changing attack is something that cannot
be erased quickly. It will be the same tomorrow and the day after
for a long time. How can you forget the images shown on TV of people
waving for help from the burning towers before jumping to escape
what must have been like an inferno, the towers crashing to earth,
the billowing dust and smoke, the emergency vehicles with sirens
blaring, the look of disbelief of people who escaped death and just
wanted to get home and see their families and loved ones, the
fighter jets flying over the city all day, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani
emerging as a leader in crisis and now known as the nation's mayor?
At one stage he was compared with British Prime Minister Sir Winston
Churchill.
President Bush, who at the time was in the first year of his term,
suddenly found himself facing a crisis of catastrophic proportions
while visiting a group of school children. He firmly took control of
the reins and led the country through an incredibly difficult
period, which is not yet over. When he addressed the nation from the
Oval Office on the night of September 11 we all seemed to feel
safer.
There were also the unforgettable sights of people placing flyers
all over the city of photographs and descriptions of family and
friends who were missing.
This diverse, loud and aggressive city quickly got quiet, polite and
merged as one and formed a bond. We're in this together could have
been the slogan. Slowly it is changing. New York is gradually
getting aggressive, abrasive and loud. But we are still healing from
the after affects of 9/11 - emotionally, physically, mentally and
financially. It will take time. It is still with us every day.
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