WTC: 911 Calls
We recently heard that more human bone fragments had been found atop the Deutsche Bank Building, across the street from the World Trade Center had been. This does not surprise.
Whose bones were they? From someone on the hijacked United Airlines No. 175, or someone from Two World Trade Center? Its awful to think of. They could belong to someone I knew. The logistics horrify.
New York City has recently decided to release recordings made by those trapped in the towers that day. Today's New York Times has a front page
article on it. Joseph and Marie Hanley, who lost their son Christopher, were interviewed. He was on the 106th Floor of the North Tower. He calmly informed the operator that " we have smoke and it's pretty bad ". His parents take comfort in the fact that he was calm, exhibiting " grace under pressure " in such a circumstance.
The operator says " Sit tight. Do not leave, ok ? "
I know of at least one co-worker who called his wife to say goodbye that morning. It will not be any surprise to hear that someone else I ( and others I know ) know are on the recordings that are going out now.
Families who want them will get recordings of the conversations. Not all will want them.
Where the families have not given consent, the City will release tapes of just the operator's side of the conversation. That's about right.
Not every family will want their relative's words to go out into the world. Some of those calling would not be expected to be calm at all, as the smoke, and the heat, and the fear enveloped them.
