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(dramatic string music)
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- [Woman] The message that he left for me
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meant everything to me.
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I clung to it.
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I listened to it repeatedly
in the days after.
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- [Woman] Everybody has told
me that has lost loved ones,
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you'll lose the sound of their voice.
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I've probably listened to the
message hundreds of times.
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- [Man] It's available any
time I want to play it back.
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It's there, I hear it, and I know it.
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I'm still very fragile to listen to it.
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And so I'm comforted to know it's there,
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but I don't, I don't listen to it.
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- [Narrator] On September the 11th, 2001,
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nearly 3,000 families lost a loved one.
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The Twin Towers collapsed
with such destructive force
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that only 300 bodies were recovered.
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But for some families
there is another legacy.
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Trapped inside the towers, many people
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tried to make desperate
contact with the outside world.
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(muffled talking)
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Some were able to speak on the phone.
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Others could only leave messages.
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- [Man] Just want to
say how much I love you.
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- [Narrator] Since that
day families have lived
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with the memory of these final
words from their loved ones.
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(muffled talking)
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- [Narrator] Many of these
calls have never been heard
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in public and are featured
here for the first time.
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(muffled talking)
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- [Narrator] All are used
with the full consent
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of the relatives, who only now
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feel ready to talk about them.
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These recordings shed light
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on what really happened inside the towers.
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But they also reveal
something more profound
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about the choices people
make in their final moments,
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who to turn to, and what to say.
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- [Man] Obviously a
pretty scary experience.
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I saw a guy fall out of probably
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the 91st story all the way down.
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- [Woman] Okay, now you
stay on the line with me.
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(slow music)
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- My dog, Coco wakes me
up somewhere approximately
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5:30 in the morning and
wants to go for a walk.
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So at 5:30 in the
morning I get out of bed,
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brush my teeth, throw
some water on my face.
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We walk through the woods
for half an hour, 40 minutes.
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Come on, come on.
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I say a little prayer ever
single day and talk to Melissa.
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It's just, I know she's there,
I know she's listening to me.
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I was the last person
from the outside world
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that she spoke to.
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I'll always remember that.
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When you fall asleep sometimes at night
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and you close your eyes, you can just see
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her face there saying, Dad, I love you.
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- [Narrator] On September the 11th,
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Bob Harrington's daughter, Melissa
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was in New York for just one day.
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Aged 31, she was a
high-powered business executive
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and was there to oversee
the merger of her company.
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The meeting was on the 101st floor
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of the North Tower of
the World Trade Center.
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- She was only going to
be there that Tuesday.
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When the merger was done she was flying
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back to California the next day.
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(slow music)
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- We found nothing of Jim.
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He was completely destroyed.
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So the fact that I'd spoken
to him means so much to me.
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I think that the healing
process is ongoing.
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It's important to let people
know what families of 9/11
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have been experiencing, what
we've been doing through,
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what we've gone through.
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We still have those memories
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that we don't want anybody to ever forget.
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- [Narrator] Jill Gartenberg
had just started a family
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with her 35 year old husband, Jim.
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A successful real estate executive,
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Jim had recently accepted a
promotion at a new company.
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On September the 11th he'd
only gone in to clear his desk
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at his office on the 86th
floor of the North Tower.
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- Saying goodbye, I love
you is the last thing
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I can remember, seeing
him walking out the door
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that morning of September 11th.
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- [Man] We just had a plane
crash into an upper floor
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of the World Trade Center.
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- [Man] The World Trade Center
tower number one is on fire.
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The whole outside of the building.
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Just send every available ambulance
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to the World Trade Center now.
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- [Narrator] In the minutes after
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American Airlines flight 11
collided with the North Tower,
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the live pictures were
flashed across the world.
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- [Man] We have numerous,
numerous people trapped.
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- [Narrator] But those inside
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were unable to see what had happened.
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- [Woman] Yes, I had a call
from the World Trade Center.
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- [Man] Yeah.
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- [Narrator] Desperate for information,
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they made more than 3,000 calls
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in the first 10 minutes alone.
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(people talking)
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- [Woman] He says he's at the 105th floor
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at 1 World Trade Center.
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- [Woman] The Windows of the
World, 1 World Trade Center.
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- [Narrator] At the
top of the North Tower,
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100 people were attending a conference
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at the Windows on the World restaurant.
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Among them was 31 year
old Christopher Hanley,
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who made one of the first recorded calls
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to 911 emergency services that day.
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(phone ringing)
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- [Christopher] Yeah, hi.
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- [Operator] The 106th floor?
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- [Christopher] Yes.
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- [Operator] 106, okay.
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- [Operator] All right.
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- [Operator] Do not leave, okay.
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There's a fire or explosion
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or something in the building, all right.
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I want you to stay where are you.
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- [Christopher] Yes.
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- [Operator] All right, we're there.
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We're coming up to get ya.
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- [Operator] All right, we're on the way.
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Just sit tight.
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- [Operator] All right, just sit tight.
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We're on the way.
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- [Woman] Christopher was our only child.
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He was so special.
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- To be able to have the 911 audio
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was really very important.
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The most emotional poignant moment for me
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is when he asked them,
please hurry, and thank you.
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To be able to have that--
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- Presence of mind.
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- Under pressure like that I
thought was just remarkable.
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I'm just really proud of him.
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I mean, to be able to keep that cool
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and request please hurry.
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I think that was his last words.
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(slow music)
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- The sonic record of that day,
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the audible record of
that day, is essential
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because the visual record of that day
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is limited to the exteriors.
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What we see with our eyes
are two buildings in flames.
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And these calls and these
radio transmissions,
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they show us through sound
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what we couldn't see with our eyes.
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They're part of the fabric of the day
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that we wouldn't know or
have any understanding of
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without this sonic record.
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00:09:04,077 --> 00:09:06,080
- Coco, coco, come here.
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Easy, easy, no.
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Coco, easy, easy.
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There's a tree in front of my house
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that was planted the week
after Melissa was born.
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The tree grew up, Melissa grew up.
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And the tree grew up to be probably
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the biggest tree on the street.
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And Melissa grew up to be such
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a fine, nice, beautiful young lady.
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(slow music)
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Melissa would have been 39 last week.
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Now the tree is probably 40, 50 feet high.
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When I planted it, it was five feet high
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and skinny as two fingers together.
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So, you know, I look
out and I see that tree
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and I just remember the day she was born.
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(phone ringing)
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00:10:04,700 --> 00:10:07,363
September 11th started
like any other morning.
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Woke up, put a pot of coffee on.
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I was making the bed
and the telephone rang.
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I don't usually answer the phone
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because having been in
construction my whole life
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people call up, have a tendency
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to want you to do a job for them
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for nothing or give them some advice.
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So I don't usually answer the phone.
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But this morning I did.
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It was my daughter, Melissa.
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I knew she was in New York.
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I didn't know anything that had happened
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at that particular point in time.
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Melissa was a little hysterical.
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I told her, "Honey, you have to slow down
190
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"so that your father can
understand what the problem is."
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She got her composure, said to me,
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"Dad, I'm on 101st floor
of the World Trade Center
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"and a bomb just went off."
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In my bedroom was a TV set.
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I turned it on.
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00:11:03,340 --> 00:11:04,990
It happened to be on CNN.
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I saw the fire, I saw the smoke.
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00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:10,543
I was heartbroken.
199
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She told me the fire
wasn't her major concern,
200
00:11:15,650 --> 00:11:17,510
but there was an awful lot of smoke.
201
00:11:17,510 --> 00:11:18,727
So I said to her, "Honey," I said,
202
00:11:18,727 --> 00:11:20,090
"Can you see an exit sign?"
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00:11:20,090 --> 00:11:21,517
She said, "Yes, Dad."
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00:11:21,517 --> 00:11:23,217
And I said, "Well under
all the exit signs,
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00:11:23,217 --> 00:11:24,520
"honey, are stairwells."
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00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:25,887
I said, "You get to that stairwell
207
00:11:25,887 --> 00:11:28,657
"as fast as you can and
get out of the building."
208
00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:34,010
- [Narrator] But unknown
to Melissa and her father,
209
00:11:34,010 --> 00:11:36,363
all three of the stairwells
had been destroyed.
210
00:11:37,330 --> 00:11:40,550
Trapped just three floors
above the impact zone,
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00:11:40,550 --> 00:11:42,683
Melissa would have no means of escape.
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00:11:45,996 --> 00:11:49,240
- She was in trouble and she
called her father for help.
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00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:51,310
I was 130 miles away.
214
00:11:51,310 --> 00:11:54,093
There was nothing I could
do but give her advice.
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00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:58,313
We exchanged I love yous.
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And to my knowledge, I was the last person
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00:12:03,350 --> 00:12:06,763
from the outside world
that she spoke with.
218
00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:13,190
- [Woman] 106th floor.
219
00:12:13,190 --> 00:12:14,809
There's no injuries but
the people are trapped.
220
00:12:14,809 --> 00:12:15,642
(muffled voices talking)
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00:12:15,642 --> 00:12:16,940
- [Woman] We're on the 106th floor
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00:12:16,940 --> 00:12:17,897
of the World Trade Center.
223
00:12:17,897 --> 00:12:18,730
- [Operator] All right, we're there.
224
00:12:18,730 --> 00:12:19,563
We're taking care of it.
225
00:12:19,563 --> 00:12:20,396
- [Woman] Okay.
226
00:12:20,396 --> 00:12:22,650
- [Narrator] In the immediate
aftermath of the attack
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00:12:22,650 --> 00:12:24,750
the emergency services were overwhelmed
228
00:12:24,750 --> 00:12:26,960
by thousands of calls
from the North Tower.
229
00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:28,720
- [Operator] Remain in
the location you are.
230
00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:30,100
Put something by the
door to block the smoke.
231
00:12:30,100 --> 00:12:30,933
- [Operator] Stay where you are.
232
00:12:30,933 --> 00:12:33,340
We have you on the 92nd
floor, southwest corner.
233
00:12:33,340 --> 00:12:34,833
- [Operator] Sure, if you
can get out of the building,
234
00:12:34,833 --> 00:12:35,666
then get out of the building.
235
00:12:35,666 --> 00:12:37,572
If you can't, just remain there
and somebody will get you.
236
00:12:37,572 --> 00:12:39,633
- [Operator] How many other
people are with you right now?
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00:12:39,633 --> 00:12:40,633
- [Man] 200?
238
00:12:48,285 --> 00:12:51,064
(slow music)
239
00:12:51,064 --> 00:12:53,553
- [Jill] Morning, happy birthday.
240
00:12:56,871 --> 00:12:58,177
(child laughing)
241
00:12:58,177 --> 00:12:59,777
- Wow.
242
00:12:59,777 --> 00:13:01,487
Okay, you want to open this?
243
00:13:01,487 --> 00:13:06,382
It says Nicole, this was my
favorite toy when I was two.
244
00:13:06,382 --> 00:13:07,957
I hope you like it.
245
00:13:07,957 --> 00:13:09,210
Love, Daddy.
246
00:13:09,210 --> 00:13:11,730
- [Jill] I think 9/11 comes up pretty
247
00:13:11,730 --> 00:13:14,090
regularly in everybody's lives.
248
00:13:14,090 --> 00:13:16,590
I mean, you watch television,
you go to an airport,
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00:13:16,590 --> 00:13:18,070
any time you travel.
250
00:13:18,070 --> 00:13:19,230
You didn't go to Zita's house?
251
00:13:19,230 --> 00:13:20,063
- Did you see Granny?
252
00:13:20,063 --> 00:13:21,470
- So much has changed since 9/11.
253
00:13:21,470 --> 00:13:22,710
Everybody talks about 9/11.
254
00:13:22,710 --> 00:13:25,023
It's in the newspapers probably every day.
255
00:13:27,340 --> 00:13:29,480
And all it think about
when I hear that 9/11
256
00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:32,160
is I am so proud that my husband
257
00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:33,710
did what he could that morning.
