I was just there last week and I broke down walking through ground zero. I worked in Chicago at the Mercantile Exchange that day and I will never forget the look on the faces of all the brokers we worked with who lost their colleagues on the first plane strike.
I remember 9/11 like it was just last week. I didn’t start listening to survivor stories until about a year ago. I lost count of how many stories I listened to and commented on, it’s at least 50. But now I can’t stop. I feel it’s very important we listen. They’re all compelling, regardless of who the story teller is. It’s good to hear from people who were in the towers, near the towers, Pentagon, Pennsylvania, or relatives waiting to hear from loved ones. All combined paint a picture we’ll never forget, one that unites us all.
@@californiahiker9616 I was on the trading floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange on the day of the attack. I had an order working for a trader who got hit by the first plane. The boker who gave me the order was in tears as she realized her office was destroyed by the attack.
in dec 2001 i met a lady from Jersey she had a relative in the towers on 911.He had been out at a coworker's retirement party the night before . He was very hungover and went down to the lobby to get some pepto when the first plane hit his floor he saw elevator explode and was able to get out. Im sure his full story would be a good listen
The World Trade Center was never designed for a mass evacuation. When the North Tower was bombed in 1993, power was interrupted and occupants complained of having to descend slowly in pitch black stairwells. It took ten hours to get everyone out of the building that day. After the bombing, the Port Authority spent $250 million on safety and security improvements, including photoluminescent paint in the stairwells, battery-powered stairwell lights, glow-in-the-dark floor signage, and regular fire drills. On 9/11, people in the towers didn't have ten hours to get out. The South Tower collapsed only 56 minutes after being hit. It is estimated that 13,000--15,000 people successfully evacuated the towers on 9/11, and the evacuation was greatly aided by the improvements made after 1993. Hundreds or thousands more would likely have died if not for those efforts.
I've heard that field medical techniques developed in Viet Nam gave us the modern system of triage in mass casualty situations. At least SOMETHING good came out of that horror.
That is a really interesting detail that is not mentioned, and TBF why would it be necessarily? A subtle detail that people would not even remember but helped save lives. Thank you.
God bless him for surviving and dedicating his life to telling the harrowing story, where many did not. One of the greatest healers of tragedy and the post traumatic stress that follows is talking about what happened. What a selfless man.
*Yeah I agree. I also love the people who ignored the PA system saying "Stay at your Desk" I know hindsight is a great thing,but if I saw paper, debris and people falling out of the other tower, I would have high tailed it out of there. I wouldn't have cared if I lost my Job. I would be getting out as fast as possible. I value my life over any job and money.💯%*
I had to make a similar decision once working in a multistory glass building, up in a call center, wearing headphones during a bad lightening storm with tornadoes reported in the area. The supervisor said "Stay at your desks, keep taking calls", but I'd grown up in St. Louis, where we KNEW when to hit the basement and STAY OFF THE PHONE! I was like "Sorry. Girl...BYE !!", and headed for the concrete stairwell with no windows! A few people snickered...but a few went WITH me!
Great story. I’m sure everyone who was there that day remembers every detail. I was in Arlington VA and when I heard the news I honestly thought the world was ending. It felt like Armageddon. Like his wife, I was also 5 months pregnant. My daughter was born January 16, 2002. I talk to her and my son born in 2005 about the events of 9-11 frequently because I want the generations who were born before it began to know.
He is most fortunate to have made it out to see his family again, while so many did not. I had 2 friends in Tower 1 Cantor Fitzgerald, both with newborn sons, who never made it home. Just one of them was able to call home, he knew he was going to die, and it is just heartbreaking to think about. Made me tear up when this guy said he was crying over his son’s crib thinking of my friends
What a fascinating story, every day I search for these stories and every once in a while the yt algorithm blesses me with these accounts given with such detail. I hope the man giving his experience is doing well today.
