Please honor and remember 9/11
By Michael Prasad
For me, I think about 9/11 often — and certainly more than just on 9/11. Would you be surprised that I notice “9:11” on digital clocks at least once a week, since then?
I will make this short — I was in NYC (midtown, Park Avenue) on 9/11, working for Chase at the time. So I was not in Emergency Management (EM) then, but rather a recipient of the EM actions and valor of others. My greatest respect and thanks goes to those who spent their time that fateful day remaining in harm’s way, helping others — like me — evacuate to a safer place.
For me, this was a head-spinning trip from the East Side to the West Side of Manhattan, (finally!) hooking up with my wife who also worked in the city, and then boarding a ferry to New Jersey, where we caught a train (maybe two? or a bus? To this day, that part still remains blurry in my memory) back home. We owe that part of our life safety to the impromptu, yet organized captains, ferry crews, boats, ships, slips, etc. which transported us from that purgatory. Thank you. If you want to learn more about this massive effort, please see the book American Dunkirk — The Waterborne Evacuation of Manhattan on 9/11.
One way you can honor the heroes of 9/11 is by supporting the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. This non-profit — born from the selflessness of fallen FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller, who ran from the Brooklyn/Battery Tunnel to the WTC in full gear — now helps wounded U.S. Military servicemembers and first responders, across the country. The foundation’s overhead costs are less than 5%, and their 990 is available on their website. Please visit T2T.org to learn more.