258
00:13:39,900 --> 00:13:42,610
- [Narrator] Jim Gartenberg
had accepted a better paid job
259
00:13:42,610 --> 00:13:44,593
at a new company four days earlier.
260
00:13:45,540 --> 00:13:47,640
Welcome news, as his wife Jill
261
00:13:47,640 --> 00:13:49,490
was pregnant with their second child.
262
00:13:50,540 --> 00:13:52,870
September the 11th was his last commute
263
00:13:52,870 --> 00:13:54,623
to work at the North Tower.
264
00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:01,540
(phone beeping)
265
00:14:01,540 --> 00:14:03,810
- I went to work soon after he did.
266
00:14:03,810 --> 00:14:06,090
And my office is very
close to our apartment,
267
00:14:06,090 --> 00:14:07,833
so I just walked a few blocks.
268
00:14:08,930 --> 00:14:11,990
When I got there, there was
a message light blinking
269
00:14:11,990 --> 00:14:14,483
and I listened to the machine right away.
270
00:14:22,870 --> 00:14:26,913
- And that was, I didn't
even know what that meant.
271
00:14:28,070 --> 00:14:30,640
I listened to the message
actually several times
272
00:14:30,640 --> 00:14:32,790
'cause I wasn't really
sure what he was saying.
273
00:14:32,790 --> 00:14:34,690
I couldn't believe what he was saying.
274
00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:40,923
Just a minute later, I spoke to him.
275
00:14:42,900 --> 00:14:46,760
Unlike the message on the
machine, which sounded frantic,
276
00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:48,730
when I first spoke to him he sounded
277
00:14:48,730 --> 00:14:51,630
very calm, very controlled.
278
00:14:51,630 --> 00:14:54,797
He said to me, "I'm going
to be okay," you know,
279
00:14:54,797 --> 00:14:57,770
"There's a fire, but
I'm going to be okay."
280
00:14:57,770 --> 00:14:58,960
I said, "Stay down low."
281
00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:00,000
I mean right, what we learned,
282
00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:01,600
stay down low if there's a fire.
283
00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:03,840
And he stayed down low and he was hiding
284
00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:06,480
behind a desk and he was
trying to call for help.
285
00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:09,633
And he had no idea what was going on.
286
00:15:11,028 --> 00:15:12,030
(slow music)
287
00:15:12,030 --> 00:15:14,600
- [Narrator] 500 miles away in Chicago,
288
00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:18,203
Jim's closest friend, Adam
had only just arrived at work.
289
00:15:19,940 --> 00:15:23,417
- I turned on CNBC and they said,
290
00:15:23,417 --> 00:15:25,300
"We go live to the World Trade Center."
291
00:15:25,300 --> 00:15:28,070
And there was smoking
coming out of the building.
292
00:15:28,070 --> 00:15:30,483
First thing I did was call his office.
293
00:15:32,470 --> 00:15:35,070
He picked up the phone right away
294
00:15:35,070 --> 00:15:40,070
and he had a voice that
I'd never heard before.
295
00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:42,284
And it was, you know,
296
00:15:42,284 --> 00:15:47,284
just utter panic and fear and expletives.
297
00:15:47,397 --> 00:15:48,230
"There's fire.
298
00:15:48,230 --> 00:15:49,063
"There's smoke everywhere.
299
00:15:49,063 --> 00:15:50,557
"There's debris, I can't get out.
300
00:15:50,557 --> 00:15:52,157
"You got to get me out of here."
301
00:15:53,060 --> 00:15:54,230
He had asked what happened,
302
00:15:54,230 --> 00:15:56,223
and he didn't know and I didn't know.
303
00:15:57,890 --> 00:15:59,470
- [Narrator] Jim Gartenberg was on
304
00:15:59,470 --> 00:16:01,773
the 86th floor of the North Tower.
305
00:16:02,860 --> 00:16:06,030
Although he was six floors
below the point of impact,
306
00:16:06,030 --> 00:16:08,630
Jim and a colleague were trapped by debris
307
00:16:08,630 --> 00:16:10,463
as the floors collapsed above them.
308
00:16:11,370 --> 00:16:13,337
- His comments were then real calm.
309
00:16:13,337 --> 00:16:15,197
"Okay, what are we supposed to do?"
310
00:16:16,210 --> 00:16:18,950
And I told him there's
fire and it's going up.
311
00:16:18,950 --> 00:16:20,093
You need to get down.
312
00:16:22,432 --> 00:16:23,977
And he said, "I can't go anywhere.
313
00:16:23,977 --> 00:16:26,267
"The stairs are blown out below us.
314
00:16:26,267 --> 00:16:28,707
"The debris's too heavy,
we can't move anything."
315
00:16:36,140 --> 00:16:39,380
- It was very unusual that people outside
316
00:16:39,380 --> 00:16:42,410
had almost a greater
sense of alarm and urgency
317
00:16:42,410 --> 00:16:44,923
than the people inside,
who were in the dark.
318
00:16:46,140 --> 00:16:48,900
Families were seeing the billowing smoke
319
00:16:48,900 --> 00:16:51,450
and the flames licking up
the side of the building.
320
00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:55,450
It was just a terrible responsibility
321
00:16:55,450 --> 00:16:57,580
for the people on the outside
322
00:16:57,580 --> 00:17:01,685
to have to say, it's worse than you think.
323
00:17:01,685 --> 00:17:04,710
(slow music)
324
00:17:04,710 --> 00:17:07,810
- [Narrator] 15 minutes after
the North Tower had been hit,
325
00:17:07,810 --> 00:17:10,890
most people in Tower 2, the South Tower
326
00:17:10,890 --> 00:17:14,373
were still at their desks and
watching the tragedy unfold.
327
00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:23,010
Amongst them was 24 year
old trader Brad Fetchet,
328
00:17:23,010 --> 00:17:25,910
who left a message for his
mother to tell her he was safe.
329
00:17:27,580 --> 00:17:29,230
- [Brad] Hey, Mom, it's Brad.
330
00:17:29,230 --> 00:17:30,730
Just wanted to call and let you know.
331
00:17:30,730 --> 00:17:31,807
I'm sure that you've heard,
332
00:17:31,807 --> 00:17:34,930
but a plane crashed into
World Trade Center 1.
333
00:17:34,930 --> 00:17:37,540
We're fine, we're in World Trade Center 2.
334
00:17:37,540 --> 00:17:40,970
I'm not, obviously alive
and well over here.
335
00:17:40,970 --> 00:17:43,780
But obviously a pretty scary experience.
336
00:17:43,780 --> 00:17:46,343
I saw a guy fall out of probably
337
00:17:46,343 --> 00:17:48,870
the 91st story all the way down.
338
00:17:48,870 --> 00:17:52,350
So, you're welcome to give a call here.
339
00:17:52,350 --> 00:17:54,620
I think we'll be here all day.
340
00:17:54,620 --> 00:17:57,580
But give me a call back later.
341
00:17:57,580 --> 00:17:58,413
Love you.
342
00:18:00,490 --> 00:18:03,423
- He was trying to reassure
us that he was okay.
343
00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:06,580
But you could tell as he cleared his voice
344
00:18:06,580 --> 00:18:09,270
when he talked about seeing something fall
345
00:18:09,270 --> 00:18:11,570
from the 91st floor that there
346
00:18:11,570 --> 00:18:13,843
was a lot of fear in his voice.
347
00:18:15,430 --> 00:18:16,920
- It's available any time I want
348
00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:18,540
to play it back, it's there.
349
00:18:18,540 --> 00:18:22,040
I hear and I know it.
350
00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:26,120
And I'm still very
fragile to listen to it.
351
00:18:26,120 --> 00:18:27,950
And so I'm comforted to know it's there,
352
00:18:27,950 --> 00:18:30,243
but I don't listen to it.
353
00:18:34,169 --> 00:18:36,490
(phone ringing)
354
00:18:36,490 --> 00:18:39,200
- [Narrator] Eight floors
above Brad in the South Tower
355
00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:42,623
was 42 year old systems
analyst, Shimmy Biegeleisen.
356
00:18:45,232 --> 00:18:46,982
- The phone rang and it was Shimmy.
357
00:18:48,157 --> 00:18:50,170
"Ma, don't worry, I'm fine."
358
00:18:50,170 --> 00:18:52,877
And I said, "Please don't waste any time.
359
00:18:52,877 --> 00:18:54,347
"I know all about it.
360
00:18:54,347 --> 00:18:55,710
"Get out."
361
00:18:55,710 --> 00:18:57,830
And he said, "Listen."
362
00:18:57,830 --> 00:19:01,570
And he put the receiver
up to the loudspeaker
363
00:19:01,570 --> 00:19:03,747
and I heard the announcement,
364
00:19:03,747 --> 00:19:06,877
"Do not leave your office,
this building is secure."
365
00:19:08,940 --> 00:19:11,260
As we hung up, my nephew called.
366
00:19:11,260 --> 00:19:13,590
And he was practically incoherent.
367
00:19:13,590 --> 00:19:15,320
He said, "Shimmy, Trade Center."
368
00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:17,190
I said, "Shimmy is o--"
369
00:19:17,190 --> 00:19:20,180
And as I said, okay,
I never got the k out,
370
00:19:20,180 --> 00:19:22,663
because I saw the plane
hit the other building.
371
00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:37,930
- [Woman] We just had a
call, a caller on the,
372
00:19:37,930 --> 00:19:39,490
but he said a new explosion just happened
373
00:19:39,490 --> 00:19:41,950
at 2 World Trade Center on the 80th floor.
374
00:19:41,950 --> 00:19:45,009
- [Man] There was a second
plane into the other tower.
375
00:19:45,009 --> 00:19:48,001
(muffled talking)
376
00:19:48,001 --> 00:19:50,500
- [Man] Another plane hit
the second tower, okay.
377
00:19:50,500 --> 00:19:54,090
- [Narrator] At 9:03, 17
minutes after the North Tower
378
00:19:54,090 --> 00:19:58,130
was struck, United Airlines flight 175
379
00:19:58,130 --> 00:19:59,623
flew into the South Tower.
380
00:20:02,150 --> 00:20:05,870
Immediately the emergency
services were flooded with calls
381
00:20:05,870 --> 00:20:09,767
as 700 people were trapped
above the impact zone.
382
00:20:09,767 --> 00:20:11,663
- [Man] Possibly two-thirds of the way up.
383
00:20:11,663 --> 00:20:13,622
You got visible fire showing out there.
384
00:20:13,622 --> 00:20:14,705
- [Man] Battalion 9 to dispatch.
385
00:20:14,705 --> 00:20:15,538
- [Woman] Yes, hi.
386
00:20:15,538 --> 00:20:16,371
- [Man] Hi.
387
00:20:16,371 --> 00:20:17,880
Major disaster, number
2 World Trade Center.
388
00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:19,630
Requesting everything possible.
389
00:20:19,630 --> 00:20:20,750
- [Man] Northwest conference room.
390
00:20:20,750 --> 00:20:23,060
- [Woman] Tower 2, room 105.
391
00:20:23,060 --> 00:20:24,294
- [Woman] This is at
the World Trade Center.
392
00:20:24,294 --> 00:20:25,127
People are trapped.
393
00:20:25,127 --> 00:20:25,960
I have a caller on the line.
394
00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:27,430
(muffled talking)
395
00:20:27,430 --> 00:20:28,480
- [Man] What floor are you on?
396
00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:29,620
- [Woman] They're not answering.
397
00:20:29,620 --> 00:20:31,877
- [Woman] We're getting
millions, millions of calls, sir.
398
00:20:31,877 --> 00:20:33,630
All I can say is stay near the window,
399
00:20:33,630 --> 00:20:34,733
stay low, put a towel by the door.
400
00:20:34,733 --> 00:20:36,160
- [Man] Half the firefighters in the city
401
00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:37,182
are on their way over there.