GOD was watching out for this man that day and even before with the hotel he was placed etc, not going to break yin the restaurant at the top that morning, GOD works in many ways
Your story telling and account of your experience that day are incredible. I could picture everything you were saying. Also, as an IT professional, I remember watching 9/11 unfold while I was in a Network Operations Center (NOC), so I can totally connect when you talked about server rooms, etc. In fact, I was troubleshooting with a guy in the WTC remotely the day before. Thank you for sharing.
My parents always talked about the day JFK was assasinated, I was not even six but I have memories of them being so tense and trying to make everything normal. I think that was their moment of realisation that there is real evil in this world. I was working for an American company in London, attending an on site training course. There were a lot of Americans working on our site, some had relatives in New York. No one knew how widespread the attacks were going to be, at that time we all feared the worst. That is the moment I understood. We are not safe. Especially now.
19:00 He only found out what had happened after he evacuated the building. If this had occurred today everybody in those stairwells would’ve had instant access to what had occurred and it probably would’ve created a heightened sense of panic for everyone.
The security guard from the 44th floor might have been the same one that another survivor ran into, on the same floor in his retreat out. In his encounter he said the security guard was also with someone that had bad injuries, and asked the guy to call for help for them, as he stayed with that person. He didn't make it out.
Don't think I've ever heard accounts of what the impact felt like when inside the building. It must have been so confusing. 40 floors below you've no clue what it was, and if things settled after that, you'd probably just carry on none the wiser. Damn.
*Not if you had half a brain you wouldn't. There is a video at 8x times speed showing how much the building rocked back and forth until it righted itself. Much more than this man described. Maybe it didn't feel as bad for him as he was a lot lower. If you could just carry on after feeling that, something is definitely wrong with you. To feel such a large structure move back and forth like that, you know something is terribly wrong and something major has happened. I would have evacuated immediately and dealt with whatever I was doing at a later time. It's better to be safe than sorry. No amount of money or worrying about losing my job is worth more than my life. Have a great day and enjoy life. It's short, and you never know when your time is up. Take care,stay safe. Always love and be kind to everyone, even if you don't know them. Enjoy every minute of life.💯%.👍👍*
There's a video by MrBallen entitled Inside the Twin Towers on 9/11, that story does describe what the impact was like for someone on the 81st (I think?) floor of the first building hit
I just heard one yesterday and people on the upper floors felt the building actually twist in One Direction and then back as it was also going south and then north again. It moves quite a bit at the top 😫
I've been watching a lot of videos about this recently. When he talks about "move to the right, injured coming through" and the lady with the burned arms, that lady had to jump through burning aviation fuel flames to get out of an elevator. She made it out OK with a jewish man called Ari Schonbrun. The lady behind her in the elevator also made it out, but sadly died from her burns.
I just saw this video of Ari tell his story . He tells it differently than the ones I've seen but what he says at the end is powerful. ua-cam.com/video/_lyO9-33_CE/v-deo.htmlsi=s-ETx1Rd78XBxT1c
In one way i wanted him to go to the window to the world restaurant because you only live once, do it. But then i remembered if he did he would have been trapped and certainly died that day. Him not going to the top floor saved his life. I still cant quite fathom how this happened and wasnt just a horrific scene in a twisted film.
Blowing black out of his nose and he didn't even know he had inhaled that much stuff reminded of the burn pits in Iraq. I wasn't even that close to them and I blew my nose and it was black. it is amazing how much particles are in the air and sometimes don't even realize.
Why would they? It’s not like THEY caused it. You have to save yourself before you can save anyone else. That’s why you are told to put your mask on before you even put your child’s mask on when on an airplane.
Its fascinating to listen to all these stories and then hear about people you've heard about in other peoples stories. The burned woman was being helped downstairs by a Jewish gentleman, cant quite remember his name. But ive heard his story several times and I remember him talking about helping a severely burned colleague. Pretty sure same woman hes referring to.
