We Remember

“The cockpit is not answering. Somebody’s stabbed in business class, and, um, I think there’s Mace and we can’t breathe. I don’t know, I think we are getting hijacked.” – Betty Ann Ong, flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11, calling American Airlines reservations to report the first plane hijacking.

“Jules, this is Brian. Listen, I’m on an airplane that’s been hijacked. If things don’t go well, and it’s not looking good, I just want you to know I absolutely love you, I want you to do good, go have good times, same to my parents and everybody, and I just totally love you, and I’ll see you when you get there.” – Brian David Sweeney, passenger on United Airlines Flight 175, leaving a voicemail message on his home answering machine for his wife, Julie Sweeney.

“It’s bad, Dad. A stewardess was stabbed. They seem to have knives and Mace. They said they have a bomb… I think we are going down. I think we are going to Chicago or somewhere and fly into a building. Don’t worry, Dad. If it happens, it’ll be very fast.” – Peter Hanson, passenger on United Airlines Flight 175, phoning his father, Lee Hanson, shortly before the plane struck the South Tower.

“Pray for me. Pray for our crew. Pray for the passengers.” – CeeCee Lyles, flight attendant on United Airlines Flight 93, leaving a phone message for her husband, Lorne Lyles.

“I know we’re all going to die. There’s three of us who are going to do something about it. I love you, honey.” – Tom Burnett, passenger on United Airlines Flight 93, speaking to his wife, Deena Burnett, over an airphone before passengers took action.

“Are you guys ready? Okay. Let’s roll.” – Todd Beamer, passenger aboard United Airlines Flight 93, overheard over an open phone line prior to passengers attempting to breach the cockpit.

“Stop crying. We are Americans. Today is a day to be proud to be American.” – Rick Rescorla, head of corporate security at Morgan Stanley and a Vietnam veteran, calming employees with a bullhorn as he directed thousands down the South Tower stairwells.

“Everyone who can stand, stand now. If you can help someone, do so.” – Welles Crowther, equities trader and volunteer firefighter known as “The Man in the Red Bandanna,” rallying and guiding injured survivors out of the 78th-floor sky lobby of the South Tower.

“Tell them to be careful, don’t let anybody in. Just tell them we are trapped in the office. There are three of us. We are dying.” – Melissa Doi, financial manager at IQ Financial Systems on the 83rd floor of the South Tower, speaking to a 911 dispatcher.

“My wife thinks I’m all right; I called and said I was leaving the building and that I was fine, and then bang!… There’s three of us in here. We’re looking overlooking the Financial Center… The water is up to our neck… Oh, God! Oh…” – Kevin Cosgrove, vice president at Aon Corporation, trapped on the 105th floor of the South Tower, speaking to a 911 dispatcher in the final moments before the tower collapsed.

“I told my guys, ‘Take care of each other. If we make it out, we make it out together. If we don’t, we don’t.'” – Captain Jay Jonas, FDNY Ladder 6, describing his unit’s survival in North Tower Stairwell B while helping civilian Josephine Harris down.

“This is the worst day in the history of the Fire Department, but we’ve got to keep working.” – Thomas Von Essen, FDNY Fire Commissioner, speaking near the debris of the collapsed World Trade Center on September 11.

“Number of casualties will be more than any of us can bear ultimately.” – Rudy Giuliani, Mayor of New York City, responding to a reporter’s question on the afternoon of September 11 regarding estimated casualties.

“Tomorrow New York is going to be here. And we’re going to rebuild, and we’re going to be stronger than we were before… I want the people of New York to be an example of strength and fortitude to the entire country.” – Rudy Giuliani, at a press briefing in Lower Manhattan on September 11.

“You can be sure that the American spirit will prevail over this tragedy.” – Colin Powell, U.S. Secretary of State, addressing reporters in Washington after cutting short a diplomatic visit abroad on September 11.

“Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America.” – President George W. Bush, delivering an address to the nation from the Oval Office on the evening of September 11.

“I can hear you! I can hear you! The rest of the world hears you! And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!” – President George W. Bush, speaking through a bullhorn to rescue workers at Ground Zero on September 14, 2001.

“On that terrible day, a nation became a neighborhood, all Americans became New Yorkers.” – George Pataki, Governor of New York, reflecting on the collective response to the tragedy.

“We saw people jump out of the building. We saw horrors that no human being should ever have to witness. But we also saw heroes running in when everyone else was running out.” – William Jimeno, Port Authority police officer who survived the collapse trapped beneath the World Trade Center concourse.

“Life is precious, I tell them. It can be gone in an instant.” – Brian Clark, South Tower survivor from Euro Brokers, describing how he and Stanley Praimnath found a way down Stairwell A.

“It’s the nature of the world that most people have moved on, but the people directly involved with 9/11, for them, twice a day it’s 9/11.” – Robert Reeg, FDNY firefighter injured during the tower collapse, discussing life in the years following the disaster.

“If we learn nothing else from this tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate.” – Sandy Dahl, widow of United Airlines Flight 93 captain Jason Dahl, speaking at an anniversary remembrance ceremony.

“With almost no time to decide, they gave the entire country an incalculable gift. They saved the Capitol from attack. They saved God knows how many lives.” – President Bill Clinton, speaking at the Flight 93 National Memorial site in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

“Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost, a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11.” – President Barack Obama, addressing the public during a 10th-anniversary national radio broadcast in September 2011.

“If you owe someone an apology, tell them you are sorry today. If someone asks for your forgiveness, forgive them. Start being the person you always wanted to be today and don’t waste your time worrying about tomorrow.” – Mary Kate McErlean, whose father, John McErlean, perished in the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

“Grief is the price we pay for love.” – Queen Elizabeth II, in a message of condolence read by the British Ambassador to the United States, Sir Christopher Meyer, during a prayer service at St. Thomas Church in New York on September 21, 2001.