Remembering September 11th . . .

On September 11th, 2001, I was seven months pregnant with my son Brendan.  I remember walking my two older sons to school that day, looking up at the sky and thinking it was one of the most beautiful late summer mornings I had ever seen.  The sky was a brilliant shade of blue and there was not a cloud to be seen.  I walked back up the path and into the house and turned on the television to see what was going on in the world while I ate some breakfast.  My local news channel was showing a video of a plane crashing into one of the Twin Towers. This was the first glimpse I got of what would turn out to be one of the saddest days in American history.  I called my neighbor whose husband was a police officer in the city to see if she knew anything about what was going on.  As I sat on the stairs leading up to the second floor, staring at the television and talking on the phone I watched as another plane slammed into another tower.  At first I thought it was just another video of the first plane until I heard the news reporters and my friend screaming that it was another plane. 

In all honesty, it didn't even occur to me at first that there were people in the building and emergency services workers there as well.  I think I was just trying to wrap my brain around what I had just seen.  Something that was taking place just 20 miles from where I live.

The photo above is a very special one to so many people.  The man on the left is my uncle Harry.  He was attending a funeral that day and wasn't there when the towers fell but when he found out what had happened he drove there immediately and was down "on the pile" looking for survivors for weeks.  My uncle was a member of FDNY for more than 35 years.  One of the people he was looking for was the young man on the right.  His name was Welles Crowther.  You may have heard of him as "The Man in the Red Bandanna."  If you haven't, you can read about him here .  He is a true hero in every sense of the word and I was blessed to have known him from the time he was a young boy.  If you look at the background of the photo, you can see the Twin Towers.  Welles worked in Tower 2 and was also a volunteer firefighter in our home town.  Helping people was in his blood.  My uncle was very close with Welles' parents and would stop by their house on his way home from Ground Zero and give them an update at the end of every shift.  Welles' body was eventually found in the lobby of Tower 2 with many other members of FDNY where they had set up a central command station.  My uncle Harry passed five years ago due to 9/11 related health complications.  His lungs were ruined by all of the dust and everything else that they were breathing in all of those months.  He is just one of many people who have succumbed to 9/11 related diseases.

Plaques dedicated to my uncle Harry and Welles outside of the fire house in Upper Nyack, NY where they both volunteered.

The Freedom Tower while it was still being built.

A couple of years ago we visited the 9/11 Memorial and the Freedom Tower while it was still under construction.  From the time you step off of the subway and walk up the stairs to its location you can sense that it is a sacred place.  The air seems different, the sky seems different and people seem different.  Everyone that visits there has there own personal reason for taking the journey there and whether or not you knew someone that died that day doesn't matter.  It will still touch you to your soul.

I was pregnant with this guy on 9/11/01.  : )

It has been 14 years and the sadness still sits right up at the surface on this day and so many other days.  When I see Welles' parents and sisters and my aunt and cousins I still could cry a river for them all.  When I see family members reading off the names on the television every September 11th I want to give them each a hug.  Name upon name.  Face upon face.  All of them, innocent victims of a senseless tragedy.

Lest we forget.


Many blessings ~ Wendy

A Gathering for a Hero . . .

Last month, on a beautiful autumn day, family, friends and co-workers gathered in Manhattan at Marine 1 headquarters to pay tribute to my uncle Harry who passed away last year from a 9/11 related illness.

This is a photo I took of a photo that was given to my aunt. My uncle, by the Grace of God, was not working at the time the planes hit the World Trade Center but was there immediately afterward. He is the man in the blue shirt that is standing on top of the pile of debris. He worked there tirelessly for months following the attacks. Because of this, he developed severe respiratory problems and cancer. His name has been added to the list of 9/11 heroes that tragically lost their life due to this horrendous act of terrorism.

My Uncle Harry was the epitome of a loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend. He was also blessed to have been able to do what he loved as a member of the FDNY where he worked for over 40 years.

His wife, children and grandchildren standing next to the plaque that was dedicated in his memory.

This is Marine 1's new fire boat that was purchased post 9/11. It is a beauty.


Before my Uncle passed, he told his family that he wanted to be in charge of the clouds when he went to Heaven. On this day, there was not a single cloud in the sky and we knew he had taken the day off from his Heavenly duties to be with his loved ones. : )




My Uncle's brother FDNY firefighters lined up on Marine 1, holding his plaque.



This is a picture of every member of the FDNY that was killed on September 11, 2001. My Uncle knew of or had worked with many of them.


On September 11th, we lost a young member of our community who worked in the World Trade Center. His name was Welles Crowther. You may have heard of "the man with the red bandana." There have been many articles and documentaries about him. He was trained as a volunteer firefighter and repeatedly walked up and down the stairs of one of the towers to save many people. He had been carrying a red bandana with him like he had done since he was a little boy and had it tied around his face so he wouldn't breathe in as much dust and smoke. Several of the survivors told the story of this "man with the red bandana" that had saved them. His parents knew it had to have been him.

My Uncle was very good friends with Welles' parents and would stop by their home every day after he came back from Ground Zero to give them any news about Welles. When the debris of the towers was being cleared, his body was found in the lobby with other firefighters. Their son had died a hero.


This is a photo of my cousin, Paul. He has been a member of the FDNY for 30 plus years. He was very close with my Uncle Harry. He's standing with Welles' parents. They are both wearing red bandanas. Welles' father, Jeff, mentioned my Uncle's name at the reading of the names this past 9/11. They are an incredible family.


This incredibly beautiful statue was made by a firefighter out of Marine 1. It is made of steel from the World Trade Center.


My Uncle's son-in-law, grandchildren and my cousin, Tracy.


It was an incredibly sad but beautiful day. Just typing this brings tears to my eyes. Tears for my Uncle's premature death at a young age. Tears for my Aunt, my cousins and their children. Tears for everyone who lost someone on September 11th or as a result of that horrific day. Tears for my surviving Aunt and Uncle who lost three brothers suddenly and way too early in life. Life does go on as we all know and, thankfully, we will always have our own special memories of my Uncle.

As we left Marine 1, in the distance we could see more proof of life going on.

On the left of the picture (the building that looks like there is a "V" on top of it) is the Freedom Tower that is being built at the site of the World Trade Center.

May God bless America and all of its people.


Many blessings ~ Wendy