Memories of The Windows of the World
I have a very different memory of the World Trade Center and the restaurant at its’ top known as “The Windows of the World”.
My mother took me there for lunch and it was a lovely sunny New York day.
The view from the top was elegant as was the service and ambiance.
It was the crowning jewel in New York’s history of being the biggest and the best.
I had already moved to San Diego and she was so anxious to treat me to the experience of this great new building. The ride up in the elevator was exciting in itself.
When the building was hit on September 11 mother was visiting me in Del Mar and the TV news was on. We could not believe our eyes as the towers crumbled over and over again in instant replay.
We called home to make sure our family had not been hurt. My nephews’ wife was missing. She worked at the World Trade Center. We later discovered that she was among the thousands who walked across the Brooklyn Bridge to safety.
Thankful she was late to the office that day.
These images are of the Windows of the World Restaurant at the World Trade Center before it was hit by American Airlines flight 11 and the aftermath that ensued.
The 9-11 jumpers; they didn’t “jump”
[…] “It took three or four to realize: They were people,” says James Logozzo, who had gathered with co-workers in a Morgan Stanley boardroom on the 72nd floor of the south tower, just 120 feet away from the north tower. “Then this one woman fell.”Most came from the north tower’s 101st to 105th floors, where the Cantor Fitzgerald bond firm had offices, and the 106th and 107th floors, where a conference was underway at the Windows on the World restaurant. Others leaped from the 93rd through 100th floor offices of Marsh & McLennan insurance company.
Intense smoke and heat, rather than flames, pushed people into this horrific choice. Flight 11 struck the 94th through 98th floors of the north tower, shooting heat and smoke up elevator shafts and stairways in the center of the building. Within minutes, it would have been very difficult to breathe. That drove people to the windows 1,100 to 1,300 feet above ground.. The fire was more intense and compact in the north tower. The jet hit higher, so smoke was concentrated in 15 floors compared with 30 floors in the south tower, which was hit on the 78th through 84th floors. The north tower also stood longer: 102 minutes vs. 56 minutes. And twice as many people were trapped on the north tower’s upper floors than in the south tower, where occupants had 161/2 minutes to evacuate before the second jet hit.
She fell closer to the south tower, he recalls. Logozzo saw her face. She had dark hair and olive skin, a white blouse and black skirt. She fell with her back to the ground, flat, staring up.
“The look on her face was shock. She wasn’t screaming. It was slow motion. When she hit, there was nothing left,” Logozzo says.
[…]
USA TODAY estimates that at least 200 people jumped to their deaths that morning, far more than can be seen in the photographs taken that morning. Nearly all were from the north tower, which was hit first and collapsed last. Fewer than a dozen were from the south tower.
The jumping started shortly after the first jet hit at 8:46 a.m. People jumped continuously during the 102 minutes that the north tower stood. Two people jumped as the north tower began to fall at 10:28 a.m., witnesses said.
For those who jumped, the fall lasted 10 seconds. They struck the ground at just less than 150 miles per hour — not fast enough to cause unconsciousness while falling, but fast enough to ensure instant death on impact. People jumped from all four sides of the north tower. They jumped alone, in pairs and in groups.
There were several reasons more people jumped from the north tower than from the south
The New York medical examiner’s office says it does not classify the people who fell to their deaths on Sept. 11 as “jumpers.”
“A ‘jumper’ is somebody who goes to the office in the morning knowing that they will commit suicide,” says Ellen Borakove, spokeswoman for the medical examiner’s office. “These people were forced out by the smoke and flames or blown out.” […]
The subject of jumping from tall buildings has a personal meaning to me as my sister took her own life in this manner many years before 911 and for very different reasons, nevertheless the images that such a disaster conjures within is to this day horrifying. The next image of 911 jumpers is as well.
These images will be part of am interactive Art Show to memorialize the victims of 911.
Opens at the Brokers Building Gallery September 5, 2009. Reception from 7 to 10 PM.