402
00:20:37,182 --> 00:20:38,974
- [Man] Sir, I understand that.
403
00:20:38,974 --> 00:20:43,974
All right, we're trying to get
to people as fast as we can.
404
00:21:09,053 --> 00:21:11,470
(slow music)
405
00:21:19,220 --> 00:21:23,340
- It's a tribute to Stephen
that at the moment of his death
406
00:21:23,340 --> 00:21:26,830
it can be said that he was on good terms
407
00:21:26,830 --> 00:21:29,230
with every member of his family.
408
00:21:29,230 --> 00:21:30,963
And that's not easy.
409
00:21:33,910 --> 00:21:37,589
Stephen was with us for 33 years.
410
00:21:37,589 --> 00:21:38,810
And we have a choice.
411
00:21:38,810 --> 00:21:42,973
We can either say we are
so mad that he's not here.
412
00:21:43,950 --> 00:21:48,720
Or we can say we had him for 33 years.
413
00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:53,353
And we have a feast to return
to, the feast of the memories.
414
00:22:04,320 --> 00:22:07,140
The family came girl, boy, girl.
415
00:22:07,140 --> 00:22:10,580
So there was a little
triumvirate at the top.
416
00:22:10,580 --> 00:22:13,173
And then four boys came in
a very quick succession.
417
00:22:14,360 --> 00:22:17,593
And Stephen was the third
of that group of four.
418
00:22:28,150 --> 00:22:31,223
- [Woman] Stephen was very
relaxed, smiling, laughing.
419
00:22:32,210 --> 00:22:36,350
- He was very laid-back,
very happy, you know.
420
00:22:36,350 --> 00:22:39,993
He really was happy a lot of the time.
421
00:22:42,170 --> 00:22:45,230
- Stephen was really a
peacekeeper within the family,
422
00:22:45,230 --> 00:22:48,020
because we all have very
strong personalities.
423
00:22:48,020 --> 00:22:50,800
And at a dinner table we all
want to voice our opinion.
424
00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:53,600
And Stephen was the best,
I think, of any of us
425
00:22:53,600 --> 00:22:55,850
of listening to all sides of an argument
426
00:22:55,850 --> 00:22:57,923
and really keeping the peace.
427
00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:02,093
That was the role that I
thought he played in our family.
428
00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:04,640
- He definitely did that,
429
00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:08,263
and it's a challenge
to fill that role now.
430
00:23:11,530 --> 00:23:13,040
- [Narrator] Following a successful career
431
00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:15,350
as a college basketball player,
432
00:23:15,350 --> 00:23:17,093
Stephen had moved to New York.
433
00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:21,470
At 33 he was now a trader
434
00:23:21,470 --> 00:23:24,123
with an investment company
in the South Tower.
435
00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:33,300
- September 11th was a
beautiful, beautiful day,
436
00:23:33,300 --> 00:23:36,443
as everyone always will remember, I know.
437
00:23:37,770 --> 00:23:41,650
I was very pleased to
be going to a yoga class
438
00:23:41,650 --> 00:23:43,550
around the corner in the village hill.
439
00:23:45,050 --> 00:23:48,453
And at the end of the class I walked home.
440
00:23:50,270 --> 00:23:54,360
And when I came into this house
there was a blinking light
441
00:23:54,360 --> 00:23:59,143
on the answering machine,
and I had six messages.
442
00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:02,133
Not the usual thing.
443
00:24:05,650 --> 00:24:08,753
And one of the messages was from Stephen.
444
00:24:29,327 --> 00:24:31,744
(slow music)
445
00:24:36,897 --> 00:24:39,935
- Stephen worked in the South Tower.
446
00:24:39,935 --> 00:24:42,018
He was on the 89th floor.
447
00:24:44,373 --> 00:24:47,373
He said that he was going to call me
448
00:24:49,420 --> 00:24:51,463
and that he was going to be all right.
449
00:24:53,580 --> 00:24:55,380
There were messages then from people
450
00:24:55,380 --> 00:24:58,530
calling to say, "Anne, are
your children all right?"
451
00:24:58,530 --> 00:25:03,047
And then there was a message
from my husband, and he said,
452
00:25:03,047 --> 00:25:05,997
"Promise me you will not
turn on the television."
453
00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:10,793
And that was an easy promise to make.
454
00:25:15,320 --> 00:25:19,920
I just went out in the backyard
and I sat in a plastic,
455
00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:23,360
you know, those $5 plastic
chairs under a tree.
456
00:25:23,360 --> 00:25:28,040
And with the phone in
my lap, preparing myself
457
00:25:30,110 --> 00:25:34,210
for what I would need to face.
458
00:25:34,210 --> 00:25:36,034
- [Man] 2 World, you're on the
80th floor, northwest corner.
459
00:25:36,034 --> 00:25:38,017
- [Operator] Okay, now you
get something like a towel
460
00:25:38,017 --> 00:25:40,012
and you put them at the doorway.
461
00:25:40,012 --> 00:25:41,414
- [Operator] And you're
at 2 World Trade, right?
462
00:25:41,414 --> 00:25:42,661
(muffled talking)
463
00:25:42,661 --> 00:25:44,940
- [Operator] Sir, are
you on the 80th or 88th?
464
00:25:44,940 --> 00:25:48,010
- Families often have a map in their minds
465
00:25:48,010 --> 00:25:51,280
of where their loved
ones are in the world.
466
00:25:51,280 --> 00:25:53,120
You know, if somebody in your family
467
00:25:53,120 --> 00:25:56,190
is working at a place that has now become
468
00:25:56,190 --> 00:25:58,510
the center of all the world's attention
469
00:25:58,510 --> 00:26:01,060
and there's a calamity unfolding,
470
00:26:01,060 --> 00:26:06,060
in your mind you're trying
to place your loved one.
471
00:26:06,290 --> 00:26:10,040
Where are they in
relationship to this terrible
472
00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:12,386
series of events that's unfolding?
473
00:26:12,386 --> 00:26:15,219
(muffled talking)
474
00:26:19,190 --> 00:26:20,240
- [Woman] Oh boy, mm.
475
00:26:21,670 --> 00:26:24,700
It's an awful thing,
awful, awful, awful thing
476
00:26:24,700 --> 00:26:27,596
to call somebody and tell
them you're going to die.
477
00:26:27,596 --> 00:26:29,263
It's an awful thing.
478
00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:38,500
- [Narrator] Just seconds
before the South Tower was hit,
479
00:26:38,500 --> 00:26:41,263
Shimmy Biegeleisen's mother
had urged him to leave.
480
00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:45,063
Now he was trapped on the 97th floor.
481
00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:50,620
By 9:15, the family apartment in Brooklyn
482
00:26:50,620 --> 00:26:52,420
had filled with Shimmy's loved ones.
483
00:26:53,860 --> 00:26:55,850
The phone passed between them,
484
00:26:55,850 --> 00:26:58,543
as each offered him
consolation and advice.
485
00:27:00,407 --> 00:27:02,470
- We had Shimmy on the phone.
486
00:27:02,470 --> 00:27:05,180
We were trying to find different ways
487
00:27:05,180 --> 00:27:07,840
how to calm him down and relax him,
488
00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:10,260
possibly different ways
of maybe getting out
489
00:27:10,260 --> 00:27:11,823
and trying different exits.
490
00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:15,370
At one point when I was talking to him
491
00:27:15,370 --> 00:27:18,783
he shared a few private things with me.
492
00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:26,423
He asked me to look after
his wife and children.
493
00:27:29,990 --> 00:27:34,930
And all this time I was
able to hear in his voice
494
00:27:34,930 --> 00:27:37,373
that the situation was
becoming a lot worse.
495
00:27:39,620 --> 00:27:40,610
- [Narrator] There was now fire
496
00:27:40,610 --> 00:27:42,733
and dense smoke above the impact zone.
497
00:27:43,730 --> 00:27:45,633
Those trapped there began to panic.
498
00:27:47,526 --> 00:27:51,323
Shimmy's close friend, David
called to try and calm him.
499
00:27:52,623 --> 00:27:57,623
- [Shimmy] Yes.
500
00:28:44,122 --> 00:28:45,549
- [Shimmy] We have to break it.
501
00:28:45,549 --> 00:28:46,908
(muffled talking)
502
00:28:46,908 --> 00:28:47,741
- [David] Okay, Shimmy, Shimmy.
503
00:28:47,741 --> 00:28:48,991
- [Shimmy] Yes.
504
00:28:57,051 --> 00:28:58,218
- Okay.
- Okay?
505
00:28:59,340 --> 00:29:01,460
- I'm very grateful that he was able
506
00:29:01,460 --> 00:29:04,150
to spend his last moments speaking
507
00:29:04,150 --> 00:29:06,373
to the people who were closest to him.
508
00:29:07,410 --> 00:29:10,560
At the end of your life I would imagine
509
00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:12,840
you'd want some sort of comfort.
510
00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:15,460
And I hope, and it
seems from what everyone
511
00:29:15,460 --> 00:29:18,740
has told me, that he was given that.
512
00:29:18,740 --> 00:29:20,140
That's all I could hope for.
513
00:29:24,368 --> 00:29:26,560
(slow music)
514
00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:29,770
- [Narrator] In the North
Tower, the first to be hit,
515
00:29:29,770 --> 00:29:31,470
Jim Gartenberg had been trapped
516
00:29:31,470 --> 00:29:34,233
by falling debris for
more than half an hour.
517
00:29:35,410 --> 00:29:38,870
Having spoken to his wife,
Jill and best friend, Adam,
518
00:29:38,870 --> 00:29:40,390
Jim now wanted his predicament
519
00:29:40,390 --> 00:29:42,090
to be known to the watching world.
520
00:29:44,310 --> 00:29:46,590
He managed to make contact with a reporter
521
00:29:46,590 --> 00:29:49,453
at the New York Times, Jim Dwyer.
522
00:29:50,380 --> 00:29:52,853
- I spoke with him several
times that morning.
523
00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:57,200
And I was trying to understand
what his predicament was,
524
00:29:57,200 --> 00:30:00,640
why he couldn't get to the stairs
525
00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:02,170
or why he couldn't get to an exit.
526
00:30:02,170 --> 00:30:07,170
And he said that the walls
were cracking and folding over
527
00:30:08,090 --> 00:30:11,293
and he couldn't get to
where he needed to be.
528
00:30:13,070 --> 00:30:16,830
Mr. Gartenberg seemed to be
very directed, very focused.
529
00:30:16,830 --> 00:30:20,830
I mean, there was a sense of
great urgency in his voice,
530
00:30:20,830 --> 00:30:23,423
but I didn't feel like he was panicking.
531
00:30:25,380 --> 00:30:27,790
He wanted people to know where he was
532
00:30:27,790 --> 00:30:29,790
and that he couldn't leave the building.
533
00:30:33,251 --> 00:30:38,251
♪ Happy Birthday to you ♪
534
00:30:38,513 --> 00:30:42,513
♪ Happy Birthday to you, Nicole ♪
535
00:30:43,966 --> 00:30:44,952
(slow music)
536
00:30:44,952 --> 00:30:46,437
- Yay.
- Yay.
537
00:30:46,437 --> 00:30:48,624
- [Jill] Oh, honey, get
a picture like that.
538
00:30:48,624 --> 00:30:49,879
- Yay.
539
00:30:49,879 --> 00:30:51,340
- [Woman] Are you taking a picture?
540
00:30:51,340 --> 00:30:53,333
- [Jill] Jim has always been a leader.
541
00:30:55,450 --> 00:30:57,650
And I think that showed
through on that day.
542
00:30:59,207 --> 00:31:01,457
(laughing)
543
00:31:03,635 --> 00:31:04,646
- Look at you.
544
00:31:04,646 --> 00:31:06,060
- Nicole, is Daddy so funny?
545
00:31:06,060 --> 00:31:06,893
Uh-oh.
