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