pampered1224
Silver Member
- 3,784
I remember getting dressed that morning and walking into the kitchen. It was 7:53 a.m. Central Time. I remember that as I looked at the clock on the microwave to see how I was running time wise as I needed to get to work by 9. The site that greeting me was channel 12, ABC and Good Morning America. There was no speaking from Charlie Gibson and Diane Sawyer as I was watching what I honestly thought was a movie trailer. I remember that part especially because there was no way it was real. It could not be. I was struck as the sounds as Charlie and Diane were now speaking about the tower getting hit. The speculation that it was an accident. I was dumbstruck as it sunk in that what I was watching was real. then it happened. At 8:03 Central, the second plane struck the south tower. I literally sat down on the kitchen floor. I could not move. It took me about 20 minutes to stop watching long enough to call my boss as I knew he and the assistant manager had been at work for several hours already and I did not know if they knew. They had not heard yet but I told him I would be late as I had a call to make. I called my mom. The reason, my cousin Peter worked in one of the complexes building, I knew it was not the towers but it was in the area. She knew I would call. she was calling my aunt as I called so... I hung up and asked her to keep me posted. Now, the building I worked in was literally one building north of the Federal Building in Downtown Milwaukee. I was not expecting to see what I saw. The parking structures were all connected via skywalks to the our building, the Federal Building, the building in between and the Grand Avenue Mall. I parked, walked to our building but I could see police officers blocking the entrance to the Federal Building. They had shut it down. After settling in to work, we were notified that we would not be able to access the Federal building at all. And they were very concerned as no one still knew how wide spread this was or what else might have been planned. We already knew that one more plane had gone down in PA. City and State governments were sending people home. Because of our proximity to the Federal Building, the bank downstairs was shut down, we were also sent home by 11 a.m. No one wanted to take any chances. We did not return to work until a few days later. Later that afternoon I call from my mom. My aunt finally returned her call. There was no news from Peter at all. However, two of her nephews had been in one of the towers on the 92nd floor. They worked for the huge financial company that was up there. They both were at work. Neither survived the collapse. I remember being numb after the first hit that morning. I still suffer from a mild case of that Post traumatic Stress syndrome or whatever. I can not, not watch anything they are playing about it, I can not watch the lists of soldiers that have died because of it, I can not listen to anything about it or even read anything about it, without an uncontrollable feeling of deep sorrow and crying. I can't help it. It was like I absorbed a ton of hurt and pain from those that were killed and can not seem to release it. This became even more a a problem for me as we finally got a chance to talk to our cousin Peter. He saw things no one should ever have to see. He was close up to watching people jumping. He saw some in flames as they fell out as the buildings collapsed. He got help dealing with it but he too said he had an awful time returning the site. He watched as bodies were dug out, or rescuers were helped out after being there too long. He still has nightmares. I still pray everyday that we will never go through that again.
Just a side note, the Federal Building was opened again a week later with full out check points. You were searched going in. Those check points are there to this day. we used that corridor as did many to get from our buildings and the hotel a block over to get to the Grand Avenue mall.
Just a side note, the Federal Building was opened again a week later with full out check points. You were searched going in. Those check points are there to this day. we used that corridor as did many to get from our buildings and the hotel a block over to get to the Grand Avenue mall.
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