We have not forgotten

The Twin Towers are hit

Tom Moore left his home in Monroe on that Tuesday and took the 6:45 a.m. train to Hoboken, then caught the PATH train into lower Manhattan. He worked at Aon, an aviation insurance brokerage on the 102nd floor of the World Trade Center’s North Tower.

The date was Sept. 11, 2001.

Moore’s account of that day was among those of many local residents following the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center. The first plane, American Airlines Flight 11, struck the North Tower at 8:46 a.m. The second plane, United Airlines Flight 175, hit the South Tower 17 minutes later, at 9:03 a.m.

This account was crafted from the articles found in The Warwick Advertiser, The Photo News, The Chronicle, the Township Journal, the Sparta Independent and the Advertiser News North and South.

Those stories still resonate 25 years later.

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“It was a beautiful, clear day, no clouds in the sky. But we couldn’t see (the South Tower),” Moore recalled. “We looked out from another window and saw one side of Tower Two was entirely blown out.”

Moore and his boss “were undecided what to do when the Port Authority announced through the public address system that a plane had hit the building. They said we should stay at our desks and that there was no emergency.

“My boss and I looked at each other and said, ‘We’re getting the hell out of here.’ We had our suspicions at that point that was no accident.”

They went office to office, telling workers to evacuate.

“During the search people were running toward us, saying they could see people jumping from windows.”

Moore said he turned his head after seeing one person jump.

“I got scared then. I wanted to get out of the building.”

Seven people crammed into an elevator to the 78th floor, the Sky Lobby. There were no crowds so they quickly rode the next elevator down to the ground floor.

Within a minute or two, Moore said, “the next explosion hit our building.”

He did eventually make it home to Monroe and his family.

Moore’s company occupied nine floors of the Trade Tower. He would later find out that 200 employees were missing.

At home in Monroe, “the kids know something is going on but can’t understand it,” Moore said. “I’m now working out of our New Jersey office. My six-year-old son asks me all the time ‘What floor are you working on?’”

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John McIntyre of Monroe was on the 20th floor of a building at Third Avenue and 41st Street.

“I was watching out the window after hearing that a plane had hit one of the towers of the World Trade Center. As I was watching I actually saw the second plane hit the other tower.

“All I could think of was ‘Is the next one going to hit the Empire State Building?’

“I just sat and watched. It was like I was seeing it all on a big TV screen.

“Then 45 minutes later, I watched as the building fell.”

McIntyre left his office and went to find his sister at 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue, but she had already left her office. It would be an hour before they found each other.

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Warwick resident Richard O’Donnell took the ferry into Manhattan that Tuesday morning, then walked between the two towers to his office on the 17th floor of a building near the World Trade Center.

O’Donnell was preparing to attend an early morning meeting when he first noticed what appeared to be scraps of paper floating outside his office window.

“It was like a ticker-tape parade,” he said. “Then we looked up and saw the fire. We thought the Windows on the World (restaurant) was on fire but later realized the flames were at a lower level.”

Early reports said a small plane had struck the tower.

“We assumed it was an accident,” said O’Donnell, “but then we saw the second airplane and then BOOM! We knew that was a jetliner. We couldn’t imagine what was happening.”

It wasn’t long, however, before O’Donnell and his co-workers heard more accurate reports.

Then the first building collapsed right before his eyes.

“I couldn’t look any more,” he said. “The screaming in my office was chilling. Everyone knew someone who worked in those buildings.”

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Warwick police officers John Radar and Ron Donnatin were in New York City for a drug enforcement program. Traveling just outside the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, they saw the second plane strike the tower.

They were deputized and served with New York law enforcement until 5 a.m. the following morning.

“We thought the first crash was a small plane in an accident and that the large aircraft was coming in to take a look,” Donnatin told The Warwick Advertiser a week after the attack. “But it was traveling, it seemed, with engines screaming at full throttle. Then BOOM!”

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Gregg Snigur worked as an attorney in the New York State Supreme Court’s Appellate Division.

He believed in serving his community, which he did as 29-year member of Engine Company # 3 and past chief of the Warwick Fire Department.

His office on the 39th floor offered an unobstructed view of the World Trade Center.

“I saw both buildings fall,” Snigur said. “It hits you like a ball in the stomach. My first emotion was rage. And then tears as I’m trying to call friends who worked in the immediate area of the disaster.”

