Where Were You When 9/11 Happened?

During , he noted that everyone remembers where they were when 9/11 happened because the event hit home with so many people. So Patch asked around town: "Where were you on 9/11?"

"I was off duty, but after I heard that the second plane hit, I knew what was happening and went into work immediately. I was then deployed down town to the World Trade Center.

Our first assignment was to evacuate the city and not let people in. No one was allowed in. Our precinct was stopping unmarked trucks, vehicles that looked suspicious at the bridges and tunnels. Our precinct was at the George Washington Bridge. My precinct did this non-stop every day from Sept. 11 to Oct. 11. I was down town at the World Trade Center for 15-hour shifts every day."

— Robert Heinemann, NYPD officer of the 33rd Precinct

“I was at my fiancé's home in Queens recovering from surgery. My husband (then fiancé) called and told me a plane had crashed into the Trade Center and to turn on the television. I turned it on and saw the second plane hit. I remember being so confused. I thought maybe an electrical problem had jammed the tracking devices used at airports. My husband and I were dumbfounded that we did not immediately comprehend we were under attack. I just could not wrap my head around the reality.

Later, my brother called to tell us one of his closest high school friends, James Woods of Nanuet, was missing. James was with Cantor Fitzgerald on, I believe, the 102nd floor of Tower One. I looked up the phone number for every ER in New York, Manahattan, Brooklyn, all over. My brother, his friend Jared and I split the numbers and called them all.

I will never forget how each time the ER person put me on hold, I believed there was hope. I expected that I would receive good news. Each time, the nurse or doctor came back with bad news, I asked about unidentified injured (people), mid to late 20s. The answer was always the same. Until I reached the end of that list, I believed the answer would change.”

— Kristen Zebrowski Stavisky, chairwoman of the Rockland County Democratic Committee

“I was in a deli on Little Tor Road on my way to work at the Girl Scouts. The deli had a TV in one corner of the room and when I walked in the guys were all watching it. I said, “What’s up?” The deli owner said, “You’re not going to believe this but a plane flew into the World Trade Center.”

It was early so we didn’t know yet it was an attack … at that point we all thought it was an accident. I got to work and had to contact a company in Florida about an issue and the representative kept saying “our computers are so slow today.” Then “our computers are frozen.” Then my phone line went dead and my computer went down. I got this feeling that something had gone very badly wrong. And it had.”

— Diane Serratore, Executive Director of People to People

“I was having a meeting to discuss the Meals on Wheels Harvest Moon Gala dinner dance and silent auction. I was in the middle of announcing that we had received a gift certificate for dinner at Windows on the World when one of our board members received a call about the plane hitting one of the twin towers.

I recently donated the letter and folder of information about Windows on the World to the World Trade Center Memorial Museum. They were very pleased with the donation.”

— Lynn Jacobs, Development Associate of Meals on Wheels Programs & Services of Rockland, Inc.

“I was in the Stop and Shop at the Hub in Central Nyack and unaware of the attack and this guy started yelling, ‘This is our generation's Pearl Harbor, this is our generation's Pearl Harbor.’”

— Andy Stewart, Executive Director of Keep Rockland Beautiful

"I left Rotary and heard it o the radio. I drove home and walked in to see the second plane hit the towers. I was on the TZ Bridge when the first tower fell. I had a view of Manhattan from my office and saw the smoke. When the bridges in NYC were closed, I rushed home as my wife worked at the time at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan and one of us had to be home for the kids. Thank God for the brave first responders who gave their lives. Yesterday our military repaid the favor. Osama got in the end what all tyrants should get—justice"

— George Hoehmann, Clarkstown Councilman and Clarkstown Sunrise Rotary member

“My wife, Maria, and I were en route to pick up our dog Tino in Wayne, NJ when we heard the report of the first plane. Everyone, including us, thought it was an accident at first and didn't think too much of it. On the way down the Garden State Parkway we could see the smoke rising over New York City. 

