On the day of September 11, I was flying into Newark to teach a class at Tropicnana (the orange juice people) directly across the Hudson River from the Twin Towers. At about 9:00 am we were approaching Newark and our plane started flying around in circles at an unusually high altitude for an approach. I was sitting in the isle seat with an empty seat between myself and a young woman who was sitting by the window. By 9:30 AM the plane had been circling for a while. I stated to the young lady that we were certainly in a hiding pattern and traffic must be heavy because looking out the window it was a very clear day. Suddenly the pilot came over the intercom and said, Our flight has been diverted to Syracuse. About that time someone had made a phone call to let their loved one know that we would not be arriving as planned. He was three rows up and in a left isle seat. Suddenly the man announced aloud, A plane has hit one of the Twin Towers! A rush of energy raced through my body. I began to mentally reflect on an important meeting wed had weeks prior to this event in which a bunch of the Hazardous Materials Gurus were at a conference in Virginia and we had discussed the threat of possible terroristic events. About that time the man received a second call and he cried out, Another plane just hit the other World Trade Center Tower! I said aloud to myself, Oh my God its happening. I was thinking this might be the beginning of a large scale war? The young woman sitting next to me grabbed my arm and said as she beta to cry, What...What did you just say? I replied, Well we have been warned that something like this may happen. I then explained to her who I was and how I knew this information. She was crying and sobbing, My children are in a day care right across the street from those towers. I tried to reassure her that we had been told that this towers could sustain a direct hit from a 747and still stand. Further I said that the firefighters in New York knew how to fight high rise fires and that they would help those people and evacuate the area if necessary. It was little comfort to her. She got on her cell phone and called her husband who headed straight for the day care and thank God retrieved her two children. Our plane landed in Syracuse and the pilot said all flights in the US had been grounded. We were told to retrieve our luggage and make our way the best we way we could. As I approached the baggage area and picked up my luggage, I passed by a barber shop and about that time the first of the towers was collapsing on a large screen television. The scene was so surreal to me. I still couldnt believe it was actually happening. The airport lobby was a beehive of activity. I shouted out loud, Is there anybody else heading back to Newark? Three women approached me from different directions. After a short huddle we decided that each of us would take a rent car counter line and the first to get a van would procure it and wed all head back to the Newark, New York area. I was able to get a van and these unlikely women all boarded the Van and we headed for Newark. Two of the ladies worked for add agencies, and I dont remember what the other one did? I drove with the pedal to the metal. As we headed towards newark a State Policeman pulled up next to me and said, Where do you think youre going! I replied, I am a Hazmat Training Specialist and Im heading for New York city to help. I held a badge out the window which has the presidential seal on it for him to see. He said, Get behind me. and he escorted us all the way back to Newark. When we approached the Bridge exit heading over the Hudson an soldier stopped us and said get off this road. I tried to tell him who I was but he waved his automatic weapon at us and insisted we pull off and turn around. I decided not to argue with him and turned around. We took the woman who lived in newark to her home where her husband was waiting with her kids.I got out and the family said they knew of a B&B where I could stay for the night. My colleague David Binder was already at the Holiday Inn which was right on the Hudson River and a couple of miles up from the Twin Towers. I couldnt get to him. All the ramps to reach the hotel were blocked off. After talking to David I decided to stay at the bed and breakfast and then try to hook up with him the next day. We would call Tropicana and see if they still wanted us to teach their mangers class? When I got to the bed and breakfast everyone surrounded the television and watched the newscast for the continuing stories. I called a friend of mine from the B&B Joey Amodeo who was a Logistics Officer for New York City Fire Department to see if there was anything I could do to help. When I got Joey on the phone I asked if they needed any help? He opened our conversation with, Pat how are you doing man? I said,Thats not the point, Joey what can I do to help? I can come over if you need me? Joey said that they feared that they had lost most of the experienced Firefighters and commanders in the collapses and that they had more help than they needed. I didnt ask him who all was lost among the men and women I thad trained. I didnt have the courage to do so. I promised Joey Id come up and give them some training when they were ready. I hung up and returned to the group of strangers whom were all refugees from some place or another due to the events of that day. The next day we called Tropicana to see if they wanted to go on with the training. They said yes now more than ever! David picked me up and we made it to the large facility directly across the Hudson river from the Twin Towers location. For the next three days we trained the managers in emergency response to anhydrous ammonia incidents. It took me four days to get a flight back to Hawaii, where I was living at the time. I corresponded for a year or two with the lady who sat next to me on that flight as we had a kindred bond from our mutual experience. some of you understand that as you read this. today i dont remember her name and she probably doesnt remember mine. The loss of many of my dear friends,Brothers and Sisters, I shall always carry in my heart. I had experienced this loss already in 1984 after losing my friend and Captain in my own incident. Now matter who was behind that incident it changed forever the way we look at things and still impacts us every day of our lives. America lost its sense of innocence that day. It has made me want to give my life to only that which contributes love and peace. There is already enough enmity, strife and hatred to go around. I have made a conscious choice not to feed that beast. This I dedicate to the memory of all those who paid the ultimate price that day. No greater love has any man than to lay down his life for his fellows.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 14:58:59 +0000
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