The Horrors Of 9/11: A Firsthand Account

A key trait of a leader is empathy. Perhaps that’s why my long-time friend Ed Walker has been so successful in leading major global business transformation teams. Here, in Ed’s words, is his account of that fateful day of 9/11.

Chaos at Ground Zero: So Many Swirling Thoughts

I will never forget what I witnessed and experienced 22 years ago this September 11th.

· Running from falling debris as the first plane hit 1 WTC and watching in horror as people that I had just commuted with on the ferry get cut into pieces, as glass and shrapnel fell from the sky.

• Taking refuge in the underground parking garage at 130 Liberty and Albany Streets as I dodged the falling pieces of the building and airplane.
• Seeing several heads and torsos of passengers from Flight 11 as I crawled out from the underground parking garage after hearing the all-clear announcement come over the building’s public address system.
• Now standing on the corner of West and Liberty Streets as I sensed a surreal dark shadow appear overhead as I watched in horror as Flight 175 was seemingly slowly absorbed into Two WTC.
• Feeling great heat from the massive explosions and fire now emanating from Tower Two.
• Almost being run over by multiple FDNY fire trucks and NYPD police cars that were speeding in reverse to avoid the massive fire balls now shooting from the building.
• Running down West St in complete shock and going into the Starbucks on the corner of Broad and Beaver Streets where just two blocks away people had absolutely no idea what just happened at the Towers.
• Frantically trying to Blackberry my wife to let her know I was okay and let my co-workers know to stay away from the office.
• Hearing rumors from the many strangers I ran into that there were several other planes now headed to lower Manhattan including the NYSE where I was currently standing.
• Thinking that I may never meet my son who would be born into this now very unstable world just three weeks later.
• Taking shelter in our offices at 55 Broad St where I remained for the day.
• Believing that a nuclear weapon or some type of massive bomb was detonated as Two WTC collapsed. Those screams, that rumbling, the shaking. It kept getting louder and louder and more forceful until it stopped and then it was quiet and there was no more sunlight as the dust from the collapse blocked all sunlight for the rest of the day.
• Those horrible screams, rumbling and shaking starting up again as the next tower collapsed.
• I buried my head in my hands in tears and prayed that this was just a nightmare, as the emergency lights at 55 Broad St now took over. At the time, I had no idea that the towers had completely collapsed.
• Handing out extra-large t-shirts and water bottles to around two dozen or so people who had taken shelter with me. Those brave enough to venture outside, even though none of us knew what awaited us, tied the shirts around their heads and poured water on them to make makeshift masks and filters to protect from the dust and soot.
• There was no communication coming from the outside world. Was it safe to leave? Were the subways running? Were the tunnels and bridges open? We did not know, but we did know we were now at war!

Escaping. Finally!

At around 7 pm, now approximately 10 hours later, it was now my turn to make a run for it. I, too, tied several t-shirts around my head and made a makeshift mask and filter. I immediately ran into several national guardsmen who pointed their automatic weapons my way and asked me why I was there. Raising my hands in the air, I explained that I had taken shelter, just wanted to go back home and didn’t have any weapons. They directed me to Pier 17 where the Red Cross were waiting to care for those who may be injured. I now boarded a random ferry that quickly was launched. After the ferry pulled out of port, the captain announced that the ferry was heading to Jersey City. Good! I thought it would be easier to get home from the Jersey side even if I needed to walk.

As the ferry was heading up the Hudson River, I looked over where the trade towers had stood. There was much fire and smoke. Where were my beautiful towers that as a young boy, I witnessed being built? Oh my God, this cannot be true. It then hit me; thousands of innocent people were killed. Why did God spare me and not them? I, then, couldn’t stop thinking about my wife and soon-to-be-born son.

Now, more than two decades later, I get tested annually for those horrible 9/11 cancers and diseases that plague so many of those first responders and office workers.

But I will never be free from reliving those horrible nightmares and terrors that have affected all of us to this very day.