546
00:31:06,893 --> 00:31:10,190
When I first met Jim he was the president
547
00:31:10,190 --> 00:31:12,190
of the Michigan Alumni Club in New York.
548
00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:15,670
I saw the way that he
was running this meeting
549
00:31:15,670 --> 00:31:17,240
and the way he was interacting with people
550
00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:18,540
and his leadership skills.
551
00:31:18,540 --> 00:31:19,973
There was all these qualities about him
552
00:31:19,973 --> 00:31:22,060
that all of a sudden I said, wow,
553
00:31:22,060 --> 00:31:23,763
this is a really special guy.
554
00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:30,890
- [Narrator] After speaking
to the New York Times,
555
00:31:30,890 --> 00:31:33,923
Jim's next call was to
a local TV news program.
556
00:31:34,910 --> 00:31:39,660
At 9:32, 45 minutes after
the North Tower was hit,
557
00:31:39,660 --> 00:31:40,953
Jim went live on air.
558
00:31:42,250 --> 00:31:43,570
- [Reporter] Jim Gartenberg joins us.
559
00:31:43,570 --> 00:31:46,960
He was on the 86th floor of,
I'm not sure which tower.
560
00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:48,870
Was it the North or South, Jim?"
561
00:31:48,870 --> 00:31:50,780
- [Jim] It's World Trade Center 1.
562
00:31:50,780 --> 00:31:51,830
And it's not was.
563
00:31:51,830 --> 00:31:54,227
I am here and I'm stuck right now.
564
00:31:54,227 --> 00:31:56,670
- [Reporter] Now are you
above, Jim, or below?
565
00:31:56,670 --> 00:31:57,560
- [Jim] I have no idea.
566
00:31:57,560 --> 00:31:59,490
I have no idea where the plane hit.
567
00:31:59,490 --> 00:32:01,400
It's my understanding that it's a plane.
568
00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:03,020
- [Reporter] Jim, there are two planes.
569
00:32:03,020 --> 00:32:06,200
One went into one tower, one
went into the other tower.
570
00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:07,844
What do you see around you?
571
00:32:07,844 --> 00:32:10,480
I mean, are you in smoke, are you in fire?
572
00:32:10,480 --> 00:32:12,900
- [Jim] The first thing
that I want to make clear
573
00:32:12,900 --> 00:32:16,060
is that I'm stuck on the 86th floor.
574
00:32:16,060 --> 00:32:17,940
A fire door has trapped us.
575
00:32:17,940 --> 00:32:19,430
Debris has fallen around us.
576
00:32:19,430 --> 00:32:21,640
And part of the core of
the building is blown out.
577
00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:22,850
- [Reporter] How many
people are with you, Jim?
578
00:32:22,850 --> 00:32:24,070
- [Jim] I'm with one other person.
579
00:32:24,070 --> 00:32:25,860
And I'm told that people
are aware of this.
580
00:32:25,860 --> 00:32:27,960
I'm on the 86th floor on the east side
581
00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:29,821
of the building facing the East River.
582
00:32:29,821 --> 00:32:30,654
- [Reporter] And what time did you--
583
00:32:30,654 --> 00:32:32,110
- [Jim] If I'm on the air,
I want to tell anybody
584
00:32:32,110 --> 00:32:34,720
that has a family member
that may be in the building
585
00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:37,350
that the situation is under
control for the moment
586
00:32:37,350 --> 00:32:38,920
and the danger has not increased.
587
00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:41,070
So please all family
members, take it easy.
588
00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:46,510
- I got a phone call from a friend of mine
589
00:32:46,510 --> 00:32:49,963
on my cellphone saying,
"Jill, Jim's going to be okay.
590
00:32:51,007 --> 00:32:52,747
"He was just on national television
591
00:32:52,747 --> 00:32:54,627
"and he said he's going to be okay."
592
00:32:55,660 --> 00:32:58,990
She told me what he said and
how confident he was about it.
593
00:32:58,990 --> 00:33:02,110
(slow music)
594
00:33:02,110 --> 00:33:04,720
- They broadcast his voice.
595
00:33:04,720 --> 00:33:06,840
I still have tapes of
that and listen to it.
596
00:33:06,840 --> 00:33:11,840
And it's eerie, the voice that
I hear on that is not his.
597
00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:15,963
And it's just so odd as far
as the voice is concerned.
598
00:33:17,070 --> 00:33:22,070
But his message was unbelievably
calm, and brave, and stoic.
599
00:33:22,120 --> 00:33:25,593
Having seen that was just
a tremendous tribute.
600
00:33:28,040 --> 00:33:31,580
- I think for a lot of
people to be in crisis mode,
601
00:33:31,580 --> 00:33:33,940
they would just sit there and scream.
602
00:33:33,940 --> 00:33:36,780
And Jim had kind of regrouped
with himself it seems like
603
00:33:36,780 --> 00:33:39,070
and said, okay, this is the situation.
604
00:33:39,070 --> 00:33:40,360
How do I best deal with this?
605
00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:42,920
And he reached out to as
many people as he could,
606
00:33:42,920 --> 00:33:45,220
trying to figure out what resources he had
607
00:33:45,220 --> 00:33:46,810
to be helpful in this situation.
608
00:33:46,810 --> 00:33:49,120
I mean, he had the sense
of mind to do that.
609
00:33:49,120 --> 00:33:50,800
- [Jim] And the danger has not increased.
610
00:33:50,800 --> 00:33:53,003
So please also family
members, take it easy.
611
00:33:54,370 --> 00:33:56,110
- [Jill] I think that was wonderful.
612
00:33:56,110 --> 00:33:59,163
But I knew in my heart he
was not going to be okay.
613
00:34:01,780 --> 00:34:03,488
- [Woman] You got it coming
in from building number two
614
00:34:03,488 --> 00:34:05,485
on the 97th floor, people trapped.
615
00:34:05,485 --> 00:34:06,618
(muffled talking)
616
00:34:06,618 --> 00:34:08,047
- [Operator] We're all
around the building.
617
00:34:08,047 --> 00:34:09,475
We're completely around the building.
618
00:34:09,475 --> 00:34:11,181
We're into the building now, okay?
619
00:34:11,181 --> 00:34:12,750
- [Narrator] 2,000 people were trapped
620
00:34:12,750 --> 00:34:14,772
in the North and South towers.
621
00:34:14,772 --> 00:34:15,992
- [Operator] Towel by the
door to block the smoke
622
00:34:15,992 --> 00:34:16,825
and stay where you are.
623
00:34:16,825 --> 00:34:17,683
We're sending people upstairs.
624
00:34:17,683 --> 00:34:18,516
The fire department's coming up--
625
00:34:18,516 --> 00:34:19,349
(siren wailing)
626
00:34:19,349 --> 00:34:20,750
- [Narrator] Firefighters
from across New York
627
00:34:20,750 --> 00:34:21,840
were sent to the scene.
628
00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:22,673
- [Operator] They're
coming, they're coming.
629
00:34:22,673 --> 00:34:24,570
They're downstairs, they're on the way up.
630
00:34:24,570 --> 00:34:26,650
- [Narrator] Knowing
what he might soon face,
631
00:34:26,650 --> 00:34:28,630
fireman Walter Hynes left a hurried
632
00:34:28,630 --> 00:34:30,618
voice message for his wife.
633
00:34:30,618 --> 00:34:31,451
- [Operator] The building, sir.
634
00:34:31,451 --> 00:34:34,362
I got almost every fireman in
the city coming to help you.
635
00:34:34,362 --> 00:34:35,695
- [Man] Message.
636
00:34:52,240 --> 00:34:55,290
- Walter knew this was so serious.
637
00:34:55,290 --> 00:34:57,433
I could tell from the sound of his voice.
638
00:34:58,950 --> 00:35:01,683
He knew this was something
he might not get out of.
639
00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:04,318
And I think that he just needed
640
00:35:04,318 --> 00:35:06,933
to let us know that he loved us.
641
00:35:10,110 --> 00:35:12,540
The voice message that
Walter left is still
642
00:35:12,540 --> 00:35:15,823
on his business phone, which
I've kept in his office.
643
00:35:17,440 --> 00:35:20,233
I've probably listened to the
message hundreds of times.
644
00:35:21,830 --> 00:35:24,860
Everybody has told me
that has lost loved ones
645
00:35:24,860 --> 00:35:28,300
that you lose the sound of their voice,
646
00:35:28,300 --> 00:35:29,610
that you can't remember the sound
647
00:35:29,610 --> 00:35:31,510
of people's voices after they've gone.
648
00:35:33,100 --> 00:35:35,223
And I tend to think that that's true.
649
00:35:36,980 --> 00:35:40,340
I think it's a good reminder
to have Walter's message
650
00:35:40,340 --> 00:35:42,990
for my daughters, that they
can continue to hear him.
651
00:35:44,481 --> 00:35:47,660
(phone ringing)
652
00:35:47,660 --> 00:35:50,770
- [Narrator] While some
messages provide consolation,
653
00:35:50,770 --> 00:35:52,890
others are a painful reminder
654
00:35:52,890 --> 00:35:55,143
of a missed opportunity to say goodbye.
655
00:35:57,490 --> 00:35:59,113
- I woke up to my telephone ringing.
656
00:36:00,560 --> 00:36:02,120
I worked nights at the time,
657
00:36:02,120 --> 00:36:03,720
so I didn't want to be bothered.
658
00:36:05,640 --> 00:36:07,420
And then my cellphone rang again.
659
00:36:07,420 --> 00:36:09,470
And I'm like, I'm not going to answer it.
660
00:36:11,720 --> 00:36:13,950
I'd say it was probably about
one o'clock in the afternoon
661
00:36:13,950 --> 00:36:17,276
that my cellphone rang with a message.
662
00:36:17,276 --> 00:36:19,776
- [Woman] First saved message.
663
00:36:33,375 --> 00:36:36,009
- [Woman] End of message.
664
00:36:36,009 --> 00:36:38,180
- Brian left that message,
and that must have been
665
00:36:38,180 --> 00:36:41,810
the first or second phone call
that I received that morning.
666
00:36:41,810 --> 00:36:43,673
And I mean, I just didn't realize it.
667
00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:46,130
It's really hard to struggle with what
668
00:36:46,130 --> 00:36:48,020
would have happened if I
had answered the phone.
669
00:36:48,020 --> 00:36:51,313
But I mean, I couldn't do
anything, even if I did answer it.
670
00:36:53,711 --> 00:36:55,472
- [Woman] First saved message.
671
00:36:55,472 --> 00:36:56,305
- [Brian] Neal, it's Brian.
672
00:36:56,305 --> 00:36:57,950
- I keep the message on an MP3 file.
673
00:36:57,950 --> 00:37:01,380
So I have it on CD, I have
it hidden away in a safe.
674
00:37:01,380 --> 00:37:04,550
I have it, you know, on
every hard drive I have.
675
00:37:04,550 --> 00:37:05,450
I have it like everywhere
676
00:37:05,450 --> 00:37:07,200
just so that nothing happens to it.
677
00:37:09,030 --> 00:37:10,060
It's Brian's last words.
678
00:37:10,060 --> 00:37:12,850
I mean, that's one of the
reasons why recordings were made
679
00:37:12,850 --> 00:37:15,050
was so people could
record their last words.
680
00:37:17,426 --> 00:37:18,259
You know, I mean, I think it gives me
681
00:37:18,259 --> 00:37:19,092
a little bit of guidance.
682
00:37:19,092 --> 00:37:22,583
I like draw from Brian's
strength when I hear the message.
683
00:37:26,414 --> 00:37:28,831
(slow music)
684
00:37:37,080 --> 00:37:39,320
- [Narrator] Just three
fours below Brian Nunez
685
00:37:39,320 --> 00:37:42,483
in the North Tower was
Melissa Harrington-Hughes.
686
00:37:45,130 --> 00:37:47,323
She was trapped on the 101st floor.
