I will never forget. Mom and I were at the office at East 32nd and Payne. Debbie called and said “a plane flew into the World Trade Center”. Mom asked, “On purpose?” It seemed like a strange question at the time and I quickly turned on an old black and white TV we had at the office. Then the second plane hit.
The radio started filling in details and said there was a plane circling above Cleveland! Payne Avenue was never busy at 9 AM but when I opened the door, the streets were solid with cars on the move. We quickly left work and headed home as well and were glued to the TV.
Our friend’s daughter worked in the Towers and was killed in the attack. There’s a whole generation who weren’t even born 25 years ago so they can’t understand. I won’t forget the sadness and rage as we watched those images that day and beyond.
As the nephew and grandson of Cleveland firefighters I am particularly in awe of, and grateful to, those brave people who ran up the stairs on 9-11 and for their colleagues who continually rush into danger to help others.