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Warwick is home to many New York City commuters, including police officers and firefighters. People stopped at Gurda TV on Oakland Avenue to watch the surreal images of commercial airplanes flying into the Twin Towers. Some just stopped and prayed in the middle of the block.

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Harriman Police arrived at Nepera Chemical Plant to guard it as the Twin Towers were being attacked. The plant was later closed as a safety precaution.

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For Joyce Lang, a Sparta, N.J., resident, the terror and uncertainty were personal. Her husband, Paul, was an American Airlines pilot who flew out of Logan Airport in Boston at 7:43 Tuesday morning, just minutes before the departure of the flight that crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

Until her husband called from Chicago at 11 a.m., Lang had no idea whether her husband’s plane had been one of the hijacked flights.

“I was in a state of shock until he called me. What really scares me is that there can be such a breach of security. We’re sitting ducks.”

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Joe Sweeney, a Vernon Township School Board member, went to the World Trade Center on Sept. 11 to meet a friend for a cup of coffee.

“I was supposed to meet somebody, but she never made it because she had a flat tire.”

So he walked back to his office five blocks away just as the first plane slammed into the North Tower.

“I heard what I thought was a sonic boom. I looked up to see the plane or plume, but paper, glass and debris were flying everywhere. “I ran very fast for about a block and got myself into a nook with about eight other people behind a pillar. We covered ourselves and hoped nothing would land on our heads.”

By the time he reached his office, the second plane had hit the South Tower. From his 20th-floor window, Sweeney saw the destruction.

”A tidal wave of smoke and flaming debris came straight down the street like out of a canyon,” he said.

He would eventually make it to his home in Sussex using a ferry service and mass transit.

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Meanwhile, a third plane was hijacked and headed toward Washington DC. Among the passengers was Lynn Gronlund of Warwick. In a letter to the editor of The Warwick Advertiser, Virginia Mazza, director of Winslow Therapeutic Riding, had this to say:

“Winslow Therapeutic Riding is proud to have known Lynn Gronlund as one of our volunteers.

“She was among the passengers who forced Flight 93 to crash in a field in Pennsylvania, thus preventing the terrorists from using this flight to kill additional people and ruin priceless buildings.

“We have asked Congressman Benjamin Gilman to petition Congress and give all 44 passengers on that flight the Congressional Medal of Honor.

“It is heartening to know we have so many heroes and angels among us. We feel Lynn is both.”

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Those who helped at the scene

The Quickway was lined with trucks and construction equipment heading to Manhattan to help with rescue operations.

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Monroe Police Chief Dominick Giudice and seven officers assisted at the scene in New York City, by cordoning off 14th Street to allow only emergency personnel to get to the scene.

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More than 28 emergency management vehicles from Sussex County, NJ, were dispatched to the city to help transport casualties.

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Wayne Chan, president of Monroe Volunteer Ambulance, along with others was dispatched to the World Trade Center to provide medical coverage for the workers.

“We were always reminded of the seriousness of the situation by the fighter jets and helicopters flying overhead and the emergency vehicle sirens. “Once we left the Chelsea Pier staging area, enroute to the World Trade Center, we wondered what to expect.”

What they found was completely unexpected: A constant parade of people going in and out of Ground Zero with such a high level of energy and determination no matter what time it was.

“To see the area made you speechless,” he said. “No words can describe the feeling we all had. It was an experience that would change our lives. Those of us who witnessed this are still trying to make sense of the whole thing. Maybe someday we will. All I know is that when I go home, I hug my children.

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Nick Stefano of the Sussex County Weather Network installed weather stations at Ground Zero to monitor the weather and its effect on rescue efforts. The stations recorded temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity, precipitation, dew point and wind pressure.

The purpose was to monitor winds for wind loads on the taller crane removing debris as well as the direction for particular matter and rainfall. Workers were especially hampered when chilly rain and gusty winds prevailed at the site.

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“To all my friends, family and the Warwick community,” wrote April Ginley of Warwick in a letter to the editor of The Warwick Advertiser.

“My husband, John, loved his job as an officer with the New York City Fire Department. And he loved living here in Warwick.

“Although Sept. 11 has changed my life forever, I gain strength from all your thoughts, prayers and donations and love. Though I don’t know what lies ahead for me and my family, I know all of you will be there to support us. I am proud to be a member of the Warwick Community.

