On 9/11, it felt fabulous to be going to a meeting in the WTC. I was early, new tags, a new life in many ways. Every day before, I arrived later. The late that would have usually had me there at the same time that planes would have hit. I would have been walking across the plaza. This is the first credit I give to the Port of Authority police for saving my life. The second and third happens later.

At 8:30 a.m., we assembled in a small meeting room with a window and drawn shades on our new floor in the WTC. Someone passed out Krispy Kreme donuts, and I had one in front of me on a napkin. A week earlier, I had gone shoe shopping and asked for proper office shoes that I could run in. Even though I was in a Naturalizer shoe store, the saleslady thought that was an odd request. I had an escape instinct, I thought. I bought shoes that day but wore impractical clogs on 9/11

As in most engineering offices during my career, I was one of a few women. The other woman was Jackie, who was about seven months pregnant. After we were seated, we heard a loud racket, a crash. We assumed it was a window washer's scaffolding thumping the building. The sensation in my knees was the first thing telling me that something was amiss. I said to the group that I smelled something, and it was not window washer. The engineers told me I was wrong; it was nothing. Moments later, Rainer came to the door in a panic. He was part of a Siemens husband/wife team, and his wife, Angela, was also in the building. He commanded us to evacuate instantly. At this time, mixed messages were coming to us. It did not matter; we proceeded down the staircase. Grabbing our things, leaving the donut.

We all had cell phones, but none had cameras. Mine had a low battery charge. David heard it was a plane. I thought it must be a small aircraft. I felt nervous for Jackie, the pregnant woman. The GM, Peter, took charge. He was an ex-commander in the British Military and fell into a leadership role instantly. All agreed to his plan to meet at our office adjacent to the WTC Center on 195 Broadway. Once we were in the lobby, we stopped with Peter, who was taking video images on his Pocket PC (no phone cameras until the following year in the US.) You can view the footage below. The Port Authority guards urgently yelled at us to go. Our group descended the elevators after we stopped to look out the window. At the bottom of the stairs, there was panic. I passed the many high-end stores in the mall and took special note of Coach Bags.

The General Manager of our team took this video on a Cassiopeia Pocket PC. The only camera phones were in Japan at the time. See me at :43-:44. I parted ways with the group. Directed by the Port of Authority to the subway train, I escaped the fall of the towers. My coworkers did not and endured the dust. The video gets quiet after the fall of the tower. This video is alarming for me to this day, 17 years later, as I write this.

Then there was a tremendous crash far above my head when the plane hit tower 2, and the air quickly smelled of fuel, I remember. The Port of Authority guards once again were violently directing people. I started running. I followed their lead while they pointed in what seemed all directions. Then they pointed me to the trains, and my Siemens group followed Peter. I did not. The WTC intonation partly destroyed the WTC Cortland station I left from. It reopened two days ago (in 2018.)

The guards pointed me to subway trains, and the turnstiles were open. I ran to a train and rammed the doors open because they were closing when I got there. There were two other women on the train. A fourth tried to get in, and we were frozen, and she could not pry the doors open as I did. Maybe it was too late, the train left. I remember getting off at the first stop, Canal Street, 14 blocks from the Twin Towers. When I saw the smoke and fires, I was in full trauma. People all around me were crying.

My phone had run out of batteries, and I had heard a hotel was letting people use the phones. When I entered, I saw Mayor Rudy Giuliani circled by firefighters. There were several cubicles and a TV. I remember hysterical people when they watched one building fall on TV while we were inside. I called my Grandparents, who I confused. They did not understand I was safe. I saw the last tower fall from outside, blocks away.

Meanwhile, in Aiken, my dad was being evacuated from Savannah River Site, a potential target. Seeing the twin towers in flames on TV, my Mom dropped her food tray in the School Cafeteria where she taught art. They both met at home, tormented until they heard I was okay.

I walked the city for 8 hours, trying to give blood. There were long lines everywhere, but no patients. In the evening, I heard that the Spirit of New York, a cruise ship, left Chelsea Pier to take people across the river to New Jersey. It was surreal on the boat. The sunset was beautiful. On my right, I could see the Statue of Liberty and on my left was the space where the towers had been.

For days I was shaking, and I kept thinking of the Port of Authority Police and Firemen. After the intense fear was gone, I felt now that the USA had been attacked; it would be like a person evolving, learning compassion by experience. I thought it would lead to more peace because now foreigners had visibly violated our country, and over 3000 people died.

We lost our joyful coworker Randy Drake on 9/11. He had walked outside of 195 Broadway and was hit on the head by heavy plane debris. He was a beloved son, father, and husband who worked only for the love of contributing.