PLEASE REMOVE THE LAST PHOTO ON THIS PAGE>>> ITS A DISCRACE>>>
Wow. that last photo is intense. 🙁 sad sad day.
Wow. that last photo is intense. 🙁 sad sad day.
I love it!
The last photo should stay because it shows the truth about that day, and to many people are afraid to admit what happened, what choices people had to make. It is an intense scene yes, but it is a scene from our history. Erasing it from the web page isn’t erasing it from that day. it is not disgrace. The true disgrace is asking for it to be removed. To cover up what was done. The people of 9/11/2001, the ones who died will have passed away in vain if we TRY to forget the day that will always be remembered as the Worst act of Terrorism.
Anyone who would say they “love” this is sick. Mark Vice’s comment should be removed and he should seek counseling.
I remember when I was 4 years old I went to Windows on the World. I remember that like it was yesterday, it was 1998 or early 1999. I’m 16 now, and though sure, I was only about 6 or 7 when the attacks were, I remember that day like it was yesterday just as well. Luckily I didn’t lose anyone dear in that collapse, however my friend did lose his father. I saw the towers collapse from my school windows, since I live in New Jersey and the school is on a rather large hill, we saw it quite clearly, and boy was it devastating.
Very good but sad article. These were the people I could not get out of my minds for weeks after 9/11. I know many were affected that day but these images stayed with me. I just could not imagine what was going through their minds and I felt so bad for them (and for everyone mind you but these people haunted me). What went through their minds? Within 10-15 minutes on a sunny morning they had to make a horrific decision, transitioning from picking coffee or tea, to picking death by fire or jumping out the window. Life can be very mercurial and we are not invincible. The last photo should stay. We tend to sanitize death here in the U.S. media and this was, and is, the reality of that terrible day. Just my humble opinion. Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you for posting this. I really appreciate your insight. I like Tom am 16, and remember visiting the WTC when I was around 6 or 7, having family in New York. This truly, I believe, is the defining event of my generation. This event was both the worst and best day of my life. It was the worst because it has definitely resulted in stress which at times, particularly around the date, is intense. However it is the best because it was the day that I came to understand what this country meant, and how much I love my country. Every American, probably every Westerner, knows where they were on that day, and it will remain in American’s hearts for each coming generation.
I agree with what AH said. I think the image should stay. We all know and will always remember where we were that day and that image shows exactly what happened. It’s a part of reality that those people had to decide there fate and it will stay with everyone of us. It shows the courage those people had to take there lives and decide how they will end and not let someone else decide for them.
I knew someone who died, and could possibly have been one of the jumpers.
Radical Islamists around the world look at these pictures and laugh and post them up as their “victories”. It is up to all Christians, Jews, Hindus, Atheists and yes, moderate Muslims everywhere to condemn these acts, fight these fanatics, and make sure they never happen again. Shame on us for growing complacent over the last 10 years. It’s pictures like this that remind us that we are in a war.
I think the picture should stay! It shows the up most courage, bravery and dare i say a little dash of hope for these people to decide in such unimaginable circumstances whether to die from the blaze, smoke or to be ‘free’ in there lasts moments..
I believe everyone has a right to their own opinions, however i also believe in compasion and understanding and for those who are leaving unpleasant messages behind, the world is a unreliable and scary place and i truely hope you never have to witness it first hand.. For your sakes!!
I was 14 years old in high school in England, when this happened. It was and still is such a devastating impact on our lives…
Bless the lives that where lost. Bless the families who were brave enough to fight on.
I can’t help not feeling sad. I worked at the WTC 106 floor for Windows on the World Resturant in the accounting dept for many years before 9-11-01. I had my Bridal and Baby shower there given by my co-workers. I knew Kevin Zaly and Hermann Reiner. I don’t know if they were still working at the time of 9-11. I have very fond memories of working at the WTC. My hearts bleeds knowing its not or ever will be another “World Trade Center”
Thank you for your comment. i am so sorry for your loss.
