9/11: An untold story

A few weeks ago, my wife and I took a trip north to spend time with family and friends. The last three days were spent in Manhattan, visiting with my sister-in-law Laura. On Tuesday of that week, we decided to take in the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, a place I had never visited but always wanted to see. We boarded the subway early, as our pre-purchased tickets were for a 9:30 time slot.

As we descended the subway at the World Trade Center, I immediately realized I was standing on hallowed ground. The day, ironically similar to 9/11/2001, was perfect. Clear blue skies, a gentle breeze and comfortable temperature immediately brought back memories of that horrible Tuesday nearly 25 years ago. The spot where the two towers once stood are now reflecting pools surrounded by marble walls, each etched with the names of those who lost their lives in the attack. There is a somberness surrounding this area, even as the hustle and bustle of the downtown business district begins its day.

There is much to see once inside the museum. Elevators or escalators take you down nearly three stories, and directions to properly view the exhibits are clearly marked. Most notable are the timeline of the day’s events and a room devoted to the attack on the Pentagon as well as the plane that crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. It took us over three and a half hours to view the entire exhibit. However, most remarkable for me was a short film narrated by Tom Hanks called "Boatlift."

This 12-minute documentary tells of courage and compassion following the collapse of the towers. As we all know, Manhattan is an island, and after the attack, bridges, tunnels, the subway, and any form of ground transportation were unavailable. The clear skies from earlier in the day were now replaced with clouds of dust and debris. People were in a panic mode, worried that more attacks were on the way. Thousands scrambled to the Hudson River hoping to take a ferry boat off the island.

The Coast Guard, which controls the waters there, put out an emergency SOS looking for help in moving people to safe harbors in Staten Island and New Jersey. This move resulted in hundreds of civilian crafts, from tugboats and private vessels to fishing excursions and sightseeing boats, all answering the call. It is estimated that over 500,000 stranded civilians were moved to safety in under nine hours.

These were normal people who braved the waters, uncertain of what lay ahead. These civilians were able to pull it off without any loss of life during the evacuation. It is now considered the largest sea evacuation ever recorded, surpassing the evacuation of British and French troops in 1940 from Dunkirk. The documentary called "Boatlift - An Untold Tale of 9/11 Resilence" can be watched for free on the official Eyepop Productions YouTube Channel. I encourage you all to watch it.

I also encourage you, if you should ever visit New York City, to take in the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. There are countless stories of first responders putting aside their own safety to help hundreds of thousands of people in their time of need. The museum is a must-see.

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Mike Angarola and his wife Ann have been vacationing on Amelia Island since their daughter started attending Jacksonville University in 2012. They always knew they would retire here, and since January 2024, that's been the case. Mike is a former small business owner, having run an Italian specialty store featuring many of his mom's recipes, sauces and Italian dishes.

If you have a story you'd like to share here in the Fernandina Observer - about a neighbor or friend or stranger or business that showed kindness, or about kindness and compassion in general - please contact Peggie Weeks at pegweeks@gmail.com