“Thank you again for all you have done and will continue to do for us. May God bless us all.”

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“I would like to take this opportunity to thank my husband,” wrote Kelly Braunagel of Monroe in a letter to the editor of The Photo News. “Sounds silly. Let me explain. On Sept. 11, he was called to the World Trade Center. As I watched the Towers come crumbling down, my heart broke into a million pieces. The waiting for a phone call became my life.

“The reports on television were unbearable to listen to. I thought of our baby and how he would never know how brave his father was. I thought of all the fun times we’ve had and the fear of having no more.

“Fortunately, John called me later that afternoon. I will never forget that call for the rest of my life. I feel for all those wives who have lost their loved ones. No words can ease the pain. But it may help to know John and the hundreds like him are working day and night to help make sure those men and women who lost their lives will be remembered as heroes and will always be in our heart. On Sept. 13, my husband came home to his family a brave man, a fun daddy and my best friend and hero.”

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Those who helped from home

Cub Scout Pack #295 in Sparta collected $1,500 to be donated for the purchase of safety equipment for rescue workers.

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Jane Pantalone, a Monroe banker, helped raise $1 million in contributions, which included 20,000 boots sent to rescuers from the Timberlane Store at Woodbury Common.

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A truck brimming with coolers, stationary (for tagging) and other supplies was sent from the Village of Kiryas Joel.

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A vehicle from the Woodbury Fire Department went down to the city with $650 worth of snacks.

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Walmart in Monroe sold out of water as customers bought it all to donate it to rescuers.

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At a service at Lake Mohawk to honor the victims of the terror attacks, residents donated $1,321.

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More than 300 fifth graders at Mohawk Avenue School presented hundreds of work gloves to the American Red Cross for distribution to workers sorting through the rubble at the World Trade Center.

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At Blessed Kateri Parish Church in Sparta, students and residents dropped off supplies for Trade Center rescue workers.

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A Byram Township attorney offered free legal advice for any military reservists who may be called to active duty.

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It was a time of blood drives that included members of Brownie Troop 932 in Sparta. It was a time of candlelight vigils in Vernon, Sparta, Byram, elsewhere in Sussex County and wherever Americans needed to be together.

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The aftermath

So how does a person find their way to a normalcy that hasn’t yet been defined,” asked JoAnn Baker, a columnist for Straus Newspapers.

“I supposed it comes in the details,” she said. “I’ve been astonished and touched by the outpouring of both the emotions and actions of strangers feeling the pain of others.

“The resiliency of the human spirit, which always sounded like a tired old cliché, turns out to be alive and well.”

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A crowd of more than 500 people attended a candlelight vigil at Warwick’s Veteran’s Memorial Park, thinking about and praying for the eight families whose loved ones were lost.

Among the speakers was the Rev. Kenneth Susskraut of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.

“This is what America and this is what the community of Warwick is a tapestry, a tapestry of individuals woven together. We are all different yet we are all fibers in the same work of art.

“This American tapestry has been put under fire. The resilience has been tested before. It was endured. We have come together tonight to remember those who died and to mourn for them with their families.

“But we also come together tonight to stand together. Love binds us together. Hate, intolerance or anger will never tear us apart.”

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In an inquiring photographer feature that ran in an October 2001 issue of the Advertiser News North, people were asked if they’d been changed by the terrorist attacks.

“Yes. I worry about being drafted,” said a young man from Vernon, N.J.

“I don’t feel safe anymore. I never thought we could be attacked like that and for us to be so unprepared,” said a woman from Wantage, NJ.

“Made me realize there is evil in the world. And while we can’t control it, we have to try to rise above it and focus on the good around us,” said a woman from Sussex County, NJ.

“I’m not going to change anything. That would mean the SOBs have won,” said a man from Wantage.

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Tri-County Audio in Sparta saw a surge in cell phone sales in the weeks after the attack.

“In a situation like this, people realize how important cell phones are,” said Cindy Gaechter of Tri-County Audio. “All we heard about in the days after the attack were stories about people calling their loved ones on their cell phones to say goodbye.”

The story behind the painting

Brian Chichester grew up in Harriman. He is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts where he commuted by means of the Metro North/NJ transit line from 1997-2000. He is now a teacher in South Carolina.

