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Nine years have past since America was attacked. On 9/11/01 I was on my second day of training for a new job at a nursing home 5 minutes from my home. My hometown Atlantic Highlands, NJ is a small old Victorian town. Filled with lots of local history and a stones throw from lower Manhattan. Atlantic Highlands is a 40 minute boat ride to the Financial district. There is a ferry service that operates out of the Atlantic Highlands harbor. People from all over the area use the service. Commuters going to Wall Street, or folks going to the city for the day. The ferry makes Manhattan seem like it's just across the street from the small town that I call home. The view from the Jersey side looking across the water towards the Manhattan skyline is awesome. After 9/11 the holes in the skyline where the towers once stood remind us daily of the innocent lives lost. And looking at the skyline now has lost some of it's awesome beauty. As I said I was on day two of training when the first plane hit the tower, I saw it on TV from a patients room. I knew in an instant we were under attack. I actually walked out of work, told the boss I would be back. I didn't go back. I went directly to get my kids, I took them out of school. When we got back home the small town of Atlantic Highlands was one big traffic jam. Our volunteer first aid squad had reached out to NYFD &NYPD offering the use of the harbor and the ferry boats. This was going to be a means of rescuing people trapped at ground zero. The traffic jam was local (and then some) Doctor's, nurse's, EMT' ers, any person trained to give medical attention to the victims. I was one of the nurse's, and my job was to stay in Jersey and help the victims off the ferry and start a triage system. Doctor's and nurse's were being sent over on the ferry's to help bring victims back to Jersey and get them in hospitals here. NYFD & NYPD met the ferry boats in the middle of the bay to call off the "rescue mission", we were told "there are not any survivors" OH MY GOD!! THAT WAS ALL I COULD SAY. My blood ran cold! By this point both towers were gone and NYFD/NYPD knew the extent of the loss of life. I stayed at the Harbor all night helping folks being brought out of the city via the ferry's. They were displaced because every form of transportation was shut down. We had a haz mat/decon area set up and helped over 1200 people feel a little safer. I WILL NEVER EVER FORGET!! those that died as victims and those that lost their lives to save lives. On a little side note there should not be a Mosque on hollowed ground!! period.
Blessings and love to all those that lost a loved one September 11, 2001.
Marie
9 comments:
My husband and I will never forget what happened on this terrible day. He woke me up at about 10pm. He had been watching the late night news and when we first saw the footage we thought it was a hoax of some kind...what a terrible mistake we made and what a terrible reality it became.
I have been thinking of all of the families and friends who lost loved ones. Lest we forget.
Blessings,
Natasha.
Oh Marie, first I want to thank you for your SERVICE to the human race in helping those in need that horrible day. There are so many stories we never hear about like yours. You were a very brave woman and I am sure your service and loving words were so needed that day. I too agree there should be no mosque there. That place should be a tribute to those who died there.
What you did was nothing short of honorable. You were able to see the horror that this senseless act brought to our world. And now we are all being pushed into something we don't want, and still threatened with more violence if we don't follow thru. Many wonderful people lost their lives that day and we should never forget. Today we honor the fallen and the love the ones left behind, Char
Hi Marie,
Thank you for being there and to be able to help so many desperate souls that day. My heart aches and I cry more with each post that I travel too. The stories become fresh allover again..yes, we will always remember the horror of the hate filled muslims that did this to us. I know it could have just as easily been any other group but the facts remain that it was muslim extremist and we now seeing that even those that have lived there and worshiped there are now insisting on building this mosque near ground zero...do these people have no conscious? Do they not have any respect? NO..it's proof of how different they think and feel about things.
Hi Marie. I came across your blog through Retreat. Even though 9 years have past, the horror of the day never leaves me. My cousin, Dennis Buckley perished that day in Tower 1. My family and I had been on vacation the week before and stood with our backs to the towers. What an awesome sight it was. I came back to NYC three weeks after 9/11 and witnessed the blank skyline in disbelief. How could something so mighty drop like a deck of cards? How could almost 2800 people perish here? As I have said ever since '01, it's as surreal today as the day it happened. 38 years of a life just snuffed out just like that. God bless our Country and you for your compassion on that fateful day. Never forget.
ps: I wrote my story about 9/11 last year on my blog @ http://www.tippystocktonblog.blogspot.com.
Beautiful post and blog..love your rosettes..
Thank you Happy Pink Saturday
I agree, Marie. Someone is pushing the envelope and trampling all over decency and reverence for those so brutally murdered and their living loved ones...perhaps just for attention? or to prove some point? I don't know - but, it is pouring salt on an open wound. How dumb can we be (those who say "it should be allowed" ). Sad, so sad.
I will never forget that day either. Your amazing experience brought tears to my eyes. I watched the specials, I cry all over. And pray.
Love
Marcie
Thank you so much for sharing . I too couldn't wait for my daughter to get home. Unlike you being close to New York, we should have felt that we were safe up here in Maine. But fear took hold and as a mom, I just wanted to hold my child. No we will not forget.
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