IT WAS FEBRUARY OF '93. I WAS LIVING IN THE SUMNER AVE MENS SHELTER
IN BROOKLYN. I WAS THERE BECAUSE OF MY CRACK HABIT. I HAD LOST MY
JOB, MY APARTMENT, EVERYTHING...
I HAD BEEN GOING TO CHURCH ON SUNDAYS FOR ABOUT NINE MONTHS.
I HAD GIVEN MY HEART TO JESUS, I WAS DRUG FREE...
I WAS WORKING AT A TEMP AGENCY IN MANHATTAN DOING MESSENGER
WORK. AFTER SIX MONTHS I MET A GUY WHO WORKED AT A WALL STREET
FIRM.
THE COMPANY WAS LOOKING TO HIRE A MESSENGER FULL TIME WITH GOOD
PAY AND BENEFITS... HE BROUGHT ME IN, I WAS HIRED....
IN MY SECOND WEEK THERE (FEB), I WAS STILL IN A PROBATIONARY STATUS,
WORKING WITH A PARTNER WHO WAS TRAINING ME.
SO, THIS MORNING ABOUT 9:30 OR 10 AM, WE HEADED TO THE WTC TO CATCH
THE "A" TRAIN TO MAKE A DELIVERY UPTOWN (55TH & PARKAVE).
WE WERE IN THE UNDERGROUND CONCOURSE AND MY PARTNER STOPPED
AT A SHOP TO PICK UP SOMETHING FOR HIS WIFE. I WAS AT THIS SHOE STORE CHECKING OUT THE PRICES WHEN I HEARD A MUFFLED BOOM AND THE FLOOR
RAISED UP AN INCH OR SO THEN BACK DOWN.
I DID'NT THINK MUCH OF IT. THEN THE LIGHTS STARTED FLICKERING AND
GOING OUT. I SOON SAW SMOKE MOVING ACROSS THE CEILNG.
I WASN'T WORRIED, DID'NT HAVE A CLUE...
THEN PEOPLE STARTED FILLING THE CONCOURSE, RUSHING TOWARD THE
STREET EXIT. THEY WERE SHOUTING SOMETHING ABOUT A TERRORIST
ATTACK. I THOUGHT, WHAT? THAT'S CRAZY! SO I STOOD THERE AS WAVE
AFTER WAVE OF PEOPLE RAN PAST ME...
SO AFTER THREE MINUTES I WALKED THE TWENTY FEET TO THE EXIT AND
JOINED THE CROWD; I MET MY PARTNER, HE HAD PASSED ME IN THE RUSH
OF PEOPLE. WE THEN WALKED OVER TO CHAMBERS STREET AND WENT
UPTOWN, MADE THE DELIVERY AND RETURNED TO THE OFFICE.
THERE WE WERE TOLD THAT A TERRORIST ATTACK HAD INDEED HAPPENED.
AFTER WORK, I WATCHED THE NEWS AT MY SISTERS HOUSE. I SAW PEOPLE
WHO WERE TRAPPED IN ELEVATORS; INJURED BY SMOKE; THERE WERE SIX
DEATHS I THINK.
I FOUND OUT THAT A TRUCK BOMB HAD WENT OFF ON THE THIRD OR FOURTH
SUBLEVEL OF THE GARAGE. IF THAT BOMB HAD BEEN MORE POWERFUL,
THE CONCOURSE FLOOR WOULD HAVE OPENED UP BENEATH ME AND I
WOULD HAVE FALLEN INTO THE FIRE, SMOKE AND DEBRIS.
BY GODS GRACE AND MERCY MY PARTNER AND I DID'NT GET A SCRATCH....
RONALD J LAMB
IN BROOKLYN. I WAS THERE BECAUSE OF MY CRACK HABIT. I HAD LOST MY
JOB, MY APARTMENT, EVERYTHING...
I HAD BEEN GOING TO CHURCH ON SUNDAYS FOR ABOUT NINE MONTHS.
I HAD GIVEN MY HEART TO JESUS, I WAS DRUG FREE...
I WAS WORKING AT A TEMP AGENCY IN MANHATTAN DOING MESSENGER
WORK. AFTER SIX MONTHS I MET A GUY WHO WORKED AT A WALL STREET
FIRM.
THE COMPANY WAS LOOKING TO HIRE A MESSENGER FULL TIME WITH GOOD
PAY AND BENEFITS... HE BROUGHT ME IN, I WAS HIRED....
IN MY SECOND WEEK THERE (FEB), I WAS STILL IN A PROBATIONARY STATUS,
WORKING WITH A PARTNER WHO WAS TRAINING ME.
SO, THIS MORNING ABOUT 9:30 OR 10 AM, WE HEADED TO THE WTC TO CATCH
THE "A" TRAIN TO MAKE A DELIVERY UPTOWN (55TH & PARKAVE).
WE WERE IN THE UNDERGROUND CONCOURSE AND MY PARTNER STOPPED
AT A SHOP TO PICK UP SOMETHING FOR HIS WIFE. I WAS AT THIS SHOE STORE CHECKING OUT THE PRICES WHEN I HEARD A MUFFLED BOOM AND THE FLOOR
RAISED UP AN INCH OR SO THEN BACK DOWN.
I DID'NT THINK MUCH OF IT. THEN THE LIGHTS STARTED FLICKERING AND
GOING OUT. I SOON SAW SMOKE MOVING ACROSS THE CEILNG.
I WASN'T WORRIED, DID'NT HAVE A CLUE...
THEN PEOPLE STARTED FILLING THE CONCOURSE, RUSHING TOWARD THE
STREET EXIT. THEY WERE SHOUTING SOMETHING ABOUT A TERRORIST
ATTACK. I THOUGHT, WHAT? THAT'S CRAZY! SO I STOOD THERE AS WAVE
AFTER WAVE OF PEOPLE RAN PAST ME...
SO AFTER THREE MINUTES I WALKED THE TWENTY FEET TO THE EXIT AND
JOINED THE CROWD; I MET MY PARTNER, HE HAD PASSED ME IN THE RUSH
OF PEOPLE. WE THEN WALKED OVER TO CHAMBERS STREET AND WENT
UPTOWN, MADE THE DELIVERY AND RETURNED TO THE OFFICE.
THERE WE WERE TOLD THAT A TERRORIST ATTACK HAD INDEED HAPPENED.
AFTER WORK, I WATCHED THE NEWS AT MY SISTERS HOUSE. I SAW PEOPLE
WHO WERE TRAPPED IN ELEVATORS; INJURED BY SMOKE; THERE WERE SIX
DEATHS I THINK.
I FOUND OUT THAT A TRUCK BOMB HAD WENT OFF ON THE THIRD OR FOURTH
SUBLEVEL OF THE GARAGE. IF THAT BOMB HAD BEEN MORE POWERFUL,
THE CONCOURSE FLOOR WOULD HAVE OPENED UP BENEATH ME AND I
WOULD HAVE FALLEN INTO THE FIRE, SMOKE AND DEBRIS.
BY GODS GRACE AND MERCY MY PARTNER AND I DID'NT GET A SCRATCH....
RONALD J LAMB
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