We began to think that this is more than what we originally thought.  As the story developed, we arrived at our destination and saw on their TV the first building fall. That evening, there was a very memorable Nanuet Rotary Board Meeting at our home.”

— John Maiorano of Prudential Joyce Realty and Membership Chair of the Nanuet Rotary Club

“We were only 12 years old but since Pearl River has eighth grade in the high school, we saw everything. The planes hit second period and all the teachers had the TVs and radios on as the principal explained that there was a terrorist attack in New York City. Almost everyone's parents worked in the city, so we were all very scared. We watched as the second plane hit the second tower and then stared as the towers fell.

When you're 12, you look to adults and authority figures to see how you should react when you're confused and scared, so we looked around for some comfort. Many teachers tried to put on a brave face but some started crying. Even the news anchors started to cry. It was my 13th birthday.”

— Alanna Heraghty of Pearl River

"I was actually on Cape Cod during 911. I was very worried because my ex-husband worked in the Trade Center and my son and I could not get him by phone. I was also concerned by being so far from my son. That night on the Cape it was very dark and quiet (no airplane noise out of Boston) but I could hear the jets leaving Otis Air Force Base that night."

— Ruth A. Bowles, Executive Director of Rockland Council on Alcoholism and other Drug Dependence, Inc.

“I think with all that is going on, we need to reflect on our losses of the past/present and give thanks for our wonderful country that allows all of us an opportunity to live a life of freedom that matches no other. This final outcome is just a small accomplishment of what yet we have to accomplish. Can we accomplish worldwide peace and harmony?

On that very day, 9/11/01, it was not so significant about where we were (although I remember it clearly and I am sure that most do), but how we all felt. It was so surreal that others could hate us so much that they would blatantly attack our strong hold, our financial district representing our financial freedoms.  And that they took our innocence and made us defensive in aspects of our lives that we thought would never be vulnerable for attack.

I thought of my children's futures more than my own.  What would life be like now and what would affect the choices that they would make in their future. Could we ever go back and feel a sense of security ever again.  But over time, we did and today reminds us of the fact that we can no longer go back to a false sense of security. We need to be vigilant and protect those we love.  We need prayer too.  Let's pray for a better life for our world's children."

— Valerie Moldow of Keller Williams Hudson Valley Realty

"I remember dropping off my son at the Verizon Building in Orangeburg.  I walked in and an older co-worker said to me "someone just ran a plane into the World Trade Center."  I was only one of a few people who had 'live' TV in the corner of their computer—I remember watching over and over and over the plane running into the tower.  

It was as I was watching the 'live feed' that I heard the reporters saying "Oh My God—another plane; it ran into the other tower" and their voices were just utterly speechless; they were crying on television. I remember the chills that ran up and down my arms and then my back; the hair on my head stood straight. I remember seeing the television feed and then, my thoughts were "gotta get the kids," "gotta get the kids."

I remember that management of Superior Federal Bank was threatening a lost day of pay or even a job loss if there was anyone who left. I remember getting up, calling my sister and husband and then asking for carseats to make sure that I could get both my son and my niece. Fellow co-workers who knew that their kids were safe, gave and offered car seats if we would need them to get the kids out of the building to make sure that they were 'safe'. I was not able to leave the building. My husband went and got the kids and he called me when he was home safe with them.  I remember coming home early and just crying while sitting speechless at the television. It is a day that I will never forget, feelings that I never had and will never forget.

The skies were so blue, clouds, if any were cottonballs. The weather was so perfect—it was the day that one would just stop "just because;" it was so utterly perfect ..."