In all the years since the event, I have heard that these photos exist, but I have never really been able to find
any that showed what the history books said. All of the
photography shows were sanitized and photos displayed were ‘possibly one body amidst rubble.’ While searching for a
photo of where I took my son for his 4th birthday lunch,
where he played with his FAO Schwartz electronic kitty on
the carpeting, quite by accident I found the last photo.
It gave me some kind of closure, which sounds really weird.
I worked at Ground Zero for three weeks and here, today,
I finally find some sort of proof of feeling. Thank you for sharing and please keep the last one in the collection.
Thank you for your comment.
Madelin,
I’ll get to the image in a second, but what was the most profound to me was the way you described the actual fall. To me, that had at least as much hitting power as did the images, and quite likely more.
For myself, to this day, I still cannot look at the images of the jump-ers jump-ing – moreso now with the description of the fall in mind. Those images are of living people who have made their peace or accepted their fate and have chosen to control the method of their departure.
The last image, tho, is of a different nature. Should it remain? Absolutely. There is nothing good or loving about it, but that’s the point – there was nothing good or loving about using passenger airliners as guided missiles, either.
With the 10th year anniversary of the attacks fast approaching, it’s important to keep the history intact, no matter how unpleasant the images may be.
Thank you for taking the time to read this comment.
Thank you for your most perceptive comments. When we put ourselves in their place and think how we might react if we were suddenly going to be as it were executed and had to make a split second decision by which the sentence would be carried out. Neither choice was easy: stay and take your chances or jump.I get the chills just thinking about it.
I am an artist and one of my paintings concerns itself with the topic of “jumping to one’s death”. It is called”Angel Falling on Riverside.”www.madelinesherrypaintings.com
The last photo is horrible. But yes, it should stay.
So sad, prayers for all.
?(You can’t judge how you would’ve acted on a day like 9/11::We pray for those who took control of their lives for the last breathe that they were brave & allowed no one to seal their fate..another FREEDOM not always recognized.It was A CHOICE.)
“It’s estimated that anywhere between 50 & 200 jumped out of the Trade Center, although experts believe that the higher number is more likely. If so, nearly 8% of those who died in NY on September 11th died by falling or jumping out of the buildings.” from an article I just read at 5:30am 09.11.2011
We live in AMERICA. Our FREEDOM comes at a cost…sometimes a daily cost..that sometimes has no monetary value …but a priceless value..LIFE.
We defend OUR RIGHT to practice a religion, a speech, to express ourselves, to LIVE as we see fit…to live within rules and guidelines we vote upon for equality, justice and happiness often pressing to the very edge of each other’s nerves…yet it is a FREEDOM to do so ..even we all do not see eye to eye.
CHOICE…We live in a Country of opportunity. The hate starts there. We can decide to hate right back…live in fear ..or.. LIVE, LOVE and RESERVE the Right to PROTECT OUR FREEDOM as the Founding Fathers of this Country intended. Did they or could they see the hate that would be packaged along with these Freedoms? No. Doesn’t the saying go… You can’t have One without the Other.
Good vs Evil… Liberty or Death …. Slavery vs Freedom ::: just because you sleep at night doesn’t mean it is a safe World. There are countless men and women who serve and those before them who have sacrificed for the CHOICE of FREEDOM. Their bravery and courage to sign up to serve this Country to this day is amazing and honorable. The Military Families left behind are priceless themselves and often are hurt more by Americans who do not uphold the law to protect the soldiers when they return from duty. Suicide rates are ten fold since the Gulf War and yet we look the other way to the silent killer. American Soldiers come back after hotter than hell degree weather wars only to be killed by a drunk American when they come home after duty.American women soldiers survive boot camp, serving in their duty then return to the States to be gang raped by 15yr olds.
There is a daily price for our Freedom.
To have the last picture shown is heartbreaking and needs to remain on Ms. Sherry’s website because it is HOW SHE FELT THAT DAY. SHE SEES the Pain and recognizes THE CHOICE THAT WAS MADE THAT DAY. She is not a higher spirit nor is she GOD. For those that BELIEVE in the LORD will know and pray for the people who took control of their last breathe …what that individual ASKED GOD that DAY is a conversation between THEM BOTH. NO JUDGEMENTS.
