*** OFFICIAL NYC Area HTF personal/personnel WTC tragedy thread **STAY ON-TOPIC PLEASE!!** (1 Viewer)

[RAF]

Once again the Internet provides the lines of communication in a time of national crisis. Many have mentioned concern about HTF members, family, friends and businesses which are effected by the dastardly acts unfolding before us.
I'm starting this thread to share information in this specific area. Let me get the ball rolling with a small bit of good news.
My son, David, (the father of those cute kids you see in some of my HT pictures) works in the World Financial Center, about 100 yards from the WTC. He called me at 8:50 this morning to tell me he was o.k. and with an eyewitness account of what was going on. He was looking out of his window on the 18th floor and saw the devastation unfold in front of him.
As we spoke, a second plane hit the second building. His view was blocked so he naturally thought this was just another explosion from the original "accident." When I told him that it was clearly a commercial jet and that the South Tower was now in flames he immediately realized this was no accident and told his people he was leaving and suggested they do the same.
He walked out the building, went to the Staten Island Ferry about 100 yards away and immediately boarded one of the many, many boats pressed into service to get people away ASAP. Once safely in NJ (all the Husdon river bridges and tunnels were closed) he hopped on a train and was home 45 minutes later.
Thanks God for that. And prayers to the many others in the HTF who will not have such happy stories to relate.
Today makes most other days pale in comparison.
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RAF
[Demented Video Dude since 1997]
[Computer Maven since 1956]
["PITA" since 1942]
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[JohnS]

I would like to know, who are the NYC HTF members??
I'm worried

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[CaptDS9E]

The only ones that I have seen on here from NYC are Robert and myself. Robert im glad to hear your son is ok
capt

 

[RAF]

John,
I imagine you could do a search on this in the membership database (or maybe Packy/Ron could post something). There are not only many HTF members in NYC and environs, like myself, but many with friends, families and businesses tied to the massive WTC.
For example, Chris Maynard, one of the moderators, let us know that his company had an office in WTC building #2.
This will affect a lot of people in a lot of ways for a long, long time.
Anamorphism, The Phantom Menace and the like seem extremely trivial by comparison as they should. Ironically, the scenes that are unfolding before our eyes is not unlike what we have become used to seeing in a typcial action flick.
This time, however, it is reality and friends and loved ones are playing out the roles.
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RAF
[Demented Video Dude since 1997]
[Computer Maven since 1956]
["PITA" since 1942]
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[Jay H]

I'm not in NYC but 40 miles NW in NJ... I do alot of hiking in the area and one of the many sights you see is the NYC skyline. I know of alot of nice places to hike in NJ where you can see the skyline clearly on a clear day. It's not going to look the same now I guess.

Of course, that isn't what's important though and I hope that everybody that can make it out of this tragedy does so.
Jay
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[Guy Martin]

I'm not from NYC, but I have a close friend up there who works in the Trade Center. Still no word, very worried. fortunately my cousin who goes to school just a few blocks away was evacuated safely before the collapse.
- Guy

 

[Tim Gerdes]

Like Robert's son, my wife Michelle works in the World Financial Center. Fortunately, Michelle's shift at the Wall Street Journal does not begin until 11 AM and she was still at home when the attack on the WTC occured.
We are both worried about her co-workers and other friends who live and work in the area. I am at a loss for further words about this horrible tragedy.
Tim
[Edited last by Tim Gerdes on September 11, 2001 at 01:51 PM]

 

[Guy Martin]

My friend just called me. Fortunately she wasn't working at the WTC office today. Thank God.
- Guy

 

[David Rubenstein]

My brother works in the 2nd tower on the 50th floor. He saw the debris fly towards him when the first plane hit and an announcement was made throughout the building not to evacuate (I've heard no other mention of this, but I'm disgusted by the though of it). My brother didn't listen to the warning and ran down 50 flights of stairs and was in the mall level of the building when the second plane hit.
Cel phones weren't working, but we both have Blackberrys and we emailed each other all morning. He made his was to Chinatown and was able to get on a ferry to Highland NJ where my parents are meeting him.
He worked on the 90th floor until a couple of weeks ago (which was one of the floors hit).
We feel very lucky right now.
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David Rubenstein
My Theater: http://www.hometheaterforum.com/bbs/...ent/28664.html

 

[Jeff McNeal]

