Re: Vince and Debbie - Ground Zero Account

Name    : 
E-Mail  : 
Subject : 

Comments:
: : Anybody heard from Vince and Debbie?  If I remember correctly, they live and work in Manhatten.

: : I intended to ask earlier but have had a heck of a time getting and staying online.

: =======

: Been gathering my thoughts & wits over the past couple of days.  Just saw on the news that there was a PATH train still unaccounted for and apparently stuck underneath the World Trade Center (WTC).  Hearing this gave me the "goose bumps".  Debbie & I take the PATH train daily while commuting.  On the morning of the 11th, as soon as we got off the train, I smelled acrid smoke and thought that this might be a simple track fire.  Around 8:50 AM , we went up the escalators to the shop level of WTC I saw a smoke & fire and told Debbie that we should perhaps walk faster.  As we reached the top of the stairs to the street level of WTC, we heard a "stampede" behind us and I realized that this was very serious.

: Saw ash, smoke, office papers, loose shoes and debris either flying or  scattered throughout.  Asked some people what happened & they said a passenger plane had hit the WTC.  Thought that this might be an accident as I saw a gaping hole where the first plane had crashed into 1 WTC.

: Debbie wanted to hurry to the World Financial Center (WFC) for an "important" 9:00 AM meeting.  I grabbed her wrist and said that there is no F***ing way that she was going rather she will follow me to my office.  In my office, heard on the news radio that a second plane had crashed into 2 WTC and knew immediately that this was the work of an organized terrorist attack.  A few minutes later my brother-in-law who works in a hospital called and told me that they had declared downtown a dead zone and to evacuate immediately.  We grabbed our cell phones and "hauled ass". 

: Despite shouted announcements from law enforcement officers, we saw many people standing there watching the WTC's burn.  We walked due North past Chinatown at a brisk pace and eventually heard a sound like a subway train going right above us.  I turned around and saw what I thought at the moment was the top of the WTC falling down.  We eventually found out the whole solid steel & concrete structually sound building(s) had collapsed...

: Timing is everything.  Debbie took an extra fifteen minutes to sew replace some loose threads on one of her pants legs.  If we arrived "on time", then normally she would turn right as I would turn left.  One of her business associates was knocked unconscious as he headed up the escalators to one of the walk bridge connecting WTC to WFC as one of the revolving doors flew into him as the 1st plane had crashed into the building.  Lucky for him he woke up a few minutes later and ran away before the WTC collapsed.  I would not know whether to wait for her to come for me or if I should look for her among all the confusion.  If we had left any later than the fifteen minutes then we could have been on the next train that was trapped...  Rest assured I will never again complain to Debbie to hurry up so that we can get to work on a timely basis.  Speaking for the both of us, we feel very fortunate to be alive and spared some of the horrors like the building collapse as well as watching some people jumping out of the buildings.  I feel that all the events that happened seemed surreal as if we were in a bad movie.  

: Anyways, still hoping for the best for those missing and injured.  Forever grateful for all the brave firemen, police, rescue workers & all others in this time of need.

: Proud to be American!
: Vincent


Optional Link URL:  
Link Title:         
Optional Image URL: