Remembering September 11
Fifteen years after terrorists flew two planes into New York’s World Trade Center, Club Member and South Tower survivor Steven Greenberg reflects on that harrowing day.
I was living in San Francisco and flew to New York on September 10 for a meeting held the following day at the World Trade Center. There were 10 to 15 people standing around in the conference room on the 72nd floor that morning enjoying coffee and bagels. Everyone was commenting on how beautiful a day it was. There was not a cloud in the sky. We could clearly see off to New Jersey and the Statue of Liberty.
We heard a deep thump. And then a sound like air leaking out of a tire. We had no idea what had happened. But then we could see papers fluttering in the air outside. My boss came running down the hall into the room and said, “It’s a bomb, get out!” He was the catalyst that got us moving.
I grabbed my bag and we headed down the stairwell. It became increasingly crowded, but everyone was orderly. When we reached around the 27th floor, about 17 minutes after the first plane hit, the second plane hit our tower.
The sound was indescribable. The building shook violently. You could see the wall moving in front of you. I was holding onto the railing, being jerked around. It was surreal. The lights went off and everybody froze for a second. Then the lights came back on and people started moving again.
There was much more positivity in the stairwell than some would imagine. People saying, “Don’t worry, we’re going to get out of here. Only 20 more floors, keep going. Don’t push, we’ll make it.”
We came out of the stairwell and into a large open area in the station and from there exited to the street a block or two away from the building. That feeling of getting outside was the first sort of, “Wow, we are going to be OK.”
That attack challenged our way of life. From that perspective, it brought a lot of people together. It brought the country together. What really hit me were the heroes. The heroes on the planes who fought the terrorists. We were trying to get out of the building, whereas there were firefighters going into the building and going up the stairs. When you hear those stories of all the sacrifices that were made, it is very moving.
We took our kids to the National September 11 Memorial. It’s important that we remember and honor those who made sacrifices. At one part of the memorial, they have the photos of all the victims. At least one or two of my colleagues were there. I am one of the very lucky ones. And I appreciate that every day.
I have to go to Paris in October. My youngest said to me, “Daddy, you shouldn’t go. There are terrorists there.” I told her that what we should not do is change our lives out of fear of terrorists. What we should do is continue to live our lives and continue to do the things we want to do because that is one way we can, in a sense, fight back.
As told to INTOUCH’s Nick Narigon.
Image: Enrique Balducci
