Bill Bridge ’87 works for Merrill Lynch in Jersey City, N.J., directly across the river from the World Trade Center. In addition to capturing the tragedy in pictures, he also agreed to share some of his most vivid memories of Sept. 11:
• Witnessing the second plane hit the second tower.
• Seeing two women covered with dust, ripped pantyhose and no shoes.
• Seeing both towers crumbling to the ground.
• Knowing that my friend who worked on the 95th floor of WTC 2 is safe and hearing her incredible story of the events.
• The sight and smell of smoke in my neighborhood.
• The strange silence of the skies over Manhattan.
• The sight of F-18 fighter jets flying overhead and knowing that they are prepared to respond to an attack.
• Seeing Marine One flying overhead as President Bush surveyed Ground Zero, escorted by two F-18 fighter jets.
• Seeing candles and flowers in front of my local firehouse that lost nine firemen that Tuesday morning, and remembering my grandfather who was a New York City fireman in the Bronx.
• Cheering the firemen and rescue workers with their search dogs as they returned from Ground Zero.
• Seeing a van delivering blood supplies to downtown, with a police escort, from the Upper East Side.
• Being part of a human chain helping to unload boxes of donations of clothing, food and medical supplies to be put onto ferries and delivered across the river to the rescue workers.
• Seeing the hundreds and hundreds of missing person flyers posted all over the city.
• Receiving numerous e-mails from so many friends asking how I was doing.
• Receiving e-mails from friends from Wittenberg, including alumni that I didn’t even know who got my e-mail address from Witt’s Web site, asking me how I was doing.
A number of other alumni also shared their thoughts on the tragedy.
Their stories will be posted online at www.wittenberg.edu/alumni.
Please share your thoughts by e-mailing the editor at wittmagazine@wittenberg.edu