Robert,
Thank God that your loved ones are safe.
I knew several people who worked in a health club on the top floor of the WTC. They were my clients for many years. In a gesture of respect and shock for this unprecedented act of war against our country, The BIG Picture has suspended our entertainment news coverage until further notice.
Best wishes,
Jeff McNeal www.TheBIGPictureDVD.com

 

[todd s]

My brother in law works on the 102nd floor of the Trade Center. We did not hear from him until after 11am. We truly thought he was killed. After speaking to him, he came very close. He was a couple of minutes late and was in the lobby and about to get on the elevator when the plane hit. He said just ran until he was down by broadway. No cel phones were working and he had to wait until he could find a pay phone that would work. We are just starting to realize just how close he came to not making it. My condolences go out to all those people who died. In another twist. My brother, his wife, his daughter and my mother left on Sunday on the same United flight from Newark to San Francisco that crashed in Pennsylvania. Again I thank god for sparing them.
ps-My nephew goes to a High School in Long Island. They announced over the intercom that a plane crashed into the Trade Center. His father is the one who was in the lobby. He said a lot of students were upset, because of family members who worked there. Whoever decided to annouce it, should be disciplined.

 

[Scott L]

My father works in the Pentagon. I got off early from work when I told my boss, & rushed home to watch the news and wait by the phone.
I WAS SO RELIEVED when he walked through the door at 2:00pm. The whole entire time this was happening our phone lines were tied up (we live 30 miles south of DC). We couldn't call anybody and they couldn't call us. Talk about feeling helpless. They even shut down i-395 north.
I thank God for bringing my father home safely. I pray for those injured and the families & friends of those hurt.
Edit: looking back at the topic, I see this thread is particularly for the NYC attack. I hope no one minds this post.
[Edited last by Scott L on September 11, 2001 at 02:21 PM]

 

[Carlo_M]

david frattaroli (sp?) was a few blocks from ground zero and trying to get out of his office building. He posted in the other thread. I hope to God that all of our brethren, their family and friends, are safe.
This is truly a day that will live in infamy.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

I'm sitting here shaking right now. I have two good friends - one who lives uptown and works in Lower Manhattan (her subway stop for work is the World Trade Center) and another who lives in Jersey but who travels into various parts of the city (he's in sales) - I haven't been able to reach them all day. I know phones, cellular, email, everything in that area is down and swamped, but I want to hear from them that they are o.k. This is so frightening.

 

[Carlo_M]

Peter, I hear you.
I went to college with 2 people, both of whom (Phil & Virginia) went to NYC in the last few years. You know how distance is: we talked weekly at first and then the phone conversations grew more and more infrequent. Phil used to work at Winstar and doesn't now--but I don't know where he is. Virginia is an actress who temps to make a living although I don't know where she works in NYC now. The last known email addy I had for both of them no longer works. I'm contemplating calling their families and asking about them.
I pray they are safe and sound. I will never take our friendship for granted again.

 

[Kyle Richardson]

No problem Scott. I, and I'm sure everybody else here, consider all of the attacks today as one incident and all posts are welcome.
I am glad to hear of the happy outcome with your father and I hope everybody else with ties into this event has outcomes just as successful.
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[Peter Apruzzese]

Carlo:

I will never take our friendship for granted again.

Truer words have never been spoken.

 

[Tino]

As I just posted in the other thread, I usually visit accounts that are very near to the World Trade Center on Tuesday mornings, bt changed my schedule and visited those accounts yesterday morning instead.
My brother works in the financial district two blocks away from the WTC, but was off today, not his normal day off.
We were lucky today, unlike the other thousands of people that were murdered and injured.
This has been an unbelievably tragic day of epic proportions and America will never be the same.
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Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus.

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

My wife's uncle is a building superintendent (I think that's his title, anyway) in Manhattan. He was participating in a roof inspection six blocks away and witnessed the plane crash. Thank God he is alright as of the last cell phone call he placed. It will be awhile before he gets out of Manhattan and back to New Jersey, but he was far enough away by the time the buildings collapsed to avoid serious harm. She has another Uncle who we think works in the city as well, but we have not heard from him yet [Update: He no longer works in the city -- he has been working on Long Island for some time now -- whew!]. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.
Regards,
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Ken McAlinden
Livonia, MI USA
[Edited last by Ken_McAlinden on September 12, 2001 at 08:03 AM]

 

[Michael Reuben]

My wife and I work in midtown, but a very close friend routinely spends her early mornings at a health club attached to Tower 1.
Today her alarm didn't wake her, and she skipped her workout. I was truly relieved when I reached her at home.
M.