ALL we CAN DO is PRAY and BELIEVE they are with the LORD or in their version of what I call HEAVEN and Resting In Peace. For their families who were left behind on this Earth to mourn their loss of their loved one.. May they also FIND PEACE and know one day they will meet again. Until then we must celebrate their lives as the productive person that graced this World when they were with us. Remember them Always just as We remember those that ran to the Towers to help…Remember those that decided to FIGHT BACK on United Flight 93…THAT WAS A CHOICE…Remember those in the Air Traffic Controller & cell operators who stayed with victims who prayed until the signal was gone..Remember to pray for the NYPD who ran towards the Towers and spent endless hours in search and rescue… Remember New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani who became America’s Mayor and took control to keep Americans feeling resilient …Remember THIS VIEW OF THE WINDOWS TO THE WORLD as Ms. Sherry has shown…that this View as beautiful as it once was in her fond memories prior to September 11, 2001 that We will Never Forget That Day and WE WILL PRAY FOR ALL ::: IT IS A CHOICE …GOD BE WITH ALL OF YOU. UNITED WE STAND… DIVIDED WE FALL.
watchin these the pictures about 9/11 wants us to cry and about this last picture should stay because is telling what really happen in 9/11 and it should stay even though is really horrible YES IT SHOULD STAY
Thank you. I have very fond memories of Windows of the World. It was one of my favorite places to eat and enjoy the views of New York City and everything else as far as the eye could see. The staff and people that worked there, many of them my friends, will always be remembered fondly. On this 10th anniversary of the terrible tragedy, it is still so fresh in my mind! I can never forget, I hope others will always remember.
So sad and terrifying. The reality of these photos raises a panic within, rawly dusturbing and hearbreaking. Imagining the horror they faced that made jumping the better option is something not even your darkest nightmares can wrap your mind around.
I know it sounds horrible but when I have seen the jumpers I have actually felt in a way slightly happy only because I think these people had a choice when the aircrafts hit to die at terrorists hands or go there own way. They died there way they should be remembered as “heroes” too cause they fought their personal battle with the extremest and won. I think as well as rememberance of 9/11 we should also celebrate. celebrate the lives and bring a community country and world together and show these b*****ds they have not and will not ever win. yes it was deverstaing but just like the Freedom tower we WILL rise again you can knock us down but we will still come back up fighting and win!
God bless all the families and friends affected by 9/11 we love you and will never forget x
John Davenport, you trying to censor information is a disgrace.
That picture shows the true sadness of that day.
My parents died in early 2006 and left me a small inheritance. There would have been no other way, but because of their gift, I was able to go to New York for the 5 year anniversary of September 11. Then I went to Shanksville, Washington DC, and a few other places that those of us on the west coast never get to see. I am coming up on my 6th decade of life. This was my first trip to the east coast and I needed to feel September 11th for myself.
I could not return for the 10 year anniversary but became involved in a local project to remember the attacks. Although we just started out as a walk, in the last ten days it grew to a small courtyard display of 9|11. There was some con concerning the display, that we should be left with just our memories. The problem with not recalling events with photos and facts is that the truth is lost in such a short period of time. 9|11 has become a sacred day to me, but few outside of the east coast area know the terror of 9|11. On the west coast on the ten year anniversary I saw one community remember it with a cultural awareness day. I saw another do a duck race. And a mere decade after the attacks, we have distorted the terror to simply a day of misunderstanding.
The last photo needs to stay and I can’t think of a more appropriate website for it. The view of the world changed on September 11th, and we need to insure our children remember all of what happened that day.
Wonderful paintings, Ms Sherry! I love your work. The flowing freedom of movement, the quick capture of gestures and expressions – you make it look so easy – the true mark of control and excellence.
