The Only Plane in the Sky: The Oral History of 9/11

by Garrett M. Graff

Nearly every American above a certain age remembers precisely where they were on September 11, 2001.

Hillary Howard, weather anchor, WUSA-TV, Washington, D.C.: The sky was extraordinarily blue. Lt. Jim Daly, Arlington County (Virginia) Police Department: A gorgeous blue. Joyce Dunn, teacher, Shanksville-Stonycreek School District, Pennsylvania: So blue. Brian Gunderson, chief of staff for House Majority Leader Richard Armey (R-Texas): Deep blue. Michael Lomonaco, executive chef, Windows on the World, North Tower, 106th floor: Deep, deep blue. Eve Butler-Gee, chief journal clerk, U.S. House of Representatives: Cobalt blue. Katie Couric: Cerulean blue. Mike Tuohey, ticket agent, Portland International Jetport, Maine: The bluest of blues.

You could smell fuel. I had no idea what happened. I could see in the elevator shaft—floor-to-ceiling flames. It looked like a shower curtain shimmering. It’s funny the things that you do in the situation—I put my bagel down in the entranceway and said, “I have to remember when it’s over, I have to pick up the bagel and throw it away.”

That same minute, an NYPD helicopter, hovering over the Towers, reported that roof rescues—which had been successful following the 1993 bombing—would be impossible due to the volume of heat and smoke. Minutes later, Chief Esposito ordered that given the conditions no helicopters should attempt to land on the roof. Although they don’t know it, the fate of everyone above the 91st floor in the North Tower was already sealed.

Peter Bitwinski, assistant manager, Accounts Payable, Port Authority, North Tower, 69th floor: I have known John for a long time. Our desks were side by side for many years in Accounts Payable, so needless to say, he was a close friend of mine. I said, “John, where’s your [evacuation] chair?”

we see a wheel of a plane, and this detective said, “That’s evidence. We have to take it back with us.” I said, “Are you crazy?” Richie said, “No, that’s it,” and drags this thing back into the Port Authority police desk.

Thomas Von Essen, commissioner, FDNY: Inside the [North Tower ground-floor] lobby, I think we knew less of what was going on than people outside or in the street, or the people watching TV.

Capt. Jay Jonas, Ladder 6, FDNY: You had a row of firemen going up the stairs, and you had a row of civilians coming down the stairs.

Despite the fact that an incident had occurred within the buildings, not many companies formally evacuated their staff; many of the early evacuees had made the decision on their own to leave. In the South Tower, however, Morgan Stanley’s efforts likely saved scores or even hundreds of lives. The company, which occupied floors 59 to 74, as well as a few other, scattered lower floors, had invested heavily in evacuation equipment and training following the 1993 bombing, and its vice president of security, a former British paratrooper–turned–Vietnam veteran named Rick Rescorla, ignored the Port Authority’s initial announcement that those in the South Tower could remain at their desks. Instead, the retired colonel immediately began working to ensure everyone escaped.

This is an invasion of the most intimate moment ever. My hands started to go up to block the lenses. But then I thought, No, this has got to be recorded for history. I just stood there.

Howard Lutnick, CEO, Cantor Fitzgerald, North Tower: I stood at the door off of Church Street. People were coming out, and I was yelling at them to run. I would ask them what floor they were coming from. Someone would scream, “55!” and I would scream, “We’re at 55!” because I kept wanting to get numbers higher up the building, from my office’s floors, 101 through 105. I got to the 91st floor.

Tracy Donahoo: I was thinking of my family, and I was thinking of my annoying little puppy I had at home that was driving my mother crazy, and I was like, She’s gonna kill me, being stuck with this dog.

Friar Michael Duffy: Mychal Judge’s body was the first one released from Ground Zero. His death certificate has the number “1” on the top. James Hanlon, former firefighter, FDNY: The first official casualty of the attack. Craig Monahan, firefighter, Ladder 5, FDNY: I think he wouldn’t have had it any other way. It was as if he took the lead—all those angels, right through heaven’s gates. That’s what it seemed like to us. If any of those guys were confused on the way up, he was there to ease the transition from this life to the next.

