September 11th, 2001

ehbacon
ehbacon Posts: 1,972
in A Moving Train
Share stories, thoughts and respect here.



I'd like to take this opportunity, also, to share a story.
image
Last year I researched for hours and hours trying to find who this man was, why he was there, and what his last moments would have been like. This is what I was able to find.

He was a waiter for the Windows on the World restaurant on the 106th floor. I found this by matching this picture of the restaurant's staff in uniform (white tunic, black dress pants).
image
There was a conference taking up the 106th floor of the restaurant for Risk Waters Financial Technology Congress, and the rest of the restaurant was closed that day. What was open was a remote restaurant connected to Windows on the World called Wild Blue, which was only for building employees.
image
He was most likely assigned to serve there with a few others.

The first plane hit at 8:46 AM, crashing underneath them. Elevators would not work, and stairway doorknobs would be burning hot. There would be no light in the restaurant, but emergency light would be activated. Before long very dark smoke would start rising from elevator doors, stairway doors, and vents. Many calls were made from the restaurant, and all of which were responded to by telling them to remain calm, not to move, and that help was coming. No help was coming.
He took refuge in the North side of the 107th floor in the closed restaurant, as it was not blocked by the smoke. He was most likely looking down and watching people run from the towers. He would've been able to hear and feel the impact of the second plane hitting the South Tower. Windows were broken, and he would have been able to faintly hear sirens over the wind and screams. Sirens that could not help him.

Many people were crowded in that same room. Many people started jumping before he did.

He jumped to his death at 9:41 AM. It would have taken approximately 11.23 seconds to complete the fall.
Listen to some of my music here (if you want to): [url="My soundcloud"]
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Comments

  • hedonist
    hedonist Posts: 24,524
    Shhhh. Some people would rather fight with each other today, it seems.

    Life goes on (la la, how the life goes on).

    I mentioned elsewhere how today runs a gamut of different emotions for me...both somberness and celebration, and much in-between.

    Must say the first photo up there threw me, as it's an image (one of too many, unfortunately) from that day; one I will never forget. A day I'll never forget.

    To be faced with that decision to jump, my god. To actually decide to? My god again.
  • unsung
    unsung I stopped by on March 7 2024. First time in many years, had to update payment info. Hope all is well. Politicians suck. Bye. Posts: 9,487
    I'll also mourn the 1.5M Iraqis that died when they had nothing to do with it.
  • unsung
    unsung I stopped by on March 7 2024. First time in many years, had to update payment info. Hope all is well. Politicians suck. Bye. Posts: 9,487
    Days like this remind me to stay off social media.
  • bootlegger10
    bootlegger10 Posts: 16,263
    unsung said:

    I'll also mourn the 1.5M Iraqis that died when they had nothing to do with it.

    No question the world changed for the worse that day. I don't have any hope or expectation it will get better.

    I can't imagine having to make the decision to jump. It probably wasn't much of a decision based on their situation.
  • ehbacon
    ehbacon Posts: 1,972
    unsung said:

    I'll also mourn the 1.5M Iraqis that died when they had nothing to do with it.

    This is a thread about September 11th, not it's aftermath. The people being remembered today had nothing to do with the events described by you. Take the negativity elsewhere.
    Listen to some of my music here (if you want to): [url="My soundcloud"]
  • lukin2006
    lukin2006 Posts: 9,087
    ehbacon said:

    Share stories, thoughts and respect here.



    I'd like to take this opportunity, also, to share a story.
    image
    Last year I researched for hours and hours trying to find who this man was, why he was there, and what his last moments would have been like. This is what I was able to find.

    He was a waiter for the Windows on the World restaurant on the 106th floor. I found this by matching this picture of the restaurant's staff in uniform (white tunic, black dress pants).
    image
    There was a conference taking up the 106th floor of the restaurant for Risk Waters Financial Technology Congress, and the rest of the restaurant was closed that day. What was open was a remote restaurant connected to Windows on the World called Wild Blue, which was only for building employees.
    image
    He was most likely assigned to serve there with a few others.

    The first plane hit at 8:46 AM, crashing underneath them. Elevators would not work, and stairway doorknobs would be burning hot. There would be no light in the restaurant, but emergency light would be activated. Before long very dark smoke would start rising from elevator doors, stairway doors, and vents. Many calls were made from the restaurant, and all of which were responded to by telling them to remain calm, not to move, and that help was coming. No help was coming.
    He took refuge in the North side of the 107th floor in the closed restaurant, as it was not blocked by the smoke. He was most likely looking down and watching people run from the towers. He would've been able to hear and feel the impact of the second plane hitting the South Tower. Windows were broken, and he would have been able to faintly hear sirens over the wind and screams. Sirens that could not help him.