— Sheila Morahan-Gick of Nanuet and PR Chair of the Highview Playground Steering Committee

"I was in a real estate seminar which was immediately canceled after the anouncement of the attack. We all filed into the hotel restaurant where a television was playing the unbelievable images of the horrific damage to the World Trade Center. I went home to try to reach my kids—my daughter Victoria who had just started her new job at the Waldorf Astoria and my son Gregory who was away at college. It was a relief when I finally heard their voices and found out they were ok. 
The death of Bin Laden is almost anti-climatic in the context of the last ten years. Hopefully we've learned not to take our security for granted and not to underestimate the threats that are everpresent in this world. 

I'm proud of our Armed Forces, our President and the USA. God Bless America!"

— Jim Damiani of Rand Realty and President of the Nanuet Rotary Club

"I will never forget.

I was overseas working the 2001 Summer Goodwill Games for Turner Sports. Many of our crews were aboard what was one of the last flights allowed to land at LAX. After being told they were then stranded until the skies re-opened, some got into rental cars and drove cross-country to get back to their families.

I had already been away for 3+ weeks for the Event and before the games ended on Sept. 9, I was invited to spend a few days in New Zealand for some R&R before heading home.

We had checked into the NZ hotel and I was awoken from a nap by a phone call from one of the co-workers I was traveling with. She sounded 'not right' and asked me 'are you watching CNN?'. I wasn't but turned it on moments before a plane hit the 2nd tower. I had friends that worked down in that area of New York City and my head was flooded with thoughts of confusion, worry, anger.

The next few days flew by in some ways and lasted a lifetime in other ways.

Americans always 'stick out' when traveling and everyone showed great support to us. Our Emergency Travel Dept worked feverishly to try and get us home but all skies were closed. My wife and I were pregnant with our first child (now a Highview Elementary third grader) and the person I was traveling with had two daughters. 

At a definite low-point, she had run out of patience and wanted to get home no-matter-what, which included a 5-leg flight plan back to U.S. that included a transfer that would take us pretty much over the Middle East. I wasn't thrilled about the path, but we felt she shouldn't travel alone and I relented. We flew from Auckland NZ to Sydney AUS to start what was to be a 2+ day trip (with layovers) and were on a ticketing line to check in when the podium screen next to us lit up with 'DL25 / LAX'—our original flight home, the skies had opened back up.

Since many passengers were scattered around Australia, we were able to be re-ticketed and then saw many of our co-workers once we got to the gate.  All with very different stories of being 'stranded', but very happy to see each other and feelings were buoyed with each addition to the group as others started straggling in to get on the flight home to the U.S."

— CJ Bottitta of Nanuet and Vice President of the Highview Playground Steering Committee

"I was at work when one this women I worked with, Priscilla, shouted out , “Kevin just called, A plane flew into the World Trade Center.” My husband called shortly after to let me know he was going to go into the precinct to see if they needed any help.  I didn’t see him for almost a week."

— Kathy Whitney of Nanuet and Scout Leader of Pack 233

"About 9/11, I was leaving a meeting in the Paramus office of Merrill Lynch.  The first thought was that it had to be an accident."

— Denis O'Leary of Wealth Management Referrals

"I was at work. A dear family friend of one of my co-workers was killed in WTC attack and I remember that call coming in. I sent everyone home to be with their families about 11 a.m. and then got a call from my brother and his wife who were in Italy on vacation.

Their daughter, my niece, worked in the WTC area at the time and they had been unable to contact her and obviously were in a panic. I was able to get through to her roommate in Queens but she had not been heard from. Finally, about 4 p.m. my niece got home to Flushing, after walking from Manhattan and called me. Her subway from Queens was at the stop before the WTC when the train was stopped.

I contacted AT&T and found a wonderful operator whose name I will never forget, Cindy Clark, who worked feverously to get my niece and I on a conference call to Italy so she could speak to her parents."

— Dan Smith

"I was home with my youngest son, Michael, watching the news. I was talking on the phone with my brother Robert, who was an NYPD police officer for the 33rd precinct at the time. I then went to pick up my other son, John, from school."

— Carolyn D’Ettore of Congers