John Abruzzo: We made it out to the West Street entrance. There was glass all over the place. They had to lift the chair physically off the ground to carry me out into the street. They put me down to rest. It took an hour and a half to get from the 69th floor down to street level. If it weren’t for the evacuation chair and the 10 people who brought me down, I would not have made it. * * *

Due to faulty communications, not all of the firefighters inside the North Tower received the order to evacuate, so even in the final minutes of the North Tower’s life, some FDNY firefighters trudged upward toward the crash zone. Others, though, heard the warnings and simply refused to leave.

Capt. Jay Jonas: Over the radio I did hear Chief [Pete] Hayden calling for an evacuation, for guys to get out. In particular, he engaged Paddy Brown. He called him by name: “Capt. Paddy Brown. Command Post to Ladder 3. Capt. Paddy Brown. Evacuate the building.” Paddy got on the radio and he said, “I refuse the order. I’m on the 44th floor. I got too many burned people here. I’m not leaving them.”

It turned out we’d happened to park over a hot refueling tank they used for bombers. This civilian is arguing with our crew, “The fuel pits are only authorized for use in time of war.” This air force master sergeant—God bless him—overhears this and roars, “We are at war!” He whips out his knife and starts cutting open the cover. That defines to me what the day was like.

My father had put out a flag in front of the house.

“I’m OK. I love you. And I’m staying.”

I also remember looking at my son and thinking how one day, he would know about these horrific events. I wish he didn’t have to know such evil exists. age 2

William Jimeno: I remember as we got to the hospital, I’m thinking there’s going to be thousands of people in there. That’s the second time I cried. As they pulled me off the ambulance, I see these doctors standing around and nurses. I said, “Where is everybody?” They’re like, “You’re it.” They’re telling me there’s nobody else.

Joe Asher, Cantor Fitzgerald, North Tower: I remember the day of the death certificates. People needed them to begin taking care of their spouse’s estate. The city set up a system where a death certificate could be obtained with an affidavit from the next of kin and an affidavit from the employer. The employer’s affidavit said essentially: name, Social Security number, date of birth, etc., worked for Cantor Fitzgerald at One World Trade Center and to the best of our knowledge was in the building on September 11. We did individual affidavits. The stack was a foot high. Each was two pages. Stephen [Merkel] our general counsel, sits down to start signing, and for each one, he would look at it, and if he knew the person, he would say something about the person. This went on for hours. It was just awful.

Uno nunca muere la víspera.” It is a saying in Spanish. It’s impossible for you to die on the eve of your death. You only die when you have to die. You’re never close to death. You die or you’re alive.

The significance of the date of September 11th, 9/11, was seared into the nation’s collective memory, altering the way those affected looked at the calendar and even clocks. Even those for whom the date was meant to bear happy memories—like Susannah Herrada, whose son was born in Arlington amid the injured from the Pentagon—found themselves haunted. Choosing what and how to remember the day remains a complicated challenge, as does charting a life forward day to day, especially for those who suffered from ongoing health challenges related to either the attacks themselves or the cleanup work after. The death toll of 9/11 has continued to steadily rise.

I grieved while other people became afraid. I still think that we all walk on eggshells. I don’t think that the young people who will be [reading] this will know the same freedom I knew growing up.

Jeh Johnson, U.S. secretary of homeland security, 2013–17: My birthday is 9/11. I haven’t celebrated on that day since 2001. The memory from 2001 overwhelms the birthday.

more than 7,000 firefighters and EMTs in New York were treated for 9/11-related injuries. New York estimates that 20 percent of those first responders also suffer from PTSD.

“Did you know my dad?” I said, “Well, who’s your dad?” He said, “Steve Huczko.” I said, “Oh, yes—I did.” I said, “I was with your dad on 9/11. The last time I saw him, he was helping a lady who was having trouble breathing. He was really good. He was doing his job.” “Oh, wow. That’s good!” Maybe that’s why I got out, so I could tell these kids what their dads were doing, where they were, and how they were helping everybody.

Vaughn Allex, ticket agent, Washington Dulles International Airport, Virginia: I had this wild thing in my mind that everything that happened on September 11th was my fault, personally. That I could have changed it. I felt there was no place for me in the world. There were all these support groups, and I didn’t belong there because how do I sit in a room with people that are mourning and crying and they’re like, “What’s your role in this whole thing?” “Well, I checked in a couple of the hijackers and made sure they got on the flight.”

NASA astronaut Frank Culbertson was the only American not on planet Earth for September 11. He documented the view of New York post-attack from the International Space Station.