    Many people were crowded in that same room. Many people started jumping before he did.

    He jumped to his death at 9:41 AM. It would have taken approximately 11.23 seconds to complete the fall.

    Thanks for sharing and putting in the effort to find out who this poor fellow was, rest in peace to him and all those who perished that day.
    I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin

    "Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
  • Boxes&Books
    Boxes&Books USA Posts: 2,672
    ehbacon said:

    unsung said:

    I'll also mourn the 1.5M Iraqis that died when they had nothing to do with it.

    This is a thread about September 11th, not it's aftermath. The people being remembered today had nothing to do with the events described by you. Take the negativity elsewhere.
    Morning the loss of innocent life is not negativity buddy. It's all relevant.
  • unsung
    unsung I stopped by on March 7 2024. First time in many years, had to update payment info. Hope all is well. Politicians suck. Bye. Posts: 9,487
    ehbacon said:

    unsung said:

    I'll also mourn the 1.5M Iraqis that died when they had nothing to do with it.

    This is a thread about September 11th, not it's aftermath. The people being remembered today had nothing to do with the events described by you. Take the negativity elsewhere.
    Can I post about the people that died prior to 9/11 that lead to 9/11 or are we only allowed to post about those that died on 9/11 alone?
  • ehbacon
    ehbacon Posts: 1,972
    edited September 2016
    unsung said:

    ehbacon said:

    unsung said:

    I'll also mourn the 1.5M Iraqis that died when they had nothing to do with it.

    This is a thread about September 11th, not it's aftermath. The people being remembered today had nothing to do with the events described by you. Take the negativity elsewhere.
    Can I post about the people that died prior to 9/11 that lead to 9/11 or are we only allowed to post about those that died on 9/11 alone?
    I think on 9/11 we should focus on the innocent people that parished on this day, if you want to bring up the vast injustices of the US government then do it in another thread.

    I understand what you are trying to say, but at least to me it seems like you are trying to take the attention away from these people which i think is way out of line
    Post edited by ehbacon on
    Listen to some of my music here (if you want to): [url="My soundcloud"]
  • bootlegger10
    bootlegger10 Posts: 16,263
    unsung said:

    ehbacon said:

    unsung said:

    I'll also mourn the 1.5M Iraqis that died when they had nothing to do with it.

    This is a thread about September 11th, not it's aftermath. The people being remembered today had nothing to do with the events described by you. Take the negativity elsewhere.
    Can I post about the people that died prior to 9/11 that lead to 9/11 or are we only allowed to post about those that died on 9/11 alone?
    You are picking a fucking fight online with someone who just wants to remember the people that died on the 15th anniversary. Go talk to shrink or go for a walk because that is just stupid.
  • unsung
    unsung I stopped by on March 7 2024. First time in many years, had to update payment info. Hope all is well. Politicians suck. Bye. Posts: 9,487
    I won't apologize that these people would still be alive if we didn't stick our noses in the middle east, but by all means don't let me ruin your day. Go fly your flags.
  • bootlegger10
    bootlegger10 Posts: 16,263
    unsung said:

    I won't apologize that these people would still be alive if we didn't stick our noses in the middle east, but by all means don't let me ruin your day. Go fly your flags.

    You must be a miserable person to be around.
  • ehbacon
    ehbacon Posts: 1,972
    unsung said:

    I won't apologize that these people would still be alive if we didn't stick our noses in the middle east, but by all means don't let me ruin your day. Go fly your flags.

    Can you read? Where was this a nationalist thread? That's the opposite of what i wanted. But now you are trying to make it a nationalist thread, which is something you hate.

    Please can we get back to the topic and stop with this bs?

    Let us pay respect.
    Listen to some of my music here (if you want to): [url="My soundcloud"]
  • hedonist
    hedonist Posts: 24,524
    ehbacon said:

    unsung said:

    I won't apologize that these people would still be alive if we didn't stick our noses in the middle east, but by all means don't let me ruin your day. Go fly your flags.

    Can you read? Where was this a nationalist thread? That's the opposite of what i wanted. But now you are trying to make it a nationalist thread, which is something you hate.

    Please can we get back to the topic and stop with this bs?

    Let us pay respect.
    Know that some are paying their respects, bacon.