As for the last photo in this tribute, it’s miraculous, and it’s valuable to me because, if I’m not mistaken, it was taken before the buildings collapsed, giving us just a glimpse at a vanishing moment of that terrible day, before the evidence that so many people died there was lost forever in the rubble.
Thank you so much for your comments. I am so happy you like my work and agree with me about the last 9-11photo.
I see you are the Queen Mab(from Romeo and Juliet).
I am a dreamer of dreams and sometimes use them in my paintings.
Wonderful website and regarding this last picture, it should stay. I find myself frustrated with the sanitization of that horrific day. The horror of what was done is on full display in that last photo, you cannot turn away or scrub it from your mind, and frankly some things should not be scrubbed from our minds.
wow im astonished
removing these pictures would be inaproriate, and those who want them removed ought to examine themselves carefully. Do they really want to sweep what happened under the carpet? It’s uguly it spanful to look upon and face up to. But look long and hard, and burn them into your memory and never forget those inocent people, who simply went to work in the knowledge that it was just an ordinary day
peace
Very sickening but don’t let that evil Bin lardin get what he wants even though he is dead don’t be upset you can still remember all the poor victims of 9/11 but continue your life do good make a family live happyly there will always be terrorists in this terrible world have faith
R.I.P 9/11 victims
after seeing that picture i think why wasn’t i one of them life is unfair….
I will remember that Awful day for ever, and I think everyone will, who was old enough to. I was in England, and went into a shop, and the radio was on, and this was very unusual. The girl said what had happened, and it was unreal.
walking home, every pub I passed, every little corner shop had the television on, showing the pluming , smoking towers.
Once home, I saw for myself, and it made me feel physically sick. The Fallers /jumpers were the most poignant thing, and like others, I thought of them for weeks afterwards.
The bravery, it is unimaginable to do such a thing.
A you tube video showed a film of this scene, and I felt ill, but it is like the Carnage of WW1….it was heavily censored at the time, but 100 yrs on, we are ‘allowed’ to see the truth of the WW1 battlefields, and what the boys and men and nurses endured.
The remains of the fallers, are shocking. The video showed the distress of those filming [from a hotel nearby] and it was obviously filmed by deeply shocked people.
Not news journalists, but people who were incredulous as to what they were witnessing that terrible day.
Respects to all who suffered. Our lives did change on that day. Things will never quite be the same again.
It’s amazing how 11 years ago to the day seems like yesterday. Since a young kid I had loved the towers, the height, wow! I’ve also always adored the United States, its people, its way of life, almost everything about it (emigrate one day I hope)!!! To see 9/11 unfold, live in front of me was shattering, I may be not be American but I can tell you I felt it to the core!
Even 11 years on though it still seems surreal; how could that possibly have happened to New York of all places??? ……. Did it really happen? I still can’t fathom or comprehend it even though its on TV right now (anniversary
It’s amazing how 11 years ago to the day seems like yesterday. Since a young kid I had loved the towers, the height, wow! I’ve also always adored the United States, its people, its way of life, almost everything about it (emigrate one day I hope)!!! To see 9/11 unfold, live in front of me was shattering, I may be not be American but I can tell you I felt it to the core!
Even 11 years on it still seems surreal; how could that possibly have happened to New York of all places??? ……. Did it really happen? I still can’t fathom it!!
Despite all of this I absolutely do not believe in any censorship of any kind!! The TRUTH should ALWAYS be told, regardless of anything. Media censorship through history is one of the things that makes us as a people naive to the world and what goes on in it!
There was a warning before I clicked on this site, therefore everybody who sees this picture has made a concious decision to continue, knowing full well what they were about to see. As long as this is the case with graphic content then I honestly can’t fathom anybody having a problem with it! Rather audacious if you ask me!!
Now that One World Trade Center has reached its full (roof) height, I feel slightly better bout the situation. As if now maybe the people of New York can start a new chapter and we can all look positively at the situation – the rebuilding of more than just a building (6 WTC buildings actually).
