OT: Ed Cooley 9/11 Story

[HuskyHawk]

Thought this was an interesting story, and of course @FriarJ will enjoy it.

One day away: Ed Cooley, 9/11 and the recruit who saved his...

 

[Wordbomar]

That is scary stuff man

 

[uconngb]

Amazing story and Cooley really does seem like a good dude

 

[CL82]

I had some conversations with people who had similar experiences. When it doesn't happen to you the natural reaction is to view it as a coincidence. When it does, it is a pretty profound event.

Take a moment today pray for the victims and their families, if you are so inclined.

 

[Chuck]

I know of multiple "I could've / should have been there stories" including my (now) wife who went in to work through the WTC early that morning. The best one is a friend that was pissed at her husband because he was away for work and the dog got sick. She had to take a day off of work to stay with the dog. Many of her coworkers were lost. Unfortunately, I also know of two "He/she could've been somewhere else that day" stories. Contractors that were randomly scheduled to be in the WTC that day. I know everyone says "Never Forget" and I never will, but I admit that I was traumatized enough that I don't like thinking about that day and the days shortly thereafter.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I wrote a Facebook post remembering the day, along with millions of others. The new Flight 93 memorial caused me to think a little more deeply about that element of 9/11 this year. I didn't lose anyone I knew on 9/11 but our company COO was Todd Beamer's father. The courage of those people is something I never want to forget.

 

[Kitaman]

I worked downtown for over 20 years. My best friend had a meeting that morning in the WTC. Traffic from New Jersey was horrendous and he was delayed and ultimately didn't get to the meeting, held during the time the planes hit on the upper floors.

I worked in Monroe CT at the time, and went to work on the 12th and my boss didn't show up. We were told his brother died in the Towers.

Anyway I remember being glued to the TV right after the first plane hit, and didn't leave it until that evening. I went outside at night and looked at the sky and the first time that I can ever remember not seeing a single plane in the sky. A day I will never forget, and it wasn't seventeen years ago it still feels like yesterday when I reflect on it.

Even to this day its hard to watch old movies with the Trade Center Towers in the background.

 

[sledog]

I was to be in meeting at hotel next door. We had just moved offices from near Central Park to JC waterfront - great view of WTC! I had an early visitor and had lots of Qs for him. We finished up and headed to cross river on ferry (he was going to top floor of WTC). We saw the smoke, and watched as plane #2 hit. We canned the plan to cross river. Meet every year on 9/11 for a drink.

I used to take that early am flight Newark -> SF every 2-3 weeks.

 

[MadDogRevival]

I watched the smoke coming off the Pentagon from the roof of my office. Tried to leave an hour after that, but ended up parked on the sidewalk, roads jammed. Drove home with a colleague at about 4pm, and the highway out of town, 4 or 5 lanes wide, was empty. Like a movie. When we passed the Pentagon, my colleague pointed out the damage, but we were driving away from it, and I didn't get a look. Will always regret not stopping and taking a closer look. Funny side note - I passed the thing 2 times a day for a year or more and never knew it was the Pentagon because it didn't look like a pentagon shape from the side, driving by.

 

[Chuck]

I watched the smoke coming off the Pentagon from the roof of my office. Tried to leave an hour after that, but ended up parked on the sidewalk, roads jammed. Drove home with a colleague at about 4pm, and the highway out of town, 4 or 5 lanes wide, was empty. Like a movie. When we passed the Pentagon, my colleague pointed out the damage, but we were driving away from it, and I didn't get a look. Will always regret not stopping and taking a closer look. Funny side note - I passed the thing 2 times a day for a year or more and never knew it was the Pentagon because it didn't look like a pentagon shape from the side, driving by.

Cell technology wasn't the same as now (but even now I don't know how well it could handle the traffic) so I lost touch with my (now) wife at the moment they decided to move them out of their building across the park from the towers. I worked in NJ and went to the Red Cross with a dozen people from my office to give blood. They were packed. It was blood that wasn't needed (for the towers). We lived in Hoboken and I couldn't get back to the apartment that night no matter which way I tried. We had an unobstructed view of the towers from our apartment so I had to see the smoke for a while. The worst was seeing fighter jets flying up the Hudson and knowing it wasn't for a celebration, and then seeing the Red Cross floating hospital go by my apartment (also more for show than any utility). My wife wants to take our kids to the memorial but I keep finding reasons not to go.

 

[intlzncster]

I worked downtown for over 20 years. My best friend had a meeting that morning in the WTC. Traffic from New Jersey was horrendous and he was delayed and ultimately didn't get to the meeting, held during the time the planes hit on the upper floors.

I worked in Monroe CT at the time, and went to work on the 12th and my boss didn't show up. We were told his brother died in the Towers.

Anyway I remember being glued to the TV right after the first plane hit, and didn't leave it until that evening. I went outside at night and looked at the sky and the first time that I can ever remember not seeing a single plane in the sky. A day I will never forget, and it wasn't seventeen years ago it still feels like yesterday when I reflect on it.

Even to this day its hard to watch old movies with the Trade Center Towers in the background.

Just made me think of it, but a PSA for those who spent time working in that area of NYC in the aftermath:

You should get yourself regularly screened for cancer. Even if you were in an office, school, or what have you. The air was truly toxic for months.

September 11: nearly 10,000 people affected by 'cesspool of cancer'

Obviously always best to catch it early if you can.

 

[RichZ]

One of my old bosses ended up working in the maintenance dept at the WTC in some administrative capacity. Actually, he worked a 'connected' job during the construction. He was the guy work crews had to ̶b̶r̶i̶b̶e̶ negotiate with to get materials, etc. to the upper floors. When the construction was complete, he moved directly into building maintenance. I assume it was also a 'connected' job. He was the only one I knew personally that perished that day.

 

[August_West]

John Thompson was supposed to be on flight 77 (DC departure that hit Pentagon) too.

 

[Drame]

I was in windows of the world the night before and was supposed to a photoshoot with someone in the towers the next day at noon. Spent most of the day by the brooklyn bridge on the Brooklyn side.

 

[mauconnfan]

Wow!

 

[Kathy]

Good friend was in the 2nd tower when the plane hit the 1st, had not gone up to her office yet. Having been at work years prior when the bombing happened she walked out. Ended up on a boat to Jersey. It was hours before her husband knew she has gotten out.

My nephew was a cop called down afterwards to help. He says he will never forget it.

Scary Day

 

[HuskyHawk]

John Thompson was supposed to be on flight 77 (DC departure that hit Pentagon) too.

Yeah, that's covered in this article too, because he was the reason Cooley wasn't on the plane. He helped land Bowman, which caused Cooley to cancel his flight.