Five years later...
Today's weather is just about the same as it was five years ago on this date - beautiful blue skies with a hint of autumn in the air. On New York's darkest day it was 70 degrees when the devastation began at the World Trade Center. If you were in New York that day, you were permanently moved by what transpired. It's hard to explain the feeling of dread, remembrance and significance that this day holds. I remember everything that happened that day, down to the tie that I was wearing. A tie I would never wear again...
There will be moments of silence observed on radio and television and the roll call of all those thousands of names. The days timeline will be noted for the first plane crash into the north tower, the second into the south tower, the time the first tower imploded and then the second. Survivors will cry for innocent lives lost and we'll all recall exactly where we were when our country was attacked on our own shores for the first time...
But life goes on and the health of all the WTC workers and the rebuilding at Ground Zero remain as the two major factors unresolved. More on the workers and some personal observations on 911 in my commentary...
Ten Timeline Memories...
- [1941] Groundbreaking begins in Arlington (VA) for the Pentagon (ironically, the Pentagon suffered damage and deaths at the hands of the terrorists 60 years later)...
- [1954] The Miss America Pageant makes its network TV debut on ABC-TV. Lee Ann Meriwether, Miss California is Miss America...
- [1964] "Friday Night Fights" is seen for the last time as Gilette's TV contract ends...
- [1982] Chris Evert wins her 6th and final U.S. Open title in Forest Hills...
- [1983] Jimmy Connors wins his 5th and final U.S. Open title...
- [1985] Pete Rose becomes baseball's all-time hit leader off San Diego's Eric Show in a 2-0 Reds win. It's hit #4,192 and one more than Ty Cobb's longstanding record...
- [1987] The screen goes black for 6 minutes as Dan Rather walks off the set of "The CBS Evening News" because a tennis tournament ran overtime (I mean you can't make this stuff up)...
- [1994] The winners at the 46th Emmy Awards include "Frasier", "Picket Fences" and Kelsey Grammer...
- [1998] Independent counsel Kenneth Starr sends a report to Congress accusing President Bill Clinton of 11 possible impeachable offenses...
- [2002] Nick Nolte takes one of the all-time mug shots after arrested for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He's released later in the day on bail...
"Happy Trails": 1971] Former Soviet leader Nikita Krushchev of a heart attack at 77... 1987] Peter Tosh is shot and killed in his home in Jamaica at 43... 1994] Jessica Tandy of ovarian cancer at 85 ...2002] Football Hall Of Famer Johnny Unitas of a heart attack at 69... 2003] John Ritter of an undetected heart flaw at 54...
Recorded on this date...1977] "The Little Drummer Boy" - David Bowie and Bing Crosby...
Gold Standard: 1967] "All You Need Is Love" - Beatles...1975] "Aerosmith" - Aerosmith...
Premiered on this date...1967] "The Carol Burnett Show" premieres on CBS-TV (the highly rated show will run until September 1979)...1974] "Little House On The Prairie" debuts and will run until March, 1983...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...
Commentary...
I was at CBS-FM on 911 and we were asked to evacuate the Viacom Building in Times Square as that area was and still is a prime target in New York City for terrorism. Not knowing what would happen next, although we were asked to use the elevator, I decided to walk down the 40 flights of stairs. I was somewhere between the 5th floor and lobby when I heard an explosion which I would later learn was the North Tower imploding (at 10:29 am). I walked along Central Park East toward home and asked a guy who was listening to a radio, to fill me in on what's happening. He told me the second tower fell. I said "I know"...
My daughter Lynn was one of the first therapists to be hired at Mt. Sinai Hospital under the government's "Project Liberty" which was commissioned to help the WTC workers both mentally and physically. She told me there were so many cases among those workers she counseled, of the physically sick, those effected from the toxic fumes they encountered at Ground Zero. It's interesting to note that just recently the government has gotten more involved and has shown greater concern in helping those affected. Now is not the time to point fingers or debate whether sufficient funds are available. Now is the time to help those who helped others at great risk to their own welfare...
"Birthdays"...
Harry Connick Jr. (39), Moby (41), Virginia Madsen (43), Kristy McNichol (64) and Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart (63)...
Timeline Countdown: 23 days until major league baseball playoffs, 111 days left in 2006 and The Mets Magic Number is: 4. ... |