I can never get enough of these personal accounts of that day. This guy is a great storyteller.
Same here.
Same ! ❤
I was just there last week and I broke down walking through ground zero.
I worked in Chicago at the Mercantile Exchange that day and I will never forget the look on the faces of all the brokers we worked with who lost their colleagues on the first plane strike.
I remember 9/11 like it was just last week. I didn’t start listening to survivor stories until about a year ago. I lost count of how many stories I listened to and commented on, it’s at least 50. But now I can’t stop. I feel it’s very important we listen. They’re all compelling, regardless of who the story teller is. It’s good to hear from people who were in the towers, near the towers, Pentagon, Pennsylvania, or relatives waiting to hear from loved ones. All combined paint a picture we’ll never forget, one that unites us all.
@@californiahiker9616 I was on the trading floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange on the day of the attack. I had an order working for a trader who got hit by the first plane. The boker who gave me the order was in tears as she realized her office was destroyed by the attack.
in dec 2001 i met a lady from Jersey she had a relative in the towers on 911.He had been out at a coworker's retirement party the night before . He was very hungover and went down to the lobby to get some pepto when the first plane hit his floor
he saw elevator explode and was able to get out. Im sure his full story would be a good listen
The World Trade Center was never designed for a mass evacuation. When the North Tower was bombed in 1993, power was interrupted and occupants complained of having to descend slowly in pitch black stairwells. It took ten hours to get everyone out of the building that day. After the bombing, the Port Authority spent $250 million on safety and security improvements, including photoluminescent paint in the stairwells, battery-powered stairwell lights, glow-in-the-dark floor signage, and regular fire drills. On 9/11, people in the towers didn't have ten hours to get out. The South Tower collapsed only 56 minutes after being hit. It is estimated that 13,000--15,000 people successfully evacuated the towers on 9/11, and the evacuation was greatly aided by the improvements made after 1993. Hundreds or thousands more would likely have died if not for those efforts.
And on the special type of ventilation, that prevents smoke spreading, if I’m not mistaken
I've heard that field medical techniques developed in Viet Nam gave us the modern system of triage in mass casualty situations. At least SOMETHING good came out of that horror.
That is a really interesting detail that is not mentioned, and TBF why would it be necessarily? A subtle detail that people would not even remember but helped save lives. Thank you.
Wow. I did not know any of this. Thank you. ❤
Great to learn about the improvements
It is good to hear that his company also tried to get him back home. Maybe it is a small thing but it is still care.
Love these stories no matter how long or simple their exit was just any stories about being in those buildings that day ill stop and listen to them
That was such a good account of your experience. Well done sir .
God bless him for surviving and dedicating his life to telling the harrowing story, where many did not. One of the greatest healers of tragedy and the post traumatic stress that follows is talking about what happened. What a selfless man.
"This can all wait another day" I feel is important to hear now even as it was then. People are running a round with heads cut off.
Thanks for your story, it is touching me so well this September 2024!
Wow he survives by making himself a cup of coffee
*Yeah I agree. I also love the people who ignored the PA system saying "Stay at your Desk" I know hindsight is a great thing,but if I saw paper, debris and people falling out of the other tower, I would have high tailed it out of there. I wouldn't have cared if I lost my Job. I would be getting out as fast as possible. I value my life over any job and money.💯%*
I had to make a similar decision once working in a multistory glass building, up in a call center, wearing headphones during a bad lightening storm with tornadoes reported in the area. The supervisor said "Stay at your desks, keep taking calls", but I'd grown up in St. Louis, where we KNEW when to hit the basement and STAY OFF THE PHONE! I was like "Sorry. Girl...BYE !!", and headed for the concrete stairwell with no windows! A few people snickered...but a few went WITH me!
