Compiled by Denise Bonilla and David Marcus
Newsday (New York)
Copyright 2006 Newsday, Inc.
Five years have passed since that balmy September morning when fire pierced a bright sky, ushering in a new era of fear, uncertainty and helplessness — but also solidarity, patriotism and wherewithal.
Somehow everyday life has managed to limp, and sometimes soar, toward this day of reminders and remembrances for the close to 2,750 dead, among them nearly 500 Long Islanders and 1,100 city residents. To mark this milestone anniversary, six people share in their words what Sept. 11 means to them.
BOB BECKWITH
Age 74, retired firefighter who volunteered at Ground Zero on Sept. 14, 2001, and found himself embraced by President George W. Bush in front of scores of cameras.
“I was just the guy at the right place at the right time. If I am a symbol, I hope I am a symbol to the retired guys who went and volunteered at Ground Zero. There were a lot of them: ironworkers, cops, firemen, Port Authority guys ... These poor men are taking a beating because of their lungs and the air quality down there. We can’t turn our backs on them. This is what we do in America. We get together and beat anything that comes at us.
“Five years ago they hit us. Nobody called that shot. I guess Homeland Security is doing their job because we haven’t been hit since. I don’t know the future, and I don’t like to get into politics.
“I do know that there are a lot of kids out there who lost their parents. My heart goes out to them.
“In our lifetime we’re always going to remember 9/11. In our children’s time, and their children’s, too. I wasn’t at the Alamo, but I know what I read about it. I’ve been back to Ground Zero many times. I go to the firehouse there, to talk to the guys. I like to see the sacred grounds come along.”
ANNETTE FAYAD
Age 28, pension analyst, has been a mentor to Tiffany Ramsaroop, 13, whose father died in the World Trade Center, for nearly five years.
“I was living in Elmont, looking for a volunteer opportunity, so I went to a Big Brothers/Big Sisters [of New York City] orientation a month before 9/11. I did my training and that fall a social worker called me and said she had a match, and they wanted me to know her dad had died in the tower collapse. Tiffany was 8 and she was the middle sister of five girls.
“Her dad, a maintenance worker in the World Trade Center, was from Trinidad. Her mom is from Guyana, in South America, just like my parents. I was a little nervous. I didn’t lose anyone close to me on Sept. 11, so I didn’t really feel the impact until I met her family. The first time out, I took Tiffany to a movie, “Jimmy Neutron.” She said her dad used to take her movie-hopping, going from one movie to another. She was very close to her dad. We went out twice a month, going to a park, and more formal things.
“She made me realize how lucky I am to have both my parents. That made me realize the real impact that 9/11 had on families. Watching her turn from a kid to a young adult in these five years, she’s been very brave.
“I took her to visit Columbia University, where I was working in the purchasing department. She loved being at a college, and said that’s something she wants to do. When I got married in May, Tiffany was one of the bridesmaids ... She helped pick out the dresses. My husband says it: She’s like a family member.”
GENE HIGGINS
Age 45, chairman of the social studies department at Samoset Middle School in Lake Ronkonkoma.
“I lost my good friend Tom Crotty on 9/11. We played basketball together at Maria Regina High School in Uniondale. Crotty was a competitor, an all-around great guy. He was a walk-on for Marist College in Poughkeepsie and I played for C.W. Post, so we competed against each other. He was a broker for Cantor Fitzgerald.
“Also on 9/11, two of my students’ fathers died - they were firefighters. I went to all those funerals, those wakes. After talking to the families, I made a promise that I would not let anyone forget 9/11 as long as I was teaching. Starting in 2002, I put together Power Point presentations. This year, I told my 7th-graders in American History, ‘On Monday we’re going to revisit 9/11. You guys were in 2nd grade then.’ Most of them only had recollections of panic in the schools, parents coming to pick them up - no real recollection of the event.
“I’ll do a multimedia show, and introduce them to vocabulary, too. As history teachers, it’s our responsibility to teach them how history impacted their lives.
“I tell them, ‘My father talks about Pearl Harbor and the day JFK was killed. I want you to remember 9/11 and continue to pass it along to your families.’ I made that promise to Crotty.”
VINCENT WILLIAMS
Age 44, of Islip, is pastor of Heritage Baptist Church in Bay Shore.
“The first thing that struck me that day was our own vulnerability and watching it live. A stark realism had really kicked in. I do believe today we are safer than we were, if only for the fact that we are aware and there is a greater vigilance. Anytime you go into the airport, you can see that today we are more aware of our vulnerability. It may be an inconvenience, but it does play into our safety.
“I would love to see the unity we had in the days and weeks just after the attack to be the same today. I hope we don’t squander an opportunity we have to unify and show some togetherness.
“Right after we got hit on 9/11, it seemed the country turned to God and more prayers were being said. One of the mistakes we made was that we said, ‘Let’s get back to normal, let’s get back to where we were.’ It was a good thing for us to say ‘Would you pray for our nation?’ instead of rushing to try and get back to the way we were ... Tragedy happens and people begin to pray. This shows us we should have been praying all along.”
EVA SANCHEZ
Age 49, of Lindenhurst, is a chef and owns a catering business.
“Sept. 11 was the most terrifying day for me. I remember how scared I felt when I realized ‘My God, we’ve been attacked!’ Then later that day I got the devastating news that my [partner] had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Between those two events, I think I walked around in a fog. I know terrorist acts happen all around the world, but you feel immune to that here in the U.S. I know breast cancer is the number one killer of women but you think, ‘No way, it’s not going to happen to my girl.’
“Five years later, I’m grateful because I can still hold ... Rosie. But the families of the victims of 9/11 don’t have that. After all this time, in addition to being sad, I find myself being angry. We’ve come to find out our government could have protected us. Five years later, where is the memorial to honor those whose lives were lost? The only good thing to come out of 9/11 is that people from around the country came together. They came just to help and now they can’t even get paid for their injuries? Why should they have to go out and sue their own government for something that should have been handed to them on a silver platter?
“In November, I plan to honor the victims by holding my government accountable for their lack of leadership. The only way I can think of to honor them is with my vote. It’ll send a message that Ground Zero is a testament to our government’s failure.”
ANCHELLE PERL
Age 52, of Mineola, is rabbi of Congregation Beth Sholom Chabad.
“There are two sides to my thoughts as we reflect on the anniversary for the 3,000 people who were murdered, each and every lost one we must never forget ... We must not become complacent and oblivious to the reality that the world has changed. We think of it as an abstract thing and not likely to affect us, but it does. We must toughen our resolve ...
“The other side I am asking myself ... a line was drawn in the sand on 9/11 and we must ask ourselves, five years later, which side we stand on. Part of this painful anniversary is also that we must not falter in our quest to aspire for that good side of the line: freedom, human dignity, mutual respect, religious plurality. We owe it to those who perished to shake off any complacency and wake up to this reality. We must connect the dots.”