REMEMBERING 9 11 2001 IN NEW YORK CITY

Saturday, July 15, 2017

Ramada Inn/Newark Airport

Newark, New Jersey

80sF and slightly humid/sunny

Tim drove quite easily from the DoubleTree to the Liberty Port area so we could catch a ferry to Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City, New Jersey to Greenwich Street, New York City. The ferry ride was smooth and the port area/park was refreshing. 

We saw the Statue of Liberty in the distance

We could see the World Trade Center and other skyscrapers, including the Empire State Building.  We thought this park was a good spot to place B2’s rock that she painted for “Rock Out Erie” after a quick photo with it.

A beautiful rock for ROCK OUT ERIE! Thank you, B2 and B1!

From there we walked through an exclusive mall (Brookfield Place) into another exclusive mall to get to the reflective pools and stunning waterfalls that are in the center of the memorial walls where each person killed that day, whether in NYC, Shanksville, or the Pentagon, is honored. 

9 11 Reflective Pool-Oculus in background with skyscrapers

Tim and the Reflective Pool

I knew this was going to be an emotional day for both of us. There was a fairly long line to enter the museum (10:30 a.m.), but it moved fast.  The museum was cleanly designed on part of the footprint of the original World Trade Center. When one goes deep within the complex, the footers of the original are visible. 

Footer of one of the original World Trade Center buidlings--note the photo of the

 two tallest buildings in the back of this image

Tortured, twisted steel columns stand firm, columns that once supported the structure along with others. The museum was quiet, occasionally we heard the sound of a bugle and Taps. The memorial area inside the museum helped tell the individual story the victims of the 9 11 tragedy with artifacts and video of people speaking of their loved ones. It was difficult to see Ladder 3, a firetruck that was crumpled when one of the towers fell.

Ladder 3

Artwork in the museum

In June 2001, Tim and a few other firefighters from Erie travelled to New York to attend the funerals of three firefighters who were killed in a Father’s Day fire. At that time they met a Gannon University graduate who was an FDNY firefighter in Harlem. He invited Tim and the others to his firehouse in Harlem and they struck up a friendship.  When 9 11 occurred, the Erie Firefighters contacted their friend, who survived, but he asked the Erie men to return for funerals if possible as there were so many services and their presence would help honor those firefighters who perished. Tim and few others did return to NYC twice to attend the ceremonies in September and October.  Firefighters honor their fallen “brothers and sisters.”

We viewed the museum with hundreds of others of all ages and everyone was very, very respectful. A friendly docent told us about the “Survivor Tree,” a pear tree that stood in the landscape of the World Trade Center and survived 9 11. According to him, “The tree endured the September 11, 2001 terror attacks at the World Trade Center, although it was severely damaged, with snapped roots and burned and broken branches. The tree was removed from the rubble and placed in the care of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. After its recovery and rehabilitation, the tree was returned to the Memorial in 2010. New, smooth limbs extended from the gnarled stumps, creating a visible demarcation between the tree’s past and present. Today the tree stands as a living reminder of resilience, survival and rebirth.”

After three hours in the museum (we probably spent more time than most people), we went to Engine House 10 across the street where Tim was invited and he purchased two FDNY t-shirts for him and another Erie firefighter. Shortly after, this firehouse had a call about a block away, probably syncope.  

Engine 10 Ladder 10 Firehouse

We walked to a nearby subway station and started an adventure of another kind. A friendly lady helped us purchase tickets (there is a dearth of signs—I like maps, directions, information about cost, etc. I guess in NYC that is too much information.  I also figured out that I do not like standing near those tracks. Scenes from the first or second season of House of Cards came to mind. We ended up following two couples from Missouri onto a train and off we went. They said to follow them! On the train I observed a few interesting things, like a new way to apply eyeliner. I did ask myself why some of the riders bothered to wear clothes. We did get to Times Square, where we wanted to go.  That is when I discovered that the scantily clad girls on the subway were perhaps overdressed because it wasn’t long before we saw three girls with virtually no clothes. People who paint their bodies and pretend that is clothing are sort of mistaken. Ah, New Yorkers!

As tourists, we felt very comfortable going into a Starbucks and buying an NYC mug in Times Square. There is so much to see and so much going on in these few city blocks, it is almost overwhelming. Lights, theaters, video screens, buses, cars, taxis, police, sirens, hundreds of people, so hard to focus. And I kept thinking, ‘I need to be aware of my surroundings.’

And no one would follow us around to find gourmet restaurants. Bubba Gump had fine fried shrimp and hush puppies. I have to eat conservatively anyway and I have said before simple food does not affect my stomach. We sat on the 2^nd floor across from the ABC TV studios and watched the headlines scroll along.  Right next to that screen another screen announced that yesterday “A city that caught 16,618,878 Pokemon yesterday must be one swell city.” 

We decided we better head back to the port. This time I found a map in the station, figured out that we needed to follow the R-Yellow line, and I knew we needed to get off at Cortlandt/9 11 Memorial. Now I felt in control and knew what I was doing. No need to follow other tourists blindly!  

Our ferry soon arrived—we had spent seven hours in the city—and before we knew it we were back at the car. Tim very good at remembering directions, but we had just a little snag when exiting the thruway and so we had a very personal tour of Newark. It was not long before we found the Ramada and checked in. A great and memorable day in NYC with my hero.

TK’s Takes: While waiting for the subway train back to the port, Tim discovered that the train tracks were full of rats. We both were able to take photos of the creatures scurrying around, including the young ones. Tim was thinking of the TV series that starts again this weekend, The Strain. I don’t think there are vampires in NYC, but there sure are rats.

Check this out!

MJ’s Notes: I loved the quotation in the museum, “No one shall erase you from the memory of time.” ----Virgil

I bought a t-shirt with that quote.

We will board the Celebrity Summit tomorrow about 10 a.m. I will not have wifi until Tuesday. I will try to access wifi in Bermuda. 

World Trade Center today-the tallest building

We will never forget.

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