687
00:37:49,390 --> 00:37:52,390
Shortly after the first
plane had hit her building,
688
00:37:52,390 --> 00:37:53,953
Melissa had called her father.
689
00:37:54,880 --> 00:37:58,683
But 55 minutes later
he'd heard nothing since.
690
00:38:00,540 --> 00:38:02,510
- When we stopped our conversation
691
00:38:02,510 --> 00:38:05,820
I thought she sounded
in control of herself.
692
00:38:05,820 --> 00:38:08,590
And knowing my daughter
Melissa the way I knew her,
693
00:38:08,590 --> 00:38:10,840
I didn't think she would have any problem
694
00:38:10,840 --> 00:38:12,363
getting out of the building.
695
00:38:15,100 --> 00:38:16,200
- [Narrator] Whilst Melissa's father
696
00:38:16,200 --> 00:38:19,620
watched the events unfolding
at home, her only brother,
697
00:38:19,620 --> 00:38:23,343
Michael was at his office in
Boston when he heard the news.
698
00:38:25,730 --> 00:38:29,490
- I just started crying and
just couldn't believe it.
699
00:38:29,490 --> 00:38:33,270
And really couldn't muster
any words to anybody.
700
00:38:33,270 --> 00:38:36,387
I kind of had to go back up
to work and say, "I gotta go."
701
00:38:38,580 --> 00:38:42,050
I was just thinking, I hope she
got out, I hope she got out.
702
00:38:42,050 --> 00:38:45,020
Either by stairs, elevator.
703
00:38:45,020 --> 00:38:46,540
Maybe they were going
to bring helicopters.
704
00:38:46,540 --> 00:38:47,373
I didn't know.
705
00:38:48,800 --> 00:38:51,217
(slow music)
706
00:39:00,240 --> 00:39:01,760
My sister was very protective of me.
707
00:39:01,760 --> 00:39:04,730
I can't say growing up I realized it,
708
00:39:04,730 --> 00:39:07,030
because as a younger brother you don't,
709
00:39:07,030 --> 00:39:09,460
you're always thinking the
negative when you're younger.
710
00:39:09,460 --> 00:39:11,930
You get mad, you get upset.
711
00:39:11,930 --> 00:39:13,340
I don't like you, get away from me.
712
00:39:13,340 --> 00:39:14,830
You know, the typical
brother sister thing.
713
00:39:14,830 --> 00:39:19,423
But as time progressed she
looked out for me tremendously.
714
00:39:21,818 --> 00:39:23,496
- You jerk, it was working?
715
00:39:23,496 --> 00:39:25,073
- [Michael] No, it wasn't working.
716
00:39:25,073 --> 00:39:26,610
But you know what?
- What?
717
00:39:26,610 --> 00:39:28,990
- It's working now. (laughs)
718
00:39:28,990 --> 00:39:30,770
The relationship between
Melissa and my father
719
00:39:30,770 --> 00:39:32,940
when she was growing up
kind of in the teenage,
720
00:39:32,940 --> 00:39:36,693
high school years was
probably hostile at times.
721
00:39:37,580 --> 00:39:40,800
You got to think two people
with the same traits,
722
00:39:40,800 --> 00:39:44,363
I mean both strong-willed,
nothing's ever going to be easy.
723
00:39:46,800 --> 00:39:48,010
He was probably the only person
724
00:39:48,010 --> 00:39:50,640
she couldn't win against, was my father.
725
00:39:50,640 --> 00:39:54,300
And I think her traits came from him,
726
00:39:54,300 --> 00:39:56,753
her drive and her strong will.
727
00:39:59,700 --> 00:40:01,770
- [Narrator] Growing
up, Melissa had always
728
00:40:01,770 --> 00:40:03,650
been determined to experience life
729
00:40:03,650 --> 00:40:06,393
beyond her small town
roots in Massachusetts.
730
00:40:08,380 --> 00:40:10,143
- Melissa spent a summer in France.
731
00:40:11,010 --> 00:40:12,500
She had the idea that Paris
732
00:40:12,500 --> 00:40:14,480
was the greatest city in the world.
733
00:40:14,480 --> 00:40:16,623
Loved the clothes, loved the hairstyles.
734
00:40:17,870 --> 00:40:19,280
She had long hair.
735
00:40:19,280 --> 00:40:21,680
When she came back her
hair was very short.
736
00:40:21,680 --> 00:40:23,303
That was the style in Paris.
737
00:40:24,190 --> 00:40:26,010
When she got off the
airplane, her mother and I
738
00:40:26,010 --> 00:40:29,187
looked at her and we were
like, we didn't expect that.
739
00:40:29,187 --> 00:40:31,604
(slow music)
740
00:40:32,950 --> 00:40:35,950
- [Narrator] Aged 26,
Melissa moved to California
741
00:40:35,950 --> 00:40:38,823
to work for a large internet
communications company.
742
00:40:40,470 --> 00:40:43,313
- Melissa was a very ambitious young lady.
743
00:40:45,040 --> 00:40:49,430
When she was in California
she bought a BMW.
744
00:40:49,430 --> 00:40:52,710
I was like 60 years old
when she bought the BMW.
745
00:40:52,710 --> 00:40:54,980
I'd never had a car as nice as that.
746
00:40:54,980 --> 00:40:57,177
I said to her, "Melissa,
can you afford it?"
747
00:40:57,177 --> 00:40:59,717
She said, "Dad, I may never have
748
00:40:59,717 --> 00:41:01,647
"any opportunity to buy one again."
749
00:41:02,780 --> 00:41:04,573
She bought it, she loved it.
750
00:41:06,750 --> 00:41:09,980
She wasn't here that long,
but she had a wonderful time
751
00:41:09,980 --> 00:41:12,490
in the 31 years that she was here.
752
00:41:12,490 --> 00:41:14,560
She always aimed for the best,
753
00:41:14,560 --> 00:41:16,183
and most of the time she got it.
754
00:41:20,330 --> 00:41:22,300
- [Narrator] After speaking to her father,
755
00:41:22,300 --> 00:41:25,490
Melissa rang her husband
Sean in San Francisco,
756
00:41:25,490 --> 00:41:27,640
to whom she'd been
married for just a year.
757
00:41:28,750 --> 00:41:30,497
He was asleep when she called.
758
00:41:46,580 --> 00:41:49,463
- [Bob] Melissa met Sean
at a Junior Club dance.
759
00:41:51,040 --> 00:41:53,690
That's basically how they
started their relationship.
760
00:41:55,340 --> 00:41:57,730
He was a very nice young man
761
00:41:57,730 --> 00:42:00,853
and they were an extremely
attractive couple.
762
00:42:02,210 --> 00:42:04,800
- I could tell when she
introduced me to him,
763
00:42:04,800 --> 00:42:08,670
her eyes just kind of glowed
and I could tell right away
764
00:42:08,670 --> 00:42:11,470
that he was probably the one
that she was going to marry.
765
00:42:11,470 --> 00:42:12,639
And she did.
766
00:42:12,639 --> 00:42:14,840
- Exchange a kiss as sign
of their new married love.
767
00:42:14,840 --> 00:42:16,390
May I present you for the first time,
768
00:42:16,390 --> 00:42:18,782
Mr. and Mrs Sean Hughes.
769
00:42:18,782 --> 00:42:21,949
(audience applauding)
770
00:42:24,731 --> 00:42:27,074
(slow music)
771
00:42:27,074 --> 00:42:29,310
- When I heard her message to Sean
772
00:42:29,310 --> 00:42:32,223
I heard in her voice hopelessness.
773
00:42:34,890 --> 00:42:38,270
She was telling Sean that,
this is it, Sean, for me.
774
00:42:38,270 --> 00:42:40,513
But I'll love you forever, buddy.
775
00:42:49,470 --> 00:42:51,753
- I don't know if I could
say it was a good thing.
776
00:42:52,670 --> 00:42:55,263
It was good to hear her voice,
777
00:42:56,350 --> 00:42:58,350
good to see that she called her husband.
778
00:43:00,370 --> 00:43:01,913
Emotional when you heard it,
779
00:43:02,810 --> 00:43:04,960
all sorts of different
emotions coming out.
780
00:43:07,040 --> 00:43:09,640
Obviously sad because you're assuming
781
00:43:09,640 --> 00:43:12,330
when you hear it that she can't get out.
782
00:43:12,330 --> 00:43:13,283
But like I said,
783
00:43:16,070 --> 00:43:18,320
good emotions because
I could hear her voice.
784
00:43:19,420 --> 00:43:21,170
It's always good to hear the voice.
785
00:43:29,841 --> 00:43:31,130
- [Narrator] An hour after the first plane
786
00:43:31,130 --> 00:43:34,310
struck the North Tower, some
people were still struggling
787
00:43:34,310 --> 00:43:36,583
to make their first
contact with loved ones.
788
00:43:37,460 --> 00:43:39,453
The phone networks were overloaded.
789
00:43:44,560 --> 00:43:46,680
By the time 41 year old Tom McGinnis
790
00:43:46,680 --> 00:43:49,100
managed to get through to his wife,
791
00:43:49,100 --> 00:43:51,943
he already knew there was
no possibility of escape.
792
00:43:53,770 --> 00:43:55,680
- Right away I said, "Where
are you, where are you?"
793
00:43:55,680 --> 00:43:58,050
And I'm almost annoyed
because he's not answering me.
794
00:43:58,050 --> 00:44:01,917
And then he says, "We're
in a conference room
795
00:44:01,917 --> 00:44:03,827
"that we can't get out of.
796
00:44:03,827 --> 00:44:05,600
"We're trapped in a conference room."
797
00:44:05,600 --> 00:44:06,810
And I said, "Well who's with you?"
798
00:44:06,810 --> 00:44:09,820
And he rattles off the names
of a couple of guys I know,
799
00:44:09,820 --> 00:44:12,420
three guys that were with
him, plus these other people.
800
00:44:12,420 --> 00:44:13,620
And you could hear it in the background.
801
00:44:13,620 --> 00:44:15,960
You could hear people talking.
802
00:44:15,960 --> 00:44:17,110
You didn't hear panic.
803
00:44:17,110 --> 00:44:20,187
You heard, I remember one guy yelling,
804
00:44:20,187 --> 00:44:22,567
"Let's just knock down this goddam wall."
805
00:44:23,820 --> 00:44:24,867
I remember telling him, I said,
806
00:44:24,867 --> 00:44:25,840
"You're going to get out of there."
807
00:44:25,840 --> 00:44:26,940
I kept telling him that.
808
00:44:26,940 --> 00:44:28,447
And that's when he said to me, he goes,
809
00:44:28,447 --> 00:44:30,380
"Iliana, you don't understand."
810
00:44:30,380 --> 00:44:33,547
He says, "There are people jumping
811
00:44:33,547 --> 00:44:35,720
"from the floors above us."
812
00:44:35,720 --> 00:44:38,933
And that's when I just thought, oh my God.
813
00:44:38,933 --> 00:44:41,180
Like what are these guys going through
814
00:44:41,180 --> 00:44:44,020
that they are seeing what's
going on right above them?
815
00:44:44,020 --> 00:44:45,320
And it was just unbelievable.
816
00:44:45,320 --> 00:44:47,597
And I just kept saying,
"You're coming home tonight,
817
00:44:47,597 --> 00:44:49,047
"you're coming home tonight."
818
00:44:50,620 --> 00:44:51,630
And he said, "I love you."
819
00:44:51,630 --> 00:44:53,447
And he said, "Take care of Caitlin."
820
00:44:55,540 --> 00:44:56,997
He said, "I have to get down on the floor.
821
00:44:56,997 --> 00:44:57,830
"I love you."
822
00:44:57,830 --> 00:45:00,713
And that's when I lost the
connection at that point.
823
00:45:02,736 --> 00:45:05,153
(slow music)
824
00:45:07,450 --> 00:45:11,010
There is a great comfort in
the fact I got to talk to him.
