Wednesday, September 11, 2002


9-11 world trade center anniversary ceremonies

as long-time readers may remember, i work on the corner of church and cortlandt st. in downtown new york, which is directly across the street from where the south tower of the wtc stood. as i result, altho' my office did not officially open until 11a.m. this morning out of respect for the ceremonies, a few employees and executives were determined to arrive early to watch the ceremonies from our vantage point on a high floor.

i awoke at 6:30am to ensure that i would be able to navigate the expected crowds and street closures to arrive at the office by 8a.m. as i had breakfast at 7, i saw on tv the contingent of pipers march over the brooklyn bridge to ground zero. at that time i heard the first military helicopters that were hovering over the bridge and the east river.

the day was warm, brightly sunny, a tad humid, and extremely windy. the sky was just as clear and sparkling blue as this day last year. i took the n and r subway line to rector street, as has been my habit since my office returned to ground zero from its temporary location at the woolworth building in may. i doubt there were even 5 other people in the subway car with me. the platforms were deserted.

i expected that rector street would be a madhouse as i came up the stairs from the subway exit. i was quite surprised to see that the sidewalk was only mildly crowded. the crowd did thicken as i crossed thames alley towards what used to be liberty plaza. the respectful and quiet spectators however kept themselves well to the curb and the fronts of the buildings, leaving a surprisingly easy passage all along the face of one liberty plaza itself. the only truly crowded corner was cortlandt and church itself. although police stood at every corner and were walking freely all about, there were no security checks either. i had brought extra i.d., but no one was asking for it. i went into the lobby of my building and arrived in my office at about 8:05am.

in my office, we lit large candles and placed them in hurricane vases along the window ledges that face the ground zero pit. we had a clear view of all the ceremonies, the hudson river, everything. i cannot over-stress how lovely the morning was -- long, low crystal-white clouds, tinged in lilac-gray, swanned peacefully over the hudson's swift glass-green chop. two military helicopters paceed up and down the river.

the deutsche bank building remained veiled in its black habit, its flag tattered a bit, with distinct holes. next to it, the new york university law building was also veiled, its white throw covered with a 30- or 40-story banner featuring a red-white-and-blue heart and the statue of liberty. directly across, the world financial center's windows were partially covered by a large new flag. the just-restored panes of the winter garden atrium glistened in the brilliant sun.

for weeks the pit itself has resembled nothing more than a confused construction zone -- a helter-skelter of dumptrucks, backhoes, bulldozers, as men worked to rebuild the subway and path train track lines. and this morning the construction equipment was still there, but parked to the side, as if the machinery itself would observe the solemnity. directly below my perch in the sky, on the roof of the century 21 department store, network camera and tv equipment wires snaked all about. on corner was occupied by an elaborate anchor desk and news setup.

on the church st. side of the rim, police officers stood in a site-wide line, 6 rows deep. the vesey street side was filled with spectators. on the west side highway rim, the family members and loved ones of the victims stood around the platform where the ceremonies were to take place. the fulton street side was left free for passage. at various part around the site, large white tents shivered in the strong breeze.

the ceremonies themselves began at about 8:35am, as the contingents of pipers, who had each marched from a different borough to the spot, began their descent down the ramp into the pit. there they formed a teardrop around a center circular marker. we had a radio in the office, so we could hear the music both from the radio and barely, lightly drifting up from below. otherwise, we could hear no sound directly from the ceremonies, which lasted about 2 hours and 50 minutes.

they played until 8:46am, when the first moment of silence began, commemorating the instant the first plane struck. then they circled the marker, and marched back up the ramp. at that time, a ring of uniformed officers formed at some distance around the marker. at that moment, the wind kicked up heavily, dragging large and fierce clouds of dust across the site. myself and several colleagues sat on the window ledge among our flickering candles in silence.

at 8:47am, mayor bloomberg introduced new york governor george pataki, who read the gettysburg address. then some music. at about 8:55am, former mayor rudy giulani began to read the names over a contemplative cello accompaniment. at 9:03am, another moment of silence to mark the attack of the second plane, and then a bell tolled. various speakers read the names -- a heart-rending list -- until 9:59am, when there was a third moment of silence and another bell to mark the collapse of the south tower. the reading resumed. as it went on, time seemed to expand. all those of us watching could do was look on as loved ones and family members of the victims slowly streamed into the pit, into the circle of uniformed officers to gather around the marker, where they hugged, prayed, and left both flowers and small flags.

at 10:28am, two trumpters echoed taps, one in the pit, one on the rim. at 10:29, the last moment of silence, and the last bell, to note the loss of the north tower. the reading of the names continued with a mournful relentlessness. it seemed as if the list was as long as all humanity. when the name of our former co-worker who had died having breakfast at the windows on the world restaurant was read, even the men in my office fell into tears. finally, it finished at about 11:15 am. new jersey governor james mcgreevy tonelessly read the declaration of independence. military jets streaked loudly overhead. more music -- taps again.

the cermony at ground zero was over, although family members will be allowed to place flowers at the marker until 1:30pm. at that time, the streets will be cleared and sealed off for an extra block in each direction to prepare for the expected arrival of president george bush later in the afternoon. also, various other ceremonies will begin around the city -- a service at riverside church uptown at 2pm, a 5:30pm mass at st. patrick's cathedral, a 7pm ceremony in battery park, where mayor bloomberg will light the eternal flame. at 7:30pm, new yorkers can attend any of several concerts around the city: manhattan, central park; bronx, van cortlandt park; queens, flushing meadow park; brooklyn, prospect park; and staten island, snug harbor. at 7:12pm, the mayor also encourages everyone at home to light a candle there.

coming back with lunch just now, the street-clearing process has already begun. the police are sheparding away the spectators, who seem more grave and respectful than the tourists have been recently. city workers have set the blue barricades in place at cortlandt and broadway, and my i.d. was scrutinized before they let me down to my building. the white rose i carried with me in hopes of leaving at the memorial wall wouldn't find its place today -- instead the stiff wind blasted the fragrant petals from the stem and scattered them down broadway.

highlights of previous 9-11 world trade center coverage here:
• the day
• the day after
• another view
• vigil on the brooklyn promenade
• my return to downtown
• tourists
• century 21 re-opens
• 3 months
• 6 months
• end of recovery ceremony
• congressional wreath-laying

posted by fortune | 10:03 AM | top | link to this | email this: | | | 0 comments