Great story. I’m sure everyone who was there that day remembers every detail. I was in Arlington VA and when I heard the news I honestly thought the world was ending. It felt like Armageddon. Like his wife, I was also 5 months pregnant. My daughter was born January 16, 2002. I talk to her and my son born in 2005 about the events of 9-11 frequently because I want the generations who were born before it began to know.
What an awesome man, so glad you were able to make it out and get back to your family. ❤
Great story of a horrific day. Thank you and I'm glad you didn't go up for breakfast that day.
He is most fortunate to have made it out to see his family again, while so many did not. I had 2 friends in Tower 1 Cantor Fitzgerald, both with newborn sons, who never made it home. Just one of them was able to call home, he knew he was going to die, and it is just heartbreaking to think about. Made me tear up when this guy said he was crying over his son’s crib thinking of my friends
I'm sorry about your friends and their families.
@@marymorris6897 Thank You Mary. Their wives have found love and happiness again, and their boys are now young men and successful college students
Sorry about your friends ...may they rest in peace 🙏🏻
@@meleymel Thank You 🙏. Amen
@@thomas.1995 My thoughts are with you ❤️
These stories of survival are fascinating. I'm glad you and your colleagues made it out alive. I weep for the souls that did not.
Thank you Don for your story. #Neverforget
What a fascinating story, every day I search for these stories and every once in a while the yt algorithm blesses me with these accounts given with such detail. I hope the man giving his experience is doing well today.
I feel the same exact way!!
Same here!
Pretty run of the mill stuff compared to what others had to deal with that day.
@@brucemacmillan9581 perhaps but his account was told well, and people who weren't directly affected that day, still wouldn't trade with him.
GOD was watching out for this man that day and even before with the hotel he was placed etc, not going to break yin the restaurant at the top that morning, GOD works in many ways
I always get sad when u can hear in their voices trying to keep it together
I couldn't help wondering if talking to groups like this wasn't part of his own therapy for dealing with those memories.
Your story telling and account of your experience that day are incredible. I could picture everything you were saying. Also, as an IT professional, I remember watching 9/11 unfold while I was in a Network Operations Center (NOC), so I can totally connect when you talked about server rooms, etc. In fact, I was troubleshooting with a guy in the WTC remotely the day before. Thank you for sharing.
This is one of the best talks I’ve heard, thank you!
What a great American - Amazing human being.
My parents always talked about the day JFK was assasinated, I was not even six but I have memories of them being so tense and trying to make everything normal. I think that was their moment of realisation that there is real evil in this world.
I was working for an American company in London, attending an on site training course. There were a lot of Americans working on our site, some had relatives in New York.
No one knew how widespread the attacks were going to be, at that time we all feared the worst.
That is the moment I understood. We are not safe. Especially now.
Im Australian and i always get emotional hearing and seeing anything about 9/11
Thanks for your story
I'm the same as you even after almost 23 years! I'm also a fellow Aussie as well xo ❤
Thnk u for sharing your story.
Hadn’t seen this before. Thank you! !,
19:00 He only found out what had happened after he evacuated the building. If this had occurred today everybody in those stairwells would’ve had instant access to what had occurred and it probably would’ve created a heightened sense of panic for everyone.
thanks for sharing your story. prayers to everyone
The security guard from the 44th floor might have been the same one that another survivor ran into, on the same floor in his retreat out.
In his encounter he said the security guard was also with someone that had bad injuries, and asked the guy to call for help for them, as he stayed with that person. He didn't make it out.
Very good video. You made me feel what you felt on that day❤
You tell your story so well - I heard every word. Good job!
Don't think I've ever heard accounts of what the impact felt like when inside the building. It must have been so confusing. 40 floors below you've no clue what it was, and if things settled after that, you'd probably just carry on none the wiser. Damn.
