9/11 survivors reflect on enduring trauma
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
Twenty-five years after the September 11th attacks, Americans who experienced the events firsthand continue to live with the consequences.
Stanley Praimnath was on his way to work in Manhattan when the first plane hit the World Trade Center. Though initially told to return to his office on the 81st floor of the south tower, he escaped with a colleague after the second plane struck, descending 1,620 stairs to safety.
Gordon Felt learned of the attacks when a colleague saw the second plane hit the towers. He soon received news that his brother, Edward, was on Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania with no survivors. A final call from Edward to emergency services confirmed the hijacking. Bill Hayes, a firefighter, responded to a kitchen fire before being mobilised to Ground Zero. He spent three days searching for survivors in the wreckage, but found none.
Each man continues to grapple with the trauma. Stanley, who later became a minister and battled leukemia, believes his survival was an act of grace. Bill, who retired early due to cancer linked to the World Trade Center site, emphasizes the fragility of life. Gordon stresses the importance of remembering 9/11, stating it is “history where we still sit in the middle of it” and a story that must be passed on to future generations.