825
00:45:11,010 --> 00:45:12,500
And the funny thing about that comfort
826
00:45:12,500 --> 00:45:17,500
is it was not a great comfort
that day or even weeks later.
827
00:45:17,730 --> 00:45:19,430
But it's a great comfort now,
828
00:45:19,430 --> 00:45:21,630
it was a great comfort months later.
829
00:45:21,630 --> 00:45:23,520
And the reason it was a great comfort
830
00:45:23,520 --> 00:45:26,320
is because it's not so much for me,
831
00:45:26,320 --> 00:45:27,510
but I feel that it was for him.
832
00:45:27,510 --> 00:45:29,150
It was his chance to say goodbye,
833
00:45:29,150 --> 00:45:31,877
his chance to say, "Take care of Caitlin."
834
00:45:33,910 --> 00:45:34,743
You know, he said,
835
00:45:34,743 --> 00:45:36,160
"It'll be a miracle if
we get out of here."
836
00:45:36,160 --> 00:45:38,373
He knew, he knew he
wasn't going to get out.
837
00:45:40,770 --> 00:45:43,187
(slow music)
838
00:45:48,150 --> 00:45:51,360
- [Narrator] In the South
Tower, the second to be hit,
839
00:45:51,360 --> 00:45:52,943
conditions were now desperate.
840
00:45:54,980 --> 00:45:57,140
Stephen Mulderry worked alongside a group
841
00:45:57,140 --> 00:46:00,923
of close college friends, all
former high school athletes.
842
00:46:02,030 --> 00:46:05,250
As the fire spread, the group
made a collective decision
843
00:46:05,250 --> 00:46:08,103
to stick together and
try and reach the roof.
844
00:46:09,400 --> 00:46:12,440
They now faced a grueling 21 story climb
845
00:46:12,440 --> 00:46:15,143
up the stairwells through heat and smoke.
846
00:46:19,810 --> 00:46:23,003
- Stephen was passionate about basketball.
847
00:46:24,420 --> 00:46:26,883
But he was tiny and slight.
848
00:46:28,510 --> 00:46:30,070
I have a picture of him in eighth grade
849
00:46:30,070 --> 00:46:32,950
when he was devoted to basketball,
850
00:46:32,950 --> 00:46:35,760
and he is standing between two
851
00:46:35,760 --> 00:46:39,200
fully grown classmates
who were his best friends.
852
00:46:39,200 --> 00:46:41,580
And he looks like he's the mascot.
853
00:46:41,580 --> 00:46:43,400
And he wasn't.
854
00:46:43,400 --> 00:46:44,513
He hung in there.
855
00:46:48,560 --> 00:46:52,120
I feel basketball was a critical element
856
00:46:52,120 --> 00:46:54,313
in the person he grew to be.
857
00:46:56,400 --> 00:46:59,233
He never lost the fire or the desire.
858
00:47:01,180 --> 00:47:03,740
I saw it in the aftermath
of Stephen's death
859
00:47:04,810 --> 00:47:08,340
when the loyalty of all the people
860
00:47:08,340 --> 00:47:12,713
he had played basketball
with was made evident to me.
861
00:47:13,810 --> 00:47:18,493
And I saw the gifts that
had come from the teamwork.
862
00:47:24,310 --> 00:47:25,420
- [Narrator] Stephen and his friends
863
00:47:25,420 --> 00:47:27,610
reached the top of the building.
864
00:47:27,610 --> 00:47:29,510
But the doors to the roof were locked.
865
00:47:30,650 --> 00:47:33,770
They retreated back down the
stairwells and took refuge
866
00:47:33,770 --> 00:47:36,593
in an empty conference
room on the 88th floor.
867
00:47:37,670 --> 00:47:39,960
Sharing a single mobile phone,
868
00:47:39,960 --> 00:47:42,663
each one took turns to say their goodbyes.
869
00:47:44,810 --> 00:47:47,660
- Stephen and others
passed the phone around
870
00:47:47,660 --> 00:47:50,763
and let people get word out
to their family members.
871
00:47:51,910 --> 00:47:56,010
And at this point there
was a sense of dread
872
00:47:56,010 --> 00:47:59,936
among those people making the calls.
873
00:47:59,936 --> 00:48:02,173
It was a sense that they were doomed.
874
00:48:04,500 --> 00:48:07,730
People used their last
minutes of conversation
875
00:48:07,730 --> 00:48:09,180
to talk with their families
876
00:48:09,180 --> 00:48:10,420
and their loved ones and their friends.
877
00:48:10,420 --> 00:48:13,010
They said, you made my life better.
878
00:48:13,010 --> 00:48:16,730
Or, you know, I want you
to take care of so and so.
879
00:48:16,730 --> 00:48:20,810
I want to know this about
the truth of our lives.
880
00:48:20,810 --> 00:48:25,810
And it was kind of a moment
of truth for many people,
881
00:48:26,180 --> 00:48:30,343
a moment of desperate truth,
but also transcendent truth.
882
00:48:32,533 --> 00:48:34,950
(slow music)
883
00:48:36,740 --> 00:48:40,160
- [Narrator] 65 minutes after
the North Tower was hit,
884
00:48:40,160 --> 00:48:41,460
a string of desperate calls
885
00:48:41,460 --> 00:48:43,460
were still being made from the building.
886
00:48:45,500 --> 00:48:49,160
For the family of 37 year
old Jeffrey Nussbaum,
887
00:48:49,160 --> 00:48:53,253
his struggle to live is
documented in agonizing detail.
888
00:48:55,230 --> 00:48:58,443
- My phone rang and it was Jeff.
889
00:48:59,950 --> 00:49:04,950
And Jeff told me that the
room is filling up with smoke.
890
00:49:08,630 --> 00:49:11,113
It was difficult for them to breathe.
891
00:49:13,760 --> 00:49:16,550
He told me the sprinkler systems went off
892
00:49:17,640 --> 00:49:21,853
and they were like ankle deep in water.
893
00:49:24,960 --> 00:49:27,580
When you're so emotionally
involved you really,
894
00:49:27,580 --> 00:49:29,393
you don't look at your wristwatch.
895
00:49:31,430 --> 00:49:36,430
And the phone company sent me
a breakdown of his phone bill.
896
00:49:38,960 --> 00:49:42,653
I waited over two years
for him to be identified.
897
00:49:43,890 --> 00:49:48,643
So anything is cherishable to me.
898
00:49:51,170 --> 00:49:56,170
And what was identified was so microscopic
899
00:50:02,890 --> 00:50:07,890
that you hold onto everything,
even the telephone bill.
900
00:50:11,139 --> 00:50:13,889
(sirens wailing)
901
00:50:23,250 --> 00:50:25,750
- [Narrator] By 10 o'clock,
the rescue operation
902
00:50:25,750 --> 00:50:27,453
had made very little progress.
903
00:50:28,350 --> 00:50:30,310
The fire department had been blighted
904
00:50:30,310 --> 00:50:33,653
by malfunctioning radio
receivers within the towers.
905
00:50:35,010 --> 00:50:38,210
Once inside on the
stairwells, the firefighters
906
00:50:38,210 --> 00:50:40,110
could not communicate with each other.
907
00:50:41,610 --> 00:50:43,763
But that silence was about to be broken.
908
00:50:46,890 --> 00:50:51,890
- Someone was able to make
the radio receiver work.
909
00:50:53,740 --> 00:50:58,740
And we have a remarkable
illuminating document
910
00:51:00,330 --> 00:51:03,720
of the effort to get up to
911
00:51:03,720 --> 00:51:05,470
the high floors in the South Tower.
912
00:51:13,347 --> 00:51:15,764
(slow music)
913
00:51:16,770 --> 00:51:19,070
- [Narrator] The man who
repaired the radio receiver
914
00:51:19,070 --> 00:51:21,543
was 45 year old Orio Palmer.
915
00:51:23,840 --> 00:51:26,860
As chief of Battalion
7, Palmer was amongst
916
00:51:26,860 --> 00:51:28,663
the first to arrive at the scene.
917
00:51:30,850 --> 00:51:33,900
As he entered the South
Tower he single-handedly
918
00:51:33,900 --> 00:51:37,740
fixed an elevator and
took it to the 40th floor,
919
00:51:37,740 --> 00:51:40,600
halfway to where almost 700 people
920
00:51:40,600 --> 00:51:42,283
were struggling to stay alive.
921
00:51:44,980 --> 00:51:48,490
- And then he started to climb on foot.
922
00:51:48,490 --> 00:51:51,800
And because he was a very, very fit man
923
00:51:51,800 --> 00:51:54,300
he was able to make tremendous progress.
924
00:51:54,300 --> 00:51:57,883
He had run marathons,
he ran half marathons.
925
00:52:07,030 --> 00:52:09,360
- He went 12 floors in 10 minutes
926
00:52:09,360 --> 00:52:12,803
wearing all the bunker gear,
which is 50 or 60 pounds.
927
00:52:29,320 --> 00:52:32,030
- [Man] When I first hear
Orio's voice on the tapes,
928
00:52:32,030 --> 00:52:34,530
you can tell he knows he's
in a race against time.
929
00:52:35,650 --> 00:52:39,010
- Orio's conserving his oxygen.
930
00:52:39,010 --> 00:52:41,170
He's conserving his energy.
931
00:52:41,170 --> 00:52:44,050
That's why there's not a lot of chatter
932
00:52:44,050 --> 00:52:46,353
on his part on the tape.
933
00:52:50,700 --> 00:52:52,960
- [Narrator] During his
ascent, Palmer discovered
934
00:52:52,960 --> 00:52:56,240
that one stairwell, the
south, was still intact
935
00:52:56,240 --> 00:53:00,290
all the way to the impact zone and beyond.
936
00:53:00,290 --> 00:53:01,650
For the hundreds trapped there,
937
00:53:01,650 --> 00:53:04,493
this stairwell could have
been an escape route.
938
00:53:14,030 --> 00:53:16,160
- The 78th floor in the South Tower
939
00:53:16,160 --> 00:53:19,943
was the bridge point between
the living and the dead.
940
00:53:20,950 --> 00:53:24,360
It was the transfer spot
in the elevator system,
941
00:53:24,360 --> 00:53:25,970
and a lot of people had massed there.
942
00:53:25,970 --> 00:53:27,680
And when the second plane hit,
943
00:53:27,680 --> 00:53:29,110
a lot of them were killed there, right,
944
00:53:29,110 --> 00:53:32,250
a lot of them were injured
and waiting for help.
945
00:53:32,250 --> 00:53:36,030
And Orio Palmer was rising
946
00:53:36,030 --> 00:53:39,183
and racing to that point to get to them.
947
00:54:01,540 --> 00:54:03,363
- Orio got up there pretty quick.
948
00:54:04,360 --> 00:54:08,310
Anyone who was wounded or dying,
949
00:54:08,310 --> 00:54:10,580
to know somebody was able to get up there,
950
00:54:10,580 --> 00:54:12,380
they knew there had to be a way out.
951
00:54:13,600 --> 00:54:17,410
The people who were there
at the point of impact
952
00:54:17,410 --> 00:54:21,100
to have seen him, I can only imagine
953
00:54:22,150 --> 00:54:27,150
there must have been
some elation or euphoria
954
00:54:27,290 --> 00:54:29,368
that's probably undescribable.
955
00:54:29,368 --> 00:54:30,201
- Yeah.
956
00:54:30,201 --> 00:54:34,800
- Just to see him and realize
there's some hope here
957
00:54:34,800 --> 00:54:37,373
thanks to this guy who
just made it up here.
958
00:54:40,475 --> 00:54:42,892
(slow music)
959
00:54:45,730 --> 00:54:49,500
- When I heard the
tapes, you were watching
960
00:54:49,500 --> 00:54:51,330
a screen with all the words on it.
