Quote:
Originally Posted by em_adpi
I visited Ground Zero during my trip to NYC for Christmas 2007. Words cannot express what I felt standing there, remembering my last trip to NYC in 1997. I remember driving by the WTC and asking to go up to the Observation Deck, but my mom said we would go the next time we were there. Little did we know that it would be another 10 years or that they would be gone.
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I have family in NY so NYC has always had a special place in my life. I actually had the pleasure of going up to the Observation Deck many years ago. It truly was an amazing experience.
On the day of the attack, I was in high school. I could tell something serious happened, but the faculty was instructed to not discuss it and to carry on with our lessons. On my way home (which was a 2 hour commute) I heard bits and pieces of what happened. I lived by Miami International Airport (busy place, lots of traffic in that area) and it was very quiet all day. (I think it was another week before they permitted aircraft to fly from MIA. I remember watching the first flight leave from MIA, eight years later.) By the time I got home at 6pm, the news was buzzing with all kinds of info on the events.
When I watched the footage of the planes crashing into the tower, my mouth dropped. But when I saw the towers fall, my heart stopped and I got dizzy. I had to sit down and watch the rest of footage through tears because I could not look away. My dad frequently has business in NYC, but attempts to get in touch with him were not successful. It was another day before I found out he was ok.
I visited Ground Zero Christmas 2002, shortly after they finished clearing the debris. My dad and I spent 2 hours there looking at this giant hole in the ground and thinking about the people who died because they enjoy freedom, the firefighters, paramedics, policemen/women, etc etc. I also spent time at St. Paul's Chapel where the iron gates where still covered with flowers, missing persons fliers, letters to people who died, FDNY shirts, pictures, etc etc. It was a rough trip.
I was in NY again early August and I saw the construction on the Freedom Tower and the Bell of Hope at St. Paul's.
The loss of life that day is incredible, but the city's and country's ability to rally together and help each other out when it counts is truly outstanding. I will never forget that day, nor will I forget the way our country came together.
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