One WTC looks magnificent and I can’t wait to visit!
On my last post I didn’t intend for it to sound like I was saying more than just a building, its 6 buildings!
What I meant was, its more than just the rebuilding of 6 buildings, its the rebuilding of hope, power, control, its the ability to fight back, to show the world how the US comes back stronger and better!! 1WTC is, after-all, beautiful and at the same time, so much more than that!!
The last time I saw it, just a few floors had gone up!! Lookin forward to completion very much!! Let’s look at the positive 🙂
wow that day was so sad even though i didnt know anyone in the towers i still want to say rest in peace to all the non forgotten victims in 911
what a horrible event 9/11 was. we saw the best of humanity, and also the worst. the best being how everyone in ground zero were helping each other. some people put their own life at risk to help people. others died helping people. i pay my deepest respect for everyone that lost their lives that day.and also for their families. i said we also saw the worst, because killing innocent people is the most cowardly act anyone can commit. May all those people murdered that day rest in peace. Furthermore honor their memories by saying I WILL NEVER FORGET DAY DAY…….
GOD BLESS ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO PASSED ON. I wish there was something I could of done to help these beautiful angels.
Keep the last picture. Its horrific, but people need to be shown why we went after Bin Laden. Just like people should be shown drunk driving fatality photos, unless you see what destruction your decisions make, people will continue to die.
Isn’t there a higher quality pic, as its impossible to make out what’s actually happened there!? When I showed the pic to a friend he didn’t even know what he was looking at. There is certainly a morbid curiosity to see what happens to a body after a fall but you really can’t tell here.
My mother and aunt worked at the Bank of NY. They saw what happened.. with their own eyes. They witnessed the tragedy that was brought upon us. I was only 7 at the time, so I didn’t understand, but now that I’m older (18) I am fully aware if what happened. Because of the fact that it scared the living daylight out of my mom.. she froze and cried. Every time her job has a fire drill, she cries because she thinks of all of those people that worked there. And to think.. *sigh* … Give me a minute please.. *inhales slowly then exhales holding back tears* And to think that my mother and my aunt is still alive today, I am thankful that my superior being (Not going to say who He is because some may have a different belief) walked my mother and aunt through everything. My mother picked my older sister and I from school and we watched the news together. I remember on the news, I believe it was either CBS or ABC news, I saw something crash into south tower. In my head I was like, “…. wow… what am I looking at?” My mom explained to my sister and I what was going on. I didn’t know at the time that the towers meant to much to the country. I was thinking “Things blow up, people die everyday. What’s the big deal about the towers besides that there are people dying?” I was a very confused little girl. One time when I went to visit family in NY I saw the residue of the towers.. glass, paper.. folders.. debris everywhere. My mom told us that this was where it happened. I had to be at least 12. I kinda understood, but then a few years later when I was about 16, I went on YouTube and saw a few videos of the attack, but I would have never believed what I saw on the side panel. A recommendation of a video called “The Falling Man”. I watched it and cried. I’m going to end this comment with a R.I.P innocent people of the 9/11 attack and for the families, I really hope that you can visit the memorial and pay your respects to your loved one(s).
As sad this whole situation was and still is. We do not need to be censoring photos, etc. When people do not see the REAL rather than the censored scenes it leads to questioning the reality of the situation. When I was on 7th grade I moved with my family to suburb of Houston. There I attended a mostly jewish jr high school. They showed actual real photos of holocaust victims piled high being bulldosed into pits, the jews being lined up and cut down w/ machine guns, etc, etc. I was never exposed to that before hand. This made the history real-plus you can handle the TRUTH!