961
00:54:51,330 --> 00:54:54,340
But with a digital countdown,
962
00:54:54,340 --> 00:54:57,170
so you knew exactly what was coming.
963
00:54:57,170 --> 00:54:58,610
You knew the exact minute
964
00:54:58,610 --> 00:55:00,960
that the towers were going to go down.
965
00:55:00,960 --> 00:55:02,800
And you can't help but feel like you want
966
00:55:02,800 --> 00:55:04,397
to jump out of your seat and say,
967
00:55:04,397 --> 00:55:07,687
"Hurry up and get out of there," you know.
968
00:55:07,687 --> 00:55:11,187
"You have one more minute
before it comes down."
969
00:55:12,070 --> 00:55:14,640
And that's the hard part.
970
00:55:14,640 --> 00:55:15,793
That was the hard part.
971
00:55:17,870 --> 00:55:21,400
I was not surprised when I heard
972
00:55:21,400 --> 00:55:24,113
that Orio had made it to the 78th floor.
973
00:55:25,900 --> 00:55:30,900
He made it up to the point
of impact, and it's amazing.
974
00:55:33,300 --> 00:55:34,913
He left a story behind.
975
00:55:35,790 --> 00:55:40,120
My kids will have it,
their kids will have it.
976
00:55:40,120 --> 00:55:44,140
And I just feel that
it's to honor his memory
977
00:55:44,140 --> 00:55:45,783
and the person that he was.
978
00:55:50,440 --> 00:55:53,540
- [Narrator] Seven minutes
after Palmer's last words,
979
00:55:53,540 --> 00:55:55,233
the South Tower would collapse.
980
00:55:57,760 --> 00:56:00,140
There is one 911 call which captures
981
00:56:00,140 --> 00:56:01,990
this moment from inside the building.
982
00:56:04,390 --> 00:56:06,600
It highlights the moral complexity
983
00:56:06,600 --> 00:56:08,700
of hearing the suffering of those trapped.
984
00:56:11,640 --> 00:56:14,520
From the 105th floor of the South Tower,
985
00:56:14,520 --> 00:56:18,360
father of three, Kevin
Cosgrove was still speaking
986
00:56:18,360 --> 00:56:20,403
up until the moment when the tower fell.
987
00:56:23,040 --> 00:56:26,240
- His words haunt me, and I
try not to think about it.
988
00:56:26,240 --> 00:56:29,780
But it's also in a way kind of a comfort
989
00:56:29,780 --> 00:56:32,880
to know where he was
and what he went through
990
00:56:32,880 --> 00:56:34,700
and what he was trying to do.
991
00:56:34,700 --> 00:56:36,713
And not many people have that.
992
00:56:38,750 --> 00:56:39,930
- [Narrator] Parts of Kevin's call
993
00:56:39,930 --> 00:56:42,190
were deliberately made
public when it was played
994
00:56:42,190 --> 00:56:45,763
by the prosecution in the
trial of a key 9/11 terrorist.
995
00:56:46,910 --> 00:56:49,823
It was used to illustrate the
human suffering on that day.
996
00:56:51,990 --> 00:56:54,123
- The first copy of it
wasn't cleaned up at all.
997
00:56:54,123 --> 00:56:55,140
There was a lot of background noise
998
00:56:55,140 --> 00:56:57,060
and it was hard to hear
what he was saying.
999
00:56:57,060 --> 00:56:59,740
And it was certainly hard to listen to him
1000
00:57:00,750 --> 00:57:04,215
not being able to breathe very well.
1001
00:57:04,215 --> 00:57:07,048
(muffled talking)
1002
00:57:09,667 --> 00:57:10,500
- [Operator] All right, 2 Tower,
1003
00:57:10,500 --> 00:57:13,417
we'll get to you as soon as we can.
1004
00:57:14,741 --> 00:57:17,574
- [Operator] That's all we can do.
1005
00:57:18,846 --> 00:57:22,443
- [Operator] We're getting
there, we're getting there.
1006
00:57:22,443 --> 00:57:25,115
- [Operator] I understand that, sir.
1007
00:57:25,115 --> 00:57:27,282
- [Operator] I understand.
1008
00:58:06,106 --> 00:58:07,689
- [Operator] Hello?
1009
00:58:21,740 --> 00:58:23,993
- His building began to collapse.
1010
00:58:25,973 --> 00:58:27,423
It was the first one to fall.
1011
00:58:30,290 --> 00:58:33,260
Some people said, you
know, hearing Kevin's words
1012
00:58:33,260 --> 00:58:37,800
has made the events of
9/11 more human for them,
1013
00:58:37,800 --> 00:58:39,190
that there were really people in there
1014
00:58:39,190 --> 00:58:40,640
and it wasn't just buildings.
1015
00:58:43,270 --> 00:58:45,643
One lady called him the
voice from the towers.
1016
00:58:47,080 --> 00:58:51,103
It made it real for her, that
it wasn't just a news story.
1017
00:58:52,310 --> 00:58:54,730
It seemed like it was just a movie.
1018
00:58:54,730 --> 00:58:56,910
But then when they heard Kevin speaking,
1019
00:58:56,910 --> 00:59:00,393
realized this was a real
thing with real people inside.
1020
00:59:03,510 --> 00:59:05,860
- [Narrator] For Wendy
Cosgrove there is comfort
1021
00:59:05,860 --> 00:59:08,420
from the fact that almost
10 minutes of the call
1022
00:59:08,420 --> 00:59:09,901
were not played in court.
1023
00:59:09,901 --> 00:59:11,430
(slow music)
1024
00:59:11,430 --> 00:59:14,257
- I'm glad that I have some that are just
1025
00:59:14,257 --> 00:59:15,800
for my own private memories
1026
00:59:15,800 --> 00:59:17,900
that I don't have to share with the world.
1027
00:59:19,990 --> 00:59:22,080
Because it is rather hard to share
1028
00:59:22,080 --> 00:59:24,963
my husband's last words
with the entire world.
1029
00:59:26,040 --> 00:59:28,493
So it's nice to have
something a little private.
1030
00:59:32,290 --> 00:59:33,940
I guess what I would want people to learn
1031
00:59:33,940 --> 00:59:37,653
from listening to the recording
is that life is short.
1032
00:59:38,610 --> 00:59:39,920
That you never know when you're going
1033
00:59:39,920 --> 00:59:41,463
to lose your loved ones.
1034
00:59:42,500 --> 00:59:47,000
And to spend every minute you
can showing them that love.
1035
00:59:47,000 --> 00:59:48,800
And that's what's important in life.
1036
00:59:55,680 --> 00:59:59,070
- [Narrator] After 62
minutes, the South Tower,
1037
00:59:59,070 --> 01:00:02,403
although the second to be
hit, was the first to fall.
1038
01:00:03,790 --> 01:00:06,723
Almost 1,000 civilians
and firefighters died.
1039
01:00:09,330 --> 01:00:13,523
Along with Kevin Cosgrove,
they included Brad Fetchet,
1040
01:00:15,840 --> 01:00:20,840
Shimmy Biegeleisen,
firefighter Walter Hynes,
1041
01:00:23,380 --> 01:00:27,117
battalion chief Orio Palmer,
and Stephen Mulderry.
1042
01:00:33,930 --> 01:00:37,763
- The phone rang and it was
Amy, my youngest daughter.
1043
01:00:39,380 --> 01:00:43,480
And the first thing I said to
her was, "Where is Stephen?"
1044
01:00:43,480 --> 01:00:45,330
And she didn't answer.
1045
01:00:45,330 --> 01:00:46,943
There was just silence.
1046
01:00:49,890 --> 01:00:53,563
- I got home and I called my mother.
1047
01:00:55,370 --> 01:00:58,223
And she was so happy to hear my voice.
1048
01:00:59,710 --> 01:01:01,403
And I told her about Stephen.
1049
01:01:03,190 --> 01:01:06,613
And I just know she just
screamed, and that was it.
1050
01:01:11,050 --> 01:01:12,513
- She knew he was gone.
1051
01:01:14,670 --> 01:01:18,693
And a sound came out of me that
I'd never heard in my life.
1052
01:01:21,990 --> 01:01:23,873
It was just an animal sound.
1053
01:01:28,240 --> 01:01:31,060
And I knew when I heard that
sound for the first time
1054
01:01:31,060 --> 01:01:35,950
in my life, that howl,
that it was universal.
1055
01:01:40,710 --> 01:01:45,710
And that, you know, my
family and I had joined
1056
01:01:49,890 --> 01:01:51,853
all the losses of all the ages.
1057
01:01:54,460 --> 01:01:56,010
- [Stephen] Mom, it's Stephen.
1058
01:01:57,828 --> 01:01:59,720
My building got hit by a plane.
1059
01:01:59,720 --> 01:02:02,827
And right now I think
I'm okay, I'm safe now.
1060
01:02:02,827 --> 01:02:03,750
(slow music)
1061
01:02:03,750 --> 01:02:08,750
- The message that he left
for me meant everything to me.
1062
01:02:09,060 --> 01:02:10,563
I mean, I clung to it.
1063
01:02:11,500 --> 01:02:15,483
I listened to it repeatedly
in the days after.
1064
01:02:17,870 --> 01:02:21,850
But I did put it aside at a certain point
1065
01:02:21,850 --> 01:02:26,850
and say that I would
not continue to do that.
1066
01:02:29,630 --> 01:02:32,480
And a very odd thing happened.
1067
01:02:32,480 --> 01:02:37,203
And it is that as time went by I created
1068
01:02:39,070 --> 01:02:41,893
a new message that had never been left.
1069
01:02:42,760 --> 01:02:46,683
I added to what he had left,
thinking he had left it.
1070
01:02:49,230 --> 01:02:53,640
In his message to me he
said, "I'll be all right,"
1071
01:02:53,640 --> 01:02:56,067
and, "I will call you."
1072
01:02:57,710 --> 01:03:01,250
In the message that I
then began living with,
1073
01:03:01,250 --> 01:03:04,587
you know, maybe a year after was,
1074
01:03:04,587 --> 01:03:07,317
"I'll be all right and you will too."
1075
01:03:09,580 --> 01:03:13,613
I made him say it in my
memory over and over again.
1076
01:03:17,886 --> 01:03:19,301
(muffled talking)
1077
01:03:19,301 --> 01:03:20,773
- [Man] Urgent.
1078
01:03:20,773 --> 01:03:23,230
- [Man] The South Tower
base has collapsed.
1079
01:03:23,230 --> 01:03:24,480
- [Man] Tower 2, Tower 2.
1080
01:03:25,906 --> 01:03:28,197
- [Man] George, have
them mobilize the army.
1081
01:03:28,197 --> 01:03:30,846
We need the army in Manhattan.
1082
01:03:30,846 --> 01:03:31,930
- [Man] All right, all units stand by.
1083
01:03:31,930 --> 01:03:34,140
Everybody try to calm down.
1084
01:03:34,140 --> 01:03:35,940
- [Narrator] Although the first to be hit,
1085
01:03:35,940 --> 01:03:37,833
the North Tower was still standing.
1086
01:03:39,620 --> 01:03:42,280
For those with loved ones trapped inside,
1087
01:03:42,280 --> 01:03:44,110
the collapse of the South Tower
1088
01:03:44,110 --> 01:03:45,683
was a terrifying premonition.
1089
01:03:47,750 --> 01:03:50,650
- When the first tower
went down, I was hoping
1090
01:03:50,650 --> 01:03:53,697
that Melissa had gotten
out of the building.
1091
01:03:53,697 --> 01:03:55,451
- [Man] To the location, off duty members.
1092
01:03:55,451 --> 01:03:56,390
You have members trapped--
1093
01:03:56,390 --> 01:03:58,520
- I knew she was not in that tower.
1094
01:03:58,520 --> 01:04:00,571
- [Man] We need additional units.
1095
01:04:00,571 --> 01:04:02,270
Urgent, urgent.