This is the story of his painting in his own words:

This artwork is a painting which I created in the days following September 11th as a means to process my own emotional response and as a tribute to the bravery displayed by first responders.

Shortly after, the artwork was displayed at a local art show held by a former teacher from my youth. During the event there were some inquiries about purchasing this artwork.

I conferred with a former art professor at Rockland County Community College about this request and my uneasy feelings about profiting from such a work along with my intent to hold onto this piece for a little longer. This professor suggested making prints, selling those, and donating any profit made after the cost and time in creating the prints.

I learned about the Uniformed Firefighters Association’s Widows and Children’s Fund which provides financial support for family members of firefighters who have fallen in the line of duty. I was able to make a donation from the prints that were sold.

I was advised by a great art teacher years ago not to talk about the intent of an artwork, as it has more meaning and personal value to the viewer when they interpret it for themselves. But I will let you know a few thoughts I had when creating the work.

I kept the saturation of the colors on the flag brighter than the muted colors surrounding the work to create emphasis that would point and draw the viewer’s eyes to the firefighters.

In addition, I used 1 point perspective incorrectly to force the attention onto the firefighters. I turned the figures away and toward the disaster so that the viewers would not see identifying features of the firefighters and could project themselves onto them and connect more deeply - they become symbols rather than identifiable individuals like the Marines photographed by Joe Rosenthal lifting the flag at Iwo Jima.

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Remembering those we lost on Sept. 11, 2001

Orange County, N.Y.

David D. Alger, Tuxedo Park

Carl F. Asaro, FDNY, Middletown

Michael E. Asher, Monroe

Lt. Gregg A. Atlas, FDNY, Howells

Matthew E. Barnes, FDNY, Monroe

Michelle Renee Bratton, Westtown

Capt. Frank J. Callahan, FDNY, Bloomingburg

Michael Cammarata, FDNY, Huguenot

Daniel M. Coffey, Town of Newburgh

Jason M. Coffey, Town of Newburgh

BC Dennis L. Devlin, FDNY, Washingtonville

Thomas Dowd, Harriman

Francis J. Feely, Middletown

Lt. Michael N. Fodor, FDNY, Warwick

Lt. Peter L. Freund, FDNY, Westtown

Denis P. Germain, FDNY, Tuxedo

Lt. John F. Ginley, FDNY, Warwick

John Giordano, FDNY, Town of Newburgh

Linda Kristine Gronlund, Greenwood Lake

Peter Mark Gyulavary, Warwick

Robert Hamilton, FDNY, Washingtonville

Lt. Stephen G. Harrell, FDNY, Warwick

Ronnie Lee Henderson, FDNY, Newburgh

Thomas P. Holohan, Jr., FDNY, Chester

Chris Michael Kirby, Scotchtown

Kenneth B. Kumpel, FDNY, Cornwall

Kenneth J. Marino, FDNY, Monroe

Douglas C. Miller, FDNY, Port Jervis

Edward Mazzella Jr., Monroe

Michael Montesi, FDNY, Highland Mills

Lynne I. Morris, Monroe

Cynthia Motus-Wilson, Warwick

Gerard T. Nevins, FDNY, Campbell Hall

Lt. Glenn C. Perry, FDNY, Monroe

Donald J. Regan, FDNY, Pine Bush

Carmen A. Rivera, Westtown

Paul G. Ruback, FDNY, Newburgh

Eric Raymond Thorpe, Tuxedo Park

Michael Trinidad, Newburgh

Donald J. Tuzio, Goshen

Richard Van Hine, FDNY, Greenwood Lake

David M. Weiss, FDNY, Maybrook

Mark P. Whitford, FDNY, Salisbury Mills

Chief John P. Williamson, FDNY, Warwick

Martin M. Wortley, Harriman

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Passaic County, N.J.

Jean Caviaso DePalma, West Milford

Jeremy Glick, West Milford

T.J. Hargrave, West Milford

The Rev. Mychal Judge, West Milford

Michael J. Zinzi, West Milford

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Pike County, Pa.

Peter G. Wallace

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Sussex County, N.J.

Dorothy J. Chiarchiaro, Vernon

Thomas Linehan, a native of Highland Lakes

Daniel R. Nolan, Hopatcong

Joseph B. Vilardo, Stanhope