    I hope some also know that paying respects over this particular incident doesn't mean disrespect toward other horrors in this world.

    I tend to think about the day(s) after, when people were actually decent toward and considerate of each other. Differences weren't seen, or if they were, thought of and treated as ultimately petty.
  • Enkidu
    Enkidu So Cal Posts: 2,996
    Go to this site and click on a name. The New York Times ran small bios of every victim they could find.

    http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/us/sept-11-reckoning/portraits-of-grief.html?_r=0
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,669
    I appreciate the OP's efforts to remember those lost (whether NYC or elsewhere) on that terrible day.

    I share unsung's feeling regarding, "Days like this remind me to stay off social media. "

    I share Hedonist's and bootlegger10's feelings about how horrible it would be to have to decide to jump. I don't even like going up into high buildings let alone think about such a horrible fate.

    As for arguing on a thread like this- no thanks. That just seems very out of place here.
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • unsung
    unsung I stopped by on March 7 2024. First time in many years, had to update payment info. Hope all is well. Politicians suck. Bye. Posts: 9,487
    edited September 2016
    bootlegger10 said:

    unsung said:

    I won't apologize that these people would still be alive if we didn't stick our noses in the middle east, but by all means don't let me ruin your day. Go fly your flags.

    You must be a miserable person to be around.
    Only to those that go rah-rah based on a date.
  • PJ_Soul
    PJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 50,758
    edited September 2016
    brianlux said:

    I appreciate the OP's efforts to remember those lost (whether NYC or elsewhere) on that terrible day.

    I share unsung's feeling regarding, "Days like this remind me to stay off social media. "

    I share Hedonist's and bootlegger10's feelings about how horrible it would be to have to decide to jump. I don't even like going up into high buildings let alone think about such a horrible fate.

    As for arguing on a thread like this- no thanks. That just seems very out of place here.

    The jumpers always got to me the most, ever since I saw them falling on live TV that horrible morning when I woke up to the second plane hitting. To this day I tear up when I think about what those people must have been going through, and my empathy for them is actually almost too much to take sometimes. I can't stop myself from envisioning it, almost like a half-memory of my own. My thoughts will always be with all the victims and all those many people who lost someone they knew, but most of all my heart sticks on the jumpers. Those poor people waving from those windows in the futile hope that maybe someone would figure out a way to save them, and quickly realizing they had to save themselves from the smoke and flames by jumping to their deaths. It seems somehow heroic to me. And the people who knew their loved one was in there, and was maybe one of those people coming out the windows. :heartbreak::heartbreak:
    Post edited by PJ_Soul on
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,669
    PJ_Soul said:

    I never went to NYC until 5 years after 9/11, and I didn't know own what to expect from New Yorkers or New York. Of course their reputation was always that they were a fiery, unfriendly bunch,and the city had the reputation of being, among other things, dir

    brianlux said:

    I appreciate the OP's efforts to remember those lost (whether NYC or elsewhere) on that terrible day.

    I share unsung's feeling regarding, "Days like this remind me to stay off social media. "

    I share Hedonist's and bootlegger10's feelings about how horrible it would be to have to decide to jump. I don't even like going up into high buildings let alone think about such a horrible fate.

    As for arguing on a thread like this- no thanks. That just seems very out of place here.

    The jumpers always got to me the most, ever since I saw them falling on live TV that horrible morning when I woke up to the second plane hitting. To this day I tear up when I think about what those people must have been going through, and my empathy for them is actually almost too much to take sometimes. I can't stop myself from envisioning it, almost like a half-memory of my own. My thoughts will always be with all the victims and all those many people who lost someone they knew, but most of all my heart sticks on the jumpers. Those poor people waving from those windows in the futile hope that maybe someone would figure out a way to save them, and quickly realizing they had to save themselves from the smoke and flames by jumping to their deaths. It seems somehow heroic to me. And the people who knew their loved one was in there, and was maybe one of those people coming out the windows. :heartbreak::heartbreak:
    Yes, the loss of life and how it happened was the most sad and tragic result of 9/11. Though not as important as the loss of life, the loss of the Helen Keller Library as well as 20 other libraries lost in the World Trade Center is also terribly sad.
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • mcgruff10
    mcgruff10 New Jersey Posts: 29,143
    I think -
    15 years in I finally understand why president bush attacked Afghanistan and Iraq. This country was attacked in a manor that we hadn't seen since world war 2. (Divine wind). Good on him trying to bring the war over there as opposed to here. Fuck radical Islam.
    I'll ride the wave where it takes me......

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