1096
01:04:04,430 --> 01:04:06,313
- Dad really wanted her to call back.
1097
01:04:07,780 --> 01:04:10,203
Sean had told us that she had called him.
1098
01:04:11,920 --> 01:04:14,040
He really wanted her to call back again.
1099
01:04:14,040 --> 01:04:18,583
And just nervously anxious
was the way I viewed him.
1100
01:04:20,320 --> 01:04:22,793
- As a parent, you
always want to have hope.
1101
01:04:24,886 --> 01:04:26,260
And I thought that if there was a way
1102
01:04:26,260 --> 01:04:28,160
to get out of the building that Melissa
1103
01:04:28,160 --> 01:04:30,930
at that point in time, that she would
1104
01:04:30,930 --> 01:04:32,451
have been out of the building.
1105
01:04:32,451 --> 01:04:35,020
(slow music)
1106
01:04:35,020 --> 01:04:36,960
- I was on the phone
with one of Jim's friends
1107
01:04:36,960 --> 01:04:38,510
when the first tower collapsed.
1108
01:04:39,870 --> 01:04:42,300
All you could hear if you
listened in on the call
1109
01:04:42,300 --> 01:04:45,870
was just crying and wailing.
1110
01:04:45,870 --> 01:04:50,620
And then this, after about
five or 10 minutes of that,
1111
01:04:50,620 --> 01:04:54,853
this sense of calm that oh
wait, that's not his tower.
1112
01:04:56,150 --> 01:04:59,160
It feels strange to report
on the events of that day
1113
01:04:59,160 --> 01:05:02,170
that we just isolated Jimmy's safety
1114
01:05:02,170 --> 01:05:04,620
and how we could distance ourselves
1115
01:05:04,620 --> 01:05:07,420
from the horrific event and the casualties
1116
01:05:07,420 --> 01:05:08,883
that everybody else faced.
1117
01:05:10,350 --> 01:05:13,513
But that felt like our duty.
1118
01:05:17,580 --> 01:05:20,180
- My parents were down in
Florida on September 11th.
1119
01:05:21,380 --> 01:05:23,390
They were not watching television
1120
01:05:23,390 --> 01:05:25,093
until I told them to turn it on.
1121
01:05:26,290 --> 01:05:28,976
My father was counting the floors to see,
1122
01:05:28,976 --> 01:05:30,850
'cause he saw it on television
1123
01:05:30,850 --> 01:05:32,490
he was trying to figure out if Jim
1124
01:05:32,490 --> 01:05:35,073
was above or below
where the plane had hit.
1125
01:05:38,307 --> 01:05:40,277
And the first thing my
father said to me was,
1126
01:05:40,277 --> 01:05:41,827
"He was such a great father."
1127
01:05:44,440 --> 01:05:46,440
And I said, "That makes it real."
1128
01:05:46,440 --> 01:05:47,750
'Cause for me to think he's not going
1129
01:05:47,750 --> 01:05:48,950
to make it out is one thing.
1130
01:05:48,950 --> 01:05:53,090
But for my father to say
that, as if it's in the past,
1131
01:05:53,090 --> 01:05:55,440
that made it more real for me
1132
01:05:55,440 --> 01:05:57,843
that this was really, his life was ending.
1133
01:06:17,340 --> 01:06:20,190
- [Narrator] At 10:28, 102 minutes
1134
01:06:20,190 --> 01:06:23,523
after it was hit, the North Tower fell.
1135
01:06:32,170 --> 01:06:33,383
- I saw the tower fall.
1136
01:06:37,430 --> 01:06:39,170
Yeah, I saw the tower fall down.
1137
01:06:39,170 --> 01:06:43,463
And I knew for sure I'd
never hear from him again.
1138
01:06:45,800 --> 01:06:47,961
I saw his life end right there.
1139
01:06:47,961 --> 01:06:50,378
(slow music)
1140
01:06:54,810 --> 01:06:59,583
- I felt my heart had
been ripped from my body.
1141
01:07:00,880 --> 01:07:05,880
I can't ever remember feeling
that sadness ever in life
1142
01:07:06,410 --> 01:07:11,410
or that much emotion and tears,
nor do I hope I ever will.
1143
01:07:17,010 --> 01:07:19,960
- My wife, Beverly was working
teaching school in Chicopee.
1144
01:07:21,710 --> 01:07:24,490
I had to drive to
Chicopee to inform my wife
1145
01:07:24,490 --> 01:07:27,453
that Melissa was in the North Tower.
1146
01:07:30,060 --> 01:07:31,270
We were listening to the whole thing
1147
01:07:31,270 --> 01:07:32,993
on the radio when we driving back.
1148
01:07:33,860 --> 01:07:37,283
And on our way home, the
North Tower collapsed.
1149
01:07:40,530 --> 01:07:42,290
My wife asked me to shut the radio off.
1150
01:07:42,290 --> 01:07:45,713
I shut the radio off, and we
came home and cried together.
1151
01:07:54,080 --> 01:07:55,910
- [Narrator] When the
North Tower collapsed,
1152
01:07:55,910 --> 01:07:59,053
1402 civilians were killed.
1153
01:08:00,700 --> 01:08:04,200
Along with Melissa Harrington-Hughes
and Jim Gartenberg,
1154
01:08:04,200 --> 01:08:07,457
they included Christopher
Hanley, Brian Nunez,
1155
01:08:12,440 --> 01:08:17,313
Jeffrey Nussbaum, and Tom McGinnis.
1156
01:08:24,430 --> 01:08:26,360
- The question really
about the Trade Center
1157
01:08:26,360 --> 01:08:28,763
is what are our memories made out of.
1158
01:08:30,410 --> 01:08:34,910
Are they made out of images and myths?
1159
01:08:34,910 --> 01:08:37,593
Are they made out of the hard facts?
1160
01:08:39,190 --> 01:08:42,890
The audible record of
that day is essential
1161
01:08:42,890 --> 01:08:47,220
because if history is going
to be a tool for the living,
1162
01:08:47,220 --> 01:08:51,520
if memory is going to
something that we can rely on,
1163
01:08:51,520 --> 01:08:53,370
then you can't blink, you can't turn away.
1164
01:08:53,370 --> 01:08:55,210
You have to say, this is what happened
1165
01:08:55,210 --> 01:08:56,890
and this is how it happened.
1166
01:08:56,890 --> 01:08:59,350
(slow music)
1167
01:08:59,350 --> 01:09:00,970
- [Narrator] For the families,
1168
01:09:00,970 --> 01:09:03,623
the pain of September the
11th may never recede.
1169
01:09:04,770 --> 01:09:07,270
But now that several years have passed,
1170
01:09:07,270 --> 01:09:09,980
they are beginning to
understand the profound legacy
1171
01:09:10,960 --> 01:09:13,123
of their loved one's final words.
1172
01:09:15,520 --> 01:09:18,370
- My mother is very philosophical.
1173
01:09:18,370 --> 01:09:22,110
She doesn't get stuck
by something like this.
1174
01:09:22,110 --> 01:09:26,490
I think she recognizes
it and sort of absorbs it
1175
01:09:26,490 --> 01:09:30,483
and tries to make the most
of it, and she looks forward.
1176
01:09:31,500 --> 01:09:34,053
So she's doing well, I think.
1177
01:09:36,660 --> 01:09:41,660
- The world doesn't stop for
every tragic loss of life.
1178
01:09:41,750 --> 01:09:45,273
And, you know, I kind
of wish the world could.
1179
01:09:48,370 --> 01:09:53,210
The world gets too busy.
1180
01:09:53,210 --> 01:09:56,823
And I understand you can't,
you'd be in constant grieving.
1181
01:09:58,730 --> 01:10:01,580
It's too easy for me to fall into a place
1182
01:10:01,580 --> 01:10:03,780
where life is only about endurance.
1183
01:10:03,780 --> 01:10:08,010
And I think that's a very poor
way to live life. (laughs)
1184
01:10:08,010 --> 01:10:11,500
It's ignoring all the gifts you're given.
1185
01:10:11,500 --> 01:10:14,093
And I didn't want to be that way.
1186
01:10:15,340 --> 01:10:17,343
I didn't want to be that way.
1187
01:10:18,820 --> 01:10:23,354
And, you know, I can say
that I don't think I have.
1188
01:10:23,354 --> 01:10:25,771
(slow music)
1189
01:10:26,610 --> 01:10:30,733
- Jim called me instantaneously
as soon as it happened.
1190
01:10:31,930 --> 01:10:34,533
His first response was
he needs to talk to me.
1191
01:10:37,870 --> 01:10:41,783
To have his voice, just
to have his voice is,
1192
01:10:42,800 --> 01:10:45,220
it's nice, even though it's panic mode.
1193
01:10:45,220 --> 01:10:47,523
It's some last memories.
1194
01:10:49,130 --> 01:10:51,073
- [Woman] Good job, Nicole, keep going.
1195
01:10:52,820 --> 01:10:55,773
- [Jill] When Jim passed away
I was three months pregnant.
1196
01:10:59,200 --> 01:11:01,630
You know, here I am
with this special gift,
1197
01:11:01,630 --> 01:11:04,530
as far as I'm concerned,
that he left me with.
1198
01:11:04,530 --> 01:11:06,993
And to me that's so
important that we have that.
1199
01:11:08,680 --> 01:11:10,320
She has his personality.
1200
01:11:10,320 --> 01:11:13,390
She's quick-witted and her
sense of humor is just like him.
1201
01:11:13,390 --> 01:11:14,990
- [Woman] You're fast, good job.
1202
01:11:15,950 --> 01:11:19,560
- So knowing that she's such a part of him
1203
01:11:19,560 --> 01:11:21,690
and that my other child's
such a part of him,
1204
01:11:21,690 --> 01:11:23,833
it makes me happy that part.
1205
01:11:27,760 --> 01:11:30,400
- I was the last one
from the outside world
1206
01:11:30,400 --> 01:11:31,753
to talk to Melissa.
1207
01:11:33,210 --> 01:11:35,960
We were able to say how
much we loved each other.
1208
01:11:35,960 --> 01:11:40,523
And I think of it
constantly all of the time.
1209
01:11:41,980 --> 01:11:45,130
- Ever since Melissa's passing,
1210
01:11:45,130 --> 01:11:47,350
I don't want to put a good spin on it,
1211
01:11:47,350 --> 01:11:51,530
but it's changed him.
1212
01:11:51,530 --> 01:11:54,883
It's made him more aware
of things, I should say.
1213
01:11:56,240 --> 01:11:58,753
He's a more loving man
now than he was before.
1214
01:12:00,140 --> 01:12:03,363
Didn't show his feelings as
much before, and now he does.
1215
01:12:04,290 --> 01:12:07,850
Like with my son, who was coincidentally
1216
01:12:07,850 --> 01:12:12,210
which was kind of fate,
I would have to say,
1217
01:12:12,210 --> 01:12:13,773
was born on September 11th.
1218
01:12:15,920 --> 01:12:17,470
- When you leave the face of this earth,
1219
01:12:17,470 --> 01:12:19,430
all you leave are your children.
1220
01:12:19,430 --> 01:12:20,423
That's your legacy.
1221
01:12:21,620 --> 01:12:23,873
Melissa brought a lot
of joy into our lives.
1222
01:12:25,650 --> 01:12:27,610
My inner peace with Melissa's death
1223
01:12:27,610 --> 01:12:30,363
might come from the fact
that I spoke to her.
1224
01:12:32,040 --> 01:12:36,610
I find a lot of pleasure
knowing that Melissa called me,
1225
01:12:36,610 --> 01:12:37,890
knowing that we were able
1226
01:12:37,890 --> 01:12:40,773
to say our last goodbyes basically.
1227
01:12:42,370 --> 01:12:44,740
I got to talk to Melissa in person,
1228
01:12:44,740 --> 01:12:47,233
and I'll take that to my grave.
91443
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