Dear Editor:
I was at my desk in 1 World Trade Center when the first plane hit the tower.
There has been quite a lot written and spoken about the bravery of the
police, fire fighters, EMS and other rescue personnel during the events of
September 11. All of it together is still inadequate to describe their
courage and heroism. Without taking anything away from anyone, I would like
to note the actions of three additional groups.
The first group is the World Trade Center staff. The WTC increased security
after the first bombing. The efforts were generally considered to be
cosmetic in nature and not really taken seriously by those of us who worked
in the building.However, during the evacuation the personnel were as
professional and efficient as they could be. Despite a continuous rain of
debris and with complete disregard for their own safety, WTC staff lined up
along the evacuation route keeping scared and traumatized people moving and
reassuring them that they would get out. As we descended on the escalator
from the plaza level to the street level I looked in to the shopping area.
Not a soul was to be seen. The WTC staff had obviously evacuated the area
that is normally filled with shoppers, workers, commuters, and tourists in a
matter of minutes.
The second group is the staff of the Marriott World Trade Center hotel in 3
World Trade Center. The evacuation route took us through the Marriott lobby
and out the exit on to Liberty Street. Marriott staff were lined up along
the evacuation route making sure that people kept moving and telling us not
to look up as we exited the building.
It doesn’t take courage to get out of a building that is collapsing. It does
take courage to stay in the building and get others out. These people did
just that, saving an unknowable number of lives, and their actions should be
noted.
The third group is the people at New York Waterway. By the time I could work
my way around to the World Financial Center ferry they were getting people
off Manhattan in a timely and efficient manner. Quite frankly, I was
concerned that there might be a third plane inbound and that the thousands of
people in the area of the ferry would make an irresistible target. I was
relieved that the ferries were running and that I would not have to swim to
Hoboken.
When I got off the ferry in Hoboken New York Waterway staff were calming
upset evacuees and answering questions about telephones, transportation, etc.
Mr. Imperatore should be extremely proud of the team that he has working for
him.
There simply is no way to make sense of September 11 in our frame of
reference. This was cold blooded mass murder of innocent non-combatants.
This attack could have been made at night or on a weekend with much less loss
of life and still have made the point. I hope that our leaders go after the
vermin responsible with the a determination and a vengeance worthy of this
barbarism.
Of all the pictures on television, one that sticks in my mind is the dancing
in the streets in the Middle East. I look forward to putting on my dancing
shoes when it is our turn to boogie.
Jonathan R. Gordon