Anyone over the age of 30 remembers where they were and what they were doing when they first heard of the horrors at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania twenty five years ago.
D. K. Wall:I could, like so many others will this week, share my feelings of anger, sadness, fear, and revulsion that surface when I think about it.
D. K. Wall:Instead, I want to focus on a long standing practice searching for the beacons of light when darkness is deepest. They were everywhere that day and in the days to follow, if we only look.
D. K. Wall:Full disclosure: I was far from the danger that day. Though I no more knew I was safe than anyone else.
D. K. Wall:I had flown the day before and had a flight to catch that afternoon. But that morning found me sitting in a conference room in Atlanta.
D. K. Wall:Our snippets of information came to us, like most of you, from the television, from radio, and from the telephone. One of those calls I will never forget.
D. K. Wall:Our coworkers in Manhattan watched from our offices on 40th. That sounds far from the World Trade Center, but the height of the building they were in and the clear view of Lower Manhattan from there gave them the equivalent of a front row seat.
D. K. Wall:As they gathered to watch the smoke from the first tower, they watched the second plane bank into the building. Not images on a TV. Live. In person.
D. K. Wall:And still, they struggled to comprehend what was happening. Their disbelief morphed into fear and fury as first one, then the other tower collapsed as they watched.
D. K. Wall:They debated what they should do. With trains and bridges closed, going to their families was near impossible.
D. K. Wall:But staying seemed worse. Who knew if more planes might attack other tall buildings, such as the very one they were in?
D. K. Wall:Then the worst sights of the day stumbled into view. Dust covered survivors trudging north.
D. K. Wall:Discussions of escape vanished. They grabbed cases of bottled water from their breakroom, stacked them on the elevator, and took them down to the ground floor.
D. K. Wall:They stood on the sidewalk offering water to those who so desperately needed it. They loaned their phones so calls could be made to loved ones, letting their family know they were safe and would be home when they could.
D. K. Wall:This wasn't an isolated event. All around them on the sidewalks, strangers helped strangers. But it wasn't just in New York.
D. K. Wall:Because I had a rental car, I had the freedom to drive home on the mostly empty freeways. Since not everyone else was as lucky, I loaded up my car with as many people who could fit going in my direction.
D. K. Wall:Wherever we stopped gas stations, rest areas people huddled with other travelers exchanging news. Those with cars announced their direction and offered rides.
D. K. Wall:Most of you have similar stories small acts of compassion But it's the combination that meant huge impacts.
D. K. Wall:If you haven't seen it, there's a terrific video called Boat Lift narrated by Tom Hanks that tells one such story.
D. K. Wall:While my coworkers in Manhattan helped people walking north, many of the people fled south of the towers until they reached the water's edge. Unaccustomed to so many passengers, the ferries quickly became overwhelmed.
D. K. Wall:Word went out. Anyone with a boat willing to help should come to Lower Manhattan.
D. K. Wall:Hundreds of boats responded, from tugs to pleasure cruisers. Together, they hauled an estimated half million people off Manhattan in a matter of nine hours.
D. K. Wall:As Mr. Hanks intones compare that to the largest boat lift in history prior to that day, the removal of British soldiers from Dunkirk — 338,000 in nine days.
D. K. Wall:Each person doing a small thing. The impact: tremendous. And these stories are not limited to The United States, but they are global.
D. K. Wall:Flights that had already left Europe found themselves unable to continue to their destination because U. S. airspace was closed. For many of them, they had insufficient fuel remaining to safely turn back to Europe.
D. K. Wall:Canada stepped up and accommodated 250 planes. 38 of those aircraft, holding nearly 6,500 people, found themselves on the tarmac of Gander, Newfoundland, Canada. Far too many planes and people for the airport to handle. Just screening passengers and getting them off the planes was a huge challenge.
D. K. Wall:But then what? Gander's population wasn't much larger. Nowhere near enough hotel rooms existed to house the influx.
D. K. Wall:So the people of Gander and surrounding towns banded together. They offered rooms in their houses, prepared meals, and even devised entertainment. Like the boat lift, people just responded to help strangers.
D. K. Wall:Those strangers became friends. Over the years, the passengers who benefited from Gander's hospitality showed their appreciation in many ways. For example, they have raised and awarded over a million dollars of scholarships to students in the Gander area.
D. K. Wall:Many times, the stories of helpers are quiet, simply one on one acts that would never make the news.
D. K. Wall:Actor Steve Buscemi, of Fargo fame, served as a New York firefighter before fate and talent took him to the big screen.
D. K. Wall:On September 12, despite his fame and wealth, he grabbed his gear and went to help in the search for survivors. He worked twelve hour shifts for days to do what he could.
D. K. Wall:And while Buscemi is famous so his actions became known, he wasn't alone. Many former firefighters, retired police officers, and others volunteered their time.
D. K. Wall:Construction workers, knowing their skills could be useful, stood shoulder to shoulder with first responders.
D. K. Wall:All those workers and volunteers faced unbelievable challenges for months. St. Paul's Chapel sits on Broadway in the shadows of the World Trade Center complex.
D. K. Wall:Miraculously, despite being covered in debris, the building suffered no damage, not even a broken windowpane.
D. K. Wall:The chapel stepped up to serve those volunteers working long hours in the devastation, not just members of the church.
D. K. Wall:For months, volunteers from other churches and from businesses served meals, organized donated supplies and cared for the crews working at the World Trade Center.
D. K. Wall:Chiropractors and massage therapists volunteered their time offering their services to the aching rescuers.
D. K. Wall:The pew where George Washington famously prayed after his inauguration as the first president of The United States was turned into a podiatrist's office. I think General Washington would wholeheartedly approve.
D. K. Wall:These stories are nearly infinite, and they are the tales I choose to focus on this anniversary.
D. K. Wall:If you look for them, you will, as Fred Rogers said, always see the helpers in times of need.
D. K. Wall:Maybe it's the people who stop for a car accident and check on the well-being of the injured. The person knocking on an elderly neighbor's door with the offer of a hot meal and a few minutes of company.
D. K. Wall:The volunteer working with a child who doesn't have the home life every child deserves. Even just the simple act of letting someone merge in heavy traffic.
D. K. Wall:Twenty five years is a long time, long enough that some of you weren't even born when the towers fell. And sadly, long enough for the shared spirit of that day to have faded into too much bickering.
D. K. Wall:But the instinct that sent boats racing toward Lower Manhattan, that opened front doors of Gander, that put strangers in the same car for a thousand miles home. That instinct doesn't have an expiration date.
D. K. Wall:I encourage you on this anniversary to cast your eyes about and seek out those helpers. Or better, help yourself in whatever way, small or large, that you can. Do it not for recognition or reward, but just because you are able.
D. K. Wall:Perhaps, in that small way, we can honor those we lost.