Ten Years Later

Ten years later. That’s a long time. You can go from being a high-school kid to being a married, working, college graduate in 10 years. September 11^th, 2011 marks ten years since the horrific terrorist attacks in NY, Washington and Shanksvile, Pa. On that day America changed. We forever talk about pre and post 9-11.

However, September 11th 2001 was an ordinary day in New York City. One of those rare, beautiful New York fall days where everything just seemed right with the world. I was on my way to a client meeting with 2 team members. At a few moments before 9am, we were in my car...heading south on the west side highway....across the street from the North Tower. We watched and then felt and smelled the first plane striking the tower...and then the second. Flaming debris rained down around my car as I swerved to avoid huge chunks of….something. We watched in horror as we saw bodies falling from the raging inferno. We knew immediately that this was no accident. We knew it was war.

My first act was to get my team members to safety. Once I had them on their way, I went back to what would be known as “Ground Zero”. By the time I got back, the towers had collapsed and the true extent of the horror was held back by what needed to be immediately done.

 To this day, I am humbled by the heroes I encountered  at Ground Zero. Those heroes came from every walk of life, from all over America. The heroes came in all shapes and sizes and from all walks of life. There were the heroes on Flight 93 who fought back and tried to stop the madness. There were the heroes at the Pentagon, who pulled their co-workers out of the flaming building. And there were the police, firefighters, medic and other first responders who just kept going because there just might be someone waiting in the rubble for rescue. And there were the heroes who just went to work that day like they did every day and became the ones who helped their co-workers to safety.

 And there were the almost 3,000 people, lost on that day who merely went to work on what was supposed to be an ordinary day.

 There were also countless heroes in New York and across America who went back to work and went back to their day to day life showing our enemy that America is strong and cannot and will not be deterred.

 Then there was my wife. She was watching a CNN story a few days after 9-11about rescuers who working in the most dangerous areas at Ground Zero who were writing their social security numbers on their arms and legs. She then realized what those ink stains were on my arms and legs. I still owe her on that one.

 After 10 years later a lot has changed. And yet, not enough. Every American must remember those that stand prepared to sacrifice......our everyday heroes. Look around you at the firefighter, the police officer, the medic, the members of our armed forces, past and present. Look at your neighbors who volunteer for the Red Cross or The Salvation Army. Now remember to say “thank you” every so often.

 I remember one day I was heading to my shift at Ground Zero…it was several weeks after 9-11 and things were approaching some kind of normal. I began to notice the crowds of ordinary people on the streets around Ground Zero who would gather and cheer for the responders…for the heroes. They waved flags and banners…and cheered us like a winning sports team. This crowd was several hundred people. Today, ten years later….those crowds are gone.

I also want to really, really thank those that work to keep the remembrance of 9-11 alive. It is easy for most people to file this day away in the dim corners of a memory best forgotten. For me it is not a remembrance…for me it is something I relive every single day.

 Paul Seldes, CEM, FPEM

9-11 First Responder and Survivor

Sept. 11^th, 2011