Do you remember where you where when the Twin Towers fell on September 11, 2001? Most Americans do. And most will never be able to forget it.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, people were arriving at their offices. Children were in school, having just returned after their summer recess. Reporters were on the air. Taxi drivers were shuttling business people to and from appointments. Doctors were performing surgery. No one was prepared for what would happen to our country at approximately 8:46 EST. At 8:46 AM, American Airlines flight 11 hit the North Tower, leaving a massive hole in the side of the structure. Several fires started in the building as a result.
Many people in NYC thought, oh no, a plane just hit the World Trade Center; there’s been a terrible accident. But it was not an accident. At 9:02 AM, a second airplane – United Air Lines flight 175 – hit the South Tower.
Because news cameras were focused in on the events that had occurred just sixteen minutes earlier, the world was watching as the second plane hit the South Tower. It was then that Americans and people all over the world realized that this was not an accident.
Not long after, a third plane would crash into the Pentagon, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the building. A fourth plane would go down in Pennsylvania, after a group of brave passengers tried to overthrow the hijackers.
Right before 10 AM, the South Tower fell, floors collapsing one on top of the other. A cloud of debris, dust, and smoke rose over Manhattan; the cloud could be seen from space and was captured on film by a NASA crew. About a half an hour later, the North Tower collapsed as thousands of people ran from the South Tower in an attempt to escape. Later that night, World Trade Center 7, a smaller building on site, also collapsed.
Twenty-five buildings in Manhattan were damaged or destroyed.
Only eleven people would be pulled from the rubble alive.
Recovery efforts began immediately, with NYC police, firefighters, and EMS technicians rushing to the World Trade Center site. Doctors from NYC hospitals arrived on the scene to triage survivors who had managed to escape from the towers before they fell. Residents and those working in the area left their desks and came outside to see for themselves what had happened. Some risked their own lives to assist with recovery efforts.
The last thing on people’s minds that day was the risk of asbestos exposure. However, eight years later, we know that several hundred individuals – firefighters, NYPD, volunteers, nearby residents in NYC and New Jersey – were in fact exposed to harmful levels of asbestos and are now developing asbestos diseases as a result. Construction workers and those who assisted with the cleanup at the site for weeks, months and years following the attack were also exposed to asbestos. These workers may have been wearing a protective mask over their nose and mouth to prevent asbestos inhalation, but on the day of the attack and in the days following, many people were left without safety equipment or masks.
You may already know, but asbestos exposure – even in small amounts – can cause mesothelioma cancer, a fatal disease that affects about 2,500 Americans annually. Although it is rare, it is still a very serious health problem, as countless people were exposed to asbestos – some unknowingly – and may one day experience symptoms of mesothelioma or another asbestos illness.
Today is a day of remembrance, reflection, and, for some, prayer. It is a day to consider the following question: are we as Americans still as united as we were following 9/11/01, or are we a divided nation? It is also a good day to raise awareness of the diseases that are affecting those who assisted with the recovery at the World Trade Center site.
And, of course, it is a day to sit quietly and consider the brave men and women who are overseas, fighting for our freedom.
To the families and friends of the almost 3,000 individuals who lost their lives on September 11, 2001: we, as a nation, have not forgotten your loved one. To the families and friends of the almost 400 NYC firefighters who perished: thank you for your selfless service. To the families and friends of the 23 NYC police officers who died that day: you are an example of what it means to be an American hero. To the 37 Port Authority officers who passed away: you are remembered.