I’ll give you an example you can relate to to replicate the desperation these people had. Have you ever been swimming? Have you ever gone under the water and tried to stay under as long as you can? And then when you run out of air so you squirm up to the top in desperation to get some air? That’s kind of what they were experiencing. The desperation simply to be able to breathe and/or the desperation to escape the intense intense intense heat caused them to think, even as irrational and desperate as it is, they were so desperate to be able to breathe that they jumped out of the windows. I’m sure many of them that jumped didn’t even consider the fact that it will be certain death, they were probably more thinking how badly they needed oxygen that they would be willing to do ANYTHING to get it. Now I’m sure once they got their first few breaths when they were finally out of the building they probably realized they were about to die, but I truly think the desperation to get fresh air was on their minds over the thought of dying. Now I’m not saying that nobody who jumped knew they were going to die, I’m sure many before they jumped knew what would happen, but just try and put yourself in that situation, with what I was talking about with being under water. The desperation of the moment totally occupies your mind rather then the consequence. I’m sure many were just forced out as well from the conditions, inching their way out of the building as far as they can until they finally just went a little to far and fell. Some were so desperate that they were trying to climb down the side of the building either to a lower floor, or just anywhere then where they were. The desperation of the moment throws out all rational thought, survival is the only instinct that takes over, their thought was “I need oxygen so I’m going to do whatever I can to get it” and then jumped, only to come to their senses in mid-air when it was to late. Just close your eyes and try to put yourself 110 floors up and falling at 150 mph towards the pavement. I don’t know about you but it puts shivers through my body. If you’ve ever been held at gunpoint (which I have) then you know the feeling of desperation. My only question, although it may be silly, was did they feel any pain even if it was for 1/100th of a second. Do you feel the pain at all even for that millionth of a second? Most likely not but no one will ever know because the only people who do know obviously aren’t here to tell you. I think about the same thing with the passengers in the planes. Did they feel any pain if even for a split second? From what I’ve read, medical examiners and doctors say that it happens so fast that your body doesn’t even have time to react. What a horrible day, what a horrible circumstance. I can’t get the image of these jumpers out of my mind even now 12 years later.
And to put the last photo into perspective by size, if you look at the videos where this picture came from, or more higher resolution of the same photo, you can see trash cans up against the building on the columns themselves. The trashcans were probably about 2 feet wide and maybe 3.5-4 feet tall, so that should give you some perspective to analyze the photo a little easier so you can kind of tell what you are looking at. I know it’s hard to tell what you are looking at from that distance with a grainy photo, I don’t know about you all but it is hard to make out, other then the blood, what you are looking at. If you watch the videos, the spot that this picture is taken, you see at least 10-12 people jumping out in that exact spot. So you can at least assume that there are 10-12 bodies in this photo even if you don’t “see” them. I know it’s morbid to want to see this, but for some reason I feel like I need to. But like I said before, you can see the trash cans at the bottom of the columns to help put things into perspective.
“We pray for those who took control of their lives for the last breathe that they were brave & allowed no one to seal their fate..another FREEDOM not always recognized”
This is a nice concept, but the fact is that they had two choices and both were a force of hand by the ones who crashed the planes. There was no victory in throwing themselves out of the building. Dying within or outside of the towers were both hideous tragedies and to say they had freedom by falling to their deaths is a gross misuse of the word. Had they true freedom I can imagine they would have chosen to live.
I agree with Sara, although I would go even further and say that these people had NO CHOICE. It wasn’t a heroic act or making a conscious choice or a “last break for freedom”, it was simple reflex and animal instinct to escape the UNBEARABLE heat and conditions in that building. People felt the heat of the fireballs from the STREET
I agree with Sara, although I would go even further and say that these people had NO CHOICE. It wasn’t a heroic act or making a conscious choice or a “last break for freedom”, it was simple reflex and animal instinct to escape the UNBEARABLE heat and conditions in that building. People felt the heat of the fireballs from the STREET.
Can you even IMAGINE what it was like inside that building ? It annoys me when people make judgments of these people. You can’t imagine what they went through. We should have some respect and realize that they literally were left without a choice, because of the intense heat up there, caused by the rapidly spreading fire. Their bodies would have taken them out the windows, even if their minds protested. They had to escape the heat – it wasn’t a choice. To be burned alive by fire is never a choice that someone can make, because it’s not bearable. I would say in this situation it was LUCKY for them to have those windows to jump out of, because the only thing worse than death is agonizing pain.