*Not if you had half a brain you wouldn't. There is a video at 8x times speed showing how much the building rocked back and forth until it righted itself. Much more than this man described. Maybe it didn't feel as bad for him as he was a lot lower. If you could just carry on after feeling that, something is definitely wrong with you. To feel such a large structure move back and forth like that, you know something is terribly wrong and something major has happened. I would have evacuated immediately and dealt with whatever I was doing at a later time. It's better to be safe than sorry. No amount of money or worrying about losing my job is worth more than my life. Have a great day and enjoy life. It's short, and you never know when your time is up. Take care,stay safe. Always love and be kind to everyone, even if you don't know them. Enjoy every minute of life.💯%.👍👍*
There's a video by MrBallen entitled Inside the Twin Towers on 9/11, that story does describe what the impact was like for someone on the 81st (I think?) floor of the first building hit
I just heard one yesterday and people on the upper floors felt the building actually twist in One Direction and then back as it was also going south and then north again. It moves quite a bit at the top 😫
I've been watching a lot of videos about this recently. When he talks about "move to the right, injured coming through" and the lady with the burned arms, that lady had to jump through burning aviation fuel flames to get out of an elevator. She made it out OK with a jewish man called Ari Schonbrun. The lady behind her in the elevator also made it out, but sadly died from her burns.
I just saw this video of Ari tell his story . He tells it differently than the ones I've seen but what he says at the end is powerful. ua-cam.com/video/_lyO9-33_CE/v-deo.htmlsi=s-ETx1Rd78XBxT1c
In one way i wanted him to go to the window to the world restaurant because you only live once, do it. But then i remembered if he did he would have been trapped and certainly died that day. Him not going to the top floor saved his life. I still cant quite fathom how this happened and wasnt just a horrific scene in a twisted film.
I think the burned woman he is talking about was Virginia. Ive heard a testimony from a coworker of hers, and she was in so much pain...
I'm so glad you didn't go up to the restaurant for breakfast that day like you thought of doing
He said the first building collapsed at 8:59. That's a mistake, I think it was 9:46. But I'm sure he just mispoke. Incredible story none the less.
Meant to say 09.59. North tower collapsed 29 mins later at 10.28.
Discredits every single word he said.
Clearly an illuminati plant or possibly a tree but definitely with the aluminaughties
God has all those that passed away from 9/11
Blowing black out of his nose and he didn't even know he had inhaled that much stuff reminded of the burn pits in Iraq. I wasn't even that close to them and I blew my nose and it was black. it is amazing how much particles are in the air and sometimes don't even realize.
He was an all state football player in college
Never forget
I love New York I am from Akron Ohio want to stay
Amazing survival story!
It was a sad day wish it didn't happen 😢
Did you ever find out about security guy from the 44th floor ❤
Dear God please forgive my sins and forgive my mistakes accept my self just as I am I accept the Holy Spirit and save my soul
God is your loving heavenly Father God is love and loves you. You have 1.3 million hairs on your head
Amen.
i thought the towers stayed up for quite a long time?
@dmgsoultogetherness6667
Think he meant to say 9.59 not 8.59
Pretty much an hour
NORTH Tower 102 minutes
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🤍🤍🤍
If you hate America get out do not stay I am American and love my country
So basically the firefighters were impeding the existing of the victims.
Remember he didn't see any plane hit the bldg. He only stated it must have been the first plane.
Maybe because he was in the server room? !! 🙄
@@mopanov Some people really aren't working with much mental horsepower.
Moron
For a computer nerd he was cute
I wonder why some survivors do NOT have survivor’s guilt.
Why would they? It’s not like THEY caused it. You have to save yourself before you can save anyone else. That’s why you are told to put your mask on before you even put your child’s mask on when on an airplane.
Because it’s all random.
Its fascinating to listen to all these stories and then hear about people you've heard about in other peoples stories. The burned woman was being helped downstairs by a Jewish gentleman, cant quite remember his name. But ive heard his story several times and I remember him talking about helping a severely burned colleague. Pretty sure same woman hes referring to.
9/11 hurt me so that I wanted to reenlist into the Navy because I wanted to be apart of getting our lick back.