The only way to escape it was out the window. If you lived in a house and it was on fire, you’d go out the door wouldn’t you? The only different in this case, is that the “doors” were about 1000 feet in the air. The heat of fire is literally an unbearable sensation. It repels the body away from it, as far as it needs to go to escape it. We would all have been forced to do the same, in their situation, because we are all animals who instinctively avoid pain at any cost, and understandably so – it’s agonizing!! They were murdered cruelly and left with only one place to turn – out the windows and plummeting to a death only slightly less terrifying than the alternative.
Whenever I hear or see footage or pictures from 9/11 I feel sad.it breaks my heart. Them poor people.whoever wants to try to forget should hold their head in shame. How can you try to forget? Where would you begin.to forget is to disrespect those who lost their lives. Too many terrible people in this world . don’t become 1 of them.
Kelly, England. U.k
I couldn’t refrain from commenting. Exceptionally
well written!
Even on the streets where I live in the UK their was a quietness, a sort of calm. The events of that day reverberated around the globe. The sympathy and love that I saw when complete strangers were hugging each other will stay with me long after the images of people jumping from the towers. I remember watching a news reporter calmly walk over to the lady he was interviewing after she burst out crying and he hugged her, like a real hug as though the pain she felt was a pain he felt also. It brought people together, made them notice and care for one and other, for me that is the reason why that day will forever stay in my mind.
I love what Simon Rodgers said.. ppl were being so good to one another.. but it didn’t last.. and that is what upsets me.. 2 weeks tops is the length of time it left the impact after that most ppl forgot and that is a real tragedy in and of itself. ANd Im sorry If you do not want to see the pictures don’t look.. but I feel it is important to keep the pics up because it helps us to truly not forget
My supv was in an office bldg across from the trade center and to florida where I was, he saw people jumping we were horrified and sad he saw that.
It’s horrible to imagine choosing between burning to death or jumping. There is nothing in me that understands the people who are critical of these people because they jumped. I’m pretty sure the critics would do the same in the same circumstances. The people who jumped did not choose to end their lives, they chose how their lives would end. They did not put themselves in that situation. You know all of those people would have chosen to live if they had been given the choice.
nice!
I had just picked up my mail from church street post office which was directly across from tower one, i turned the corner and started driving uptown, then over air waves, the next post office truck behind me broadcasts that he can’t get into post office as there was a loud explosion, and emergency vehicles were on their way, …if this would have happened on Monday instead of Tuesday, I probably wouldn’t be here today, as Monday I leave 5 to 10 minutes later because of the heavy mail volume and then the falling debris would have crushed my truck with me in it
…as far as what many call “the jumpers”, I call them “the fallers”, nobody jump! The unimaginable horror in those towers that day is beyond horrendous! Those people fell out either by hordes of people trying trying to breathe, escape the inferno of over 1000 degrees, escape the thick un breathable smoke, crumbling walls, darkness, screaming, yelling, crying, extreme fear beyond anything we can imagine, …those people did not make a sane decision to jump, they fell to their deaths unconsciously of the horror that they were in, and us in this living world need to thank God, and hope that we are never in a horror such as that!!! respect those people that fell! …and give them better name than “the jumpers” and I have gone to the 9/11 museum, and that statue of the so called jumpers should be in a dark sensitive room where no photos are aloud
I have been in the north tower about 5 years before 9/11, I was on the the 105 / 106 /107? floor, I don’t remember? I was making a delivery, the item needed to be assembled, I was so nervous up there that o wouldn’t do it, I had walked close to one of the windows, I could hear the wind, it sounded like a freight train swirling outside the glass, and the glass was pulsating, I got out of there fast, and I swore never to go up that high in those towers again, I am very afraid of heights, when I was in the military, I wasn’t afraid of heights, but as I have aged quite a bit, and that 9/11 no escape sealed it for me as being in very high buildings on their upper floors!