Andrew LaFrankie

A Day Like No Other by Andrew LaFrankie

The crisp fall air had just begun to sweep through New York City. Signs of fall reared their heads as the leaves began to turn magnificent fall colors. A slight chill filled the air on the morning of September 11, 2001. The great hustle and bustle of the city that never sleeps came to life as usual on that Tuesday morning. New Yorkers prepared for another normal Tuesday at the office. Nobody knew it yet that morning, but the day ahead would go down as one of the worst days in American history.

Charlie Harper awoke to his usual six-thirty alarm that morning, feeling quite tired from the previous night’s shift. Charlie worked as a firefighter, currently stationed at Engine 84 in Manhattan. Charlie prepared for his day, thinking of the long twelve-hour shift that lay ahead. More than anything, he missed his wife and daughters that morning. His demanding job took away so many moments with them. Charlie, at age fifty-five, had decided that he would retire from the service after this year. He looked forward to more time with his family.

“Ready to go?” his longtime partner Dave Haskins asked from the other room.

“You know I always am,” Charlie replied.

Dave and Charlie started their usual morning routine, washing the firetrucks and prepping all the equipment. At that time, Charlie and Dave had Station 84 all to themselves. The hard-working Charlie kept the station in spotless condition at all times. He finished cleaning earlier than usual that morning and headed over to the kitchen to watch the morning news at around 8:50. A quiet morning with no emergency calls yet so far; Charlie hoped it would continue. Charlie flipped on the news to Matt Lauer’s familiar voice.

“Sources on the ground inform us that a Boeing airplane has just crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center,” Matt declared.

Before Lauer could say anything else, the emergency phone rang off the hook as calls flooded in. Charlie and Dave sprinted to get their gear on and get into their truck, speeding towards the Twin Towers as fast as they could. Sirens roaring, they made the final turn onto Greenwich Street. The North Tower emitted a ring of fire about halfway up the tower in the distance, smoke pouring out like a massive factory. The firefighters and police officers on Charlie’s radio all seemed convinced that this plane

strike happened accidentally. The fire chief urged everyone to remain calm and get on the scene as fast as possible. Moments later, Charlie spotted a second plane heading directly for the South Tower. That second plane crashed into the South Tower in a great fireball with a bang that shook all of New York.

“This was no accident,” Charlie yelled into his radio, “we need to evacuate the whole complex as soon as possible!”

As Charlie and Dave arrived on the scene and rushed toward the North Tower, an ear-splitting roar and loud crash greeted them. A wall of ash and smoke engulfed them and the other firefighters. Charlie could not see his hand in front of his face, only able to violently thrash around in the dark and attempt to keep his bearings. The South Tower had just collapsed across from them. Screams filled the air as pure chaos ensued. People and first responders rushed around, trying to evacuate as many people as they could or run from the scene entirely. Charlie staggered through the smoke, determined to reach the North Tower before its imminent collapse, losing sight of Dave in the smoke cloud.

As people rushed past, Charlie finally reached the ground entrance to the North Tower. He slipped inside, grateful for the break from the smoke storm. Office workers rushed past him and out the door, running for their lives. Charlie urged people onwards, remaining as calm as he could. Charlie knew the North Tower would soon collapse just as the South had. He knew he needed to assist in evacuating as many people as possible before that happened. Clutching the locket containing photos of his wife and children, he raced up the stairs. Focused solely on rescuing others, Charlie climbed without hesitation or fear. Charlie came to a point in the stairwell that appeared blocked by debris. He could hear the desperate screams of the people trapped on the other side, with no way out.

“Stay calm everyone. I will have you out in no time,” Charlie said.

Charlie made quick work of the debris, cutting a path through with his ax and brute strength. He could not feel the cuts on his hands or the heat of the debris, as he remained solely focused on getting through that wall. When he finally broke through, hundreds of office workers plunged through Charlie’s gap. More firefighters and police officers came up the stairs behind Charlie, assisting with the evacuation as best they could. Charlie felt the building shake more violently than ever before, its base and foundation groaning under the intense stress and heat.

“The building’s coming down,” Charlie yelled, “everyone out now!”

Charlie and the other first responders rushed everyone out of the building and as far away from the Towers as possible. 74

Charlie ensured everyone had gotten out before exiting the building himself. Taking cover behind Charlie’s truck, civilians and first responders alike watched in horror as the North Tower came crashing down. The collapse crushed the rest of the buildings in the complex, adding to the chaos and fear. More smoke and ash poured into the sky. Charlie emerged from behind his truck to a scene from hell.

The once magnificent sight of the Twin Towers had instantly turned into a mess of fire, ash, and smoke, like an erupted volcano. Endless ash and smoke filled the air, making it nearly impossible for Charlie to breathe. Burning embers became the only thing Charlie could smell. High-pitched screams and crying filled Charlie’s ears, still ringing from what sounded like a bomb. Twisted pieces of metal and stone littered the ground. The ruins of the once iconic America symbol screamed out in vain, with death and destruction as far as the eye could see. This scene proved too much for Charlie, who fell to his knees. Tears began flowing like a waterfall from his old eyes.

Charlie quickly got back on his feet. Despite his grief and anger at the tragic event that had just unfolded in front of his eyes, he jumped right back into the rescue. Charlie helped with whatever he could as more of New York’s finest poured onto the scene. Charlie joined another group of firefighters who had begun the daunting task of searching the wreckage for buried survivors, crushed under the debris. As Charlie dug and listened for the sound of life, he heard a familiar voice cry out.

“Help me,” Dave cried from beneath the rubble, “I cannot move!”

Charlie replied, “Do not worry old friend. I am coming for you.”

Charlie and the other first responders finally freed Dave from the rubble after minutes of intense digging. Charlie and Dave embraced each other for what seemed like hours, each breaking into endless tears. The two lifelong friends joined the ongoing rescue efforts, helping put out fires and pull more civilians from the wreckage wherever they could. The mood of the first responders kept getting darker as they recovered fewer live victims. The sight of all the dead bodies horrified everyone at the scene. The soul of America seemed lost in that moment. As reporters began filling the area, Dave glanced into the distance, noticing something remarkable.

“What a sight,” Dave said.

A beautiful American flag stood off in the distance, planted by some of the firefighters who had responded to this tragic disaster. As the flag waved in the breeze, Dave became overcome with emotion for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. Despite this despicable crime, America remained strong and proud. This great flag showed America’s 75

unity, even in the face of unspeakable evil. Not even a terrorist attack could break this great country. Seeing the flag brought Dave back to his military days, and at that moment, he experienced the same great pride in his country he had felt in his many years in the service.

After several long hours of recovery efforts, Charlie noticed a large mass of first responders gathering around a large mound of debris. America’s president, George W. Bush, stood atop this mound, megaphone in hand. Charlie came closer to hear what the president had to say but could not make out much as his ears still rang from all the loud noises he had experienced that day. Despite this, Charlie still heard the most important line the president said that day.

“I can hear you! The rest of the world hears you, and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear from all of us soon,” Bush declared.

The crowd of first responders erupted in applause. At that moment, it seemed as though whoever wanted to divide and terrorize America with these attacks had done the opposite. Charlie and Dave sat listening to the president for a little while longer, then got back to the work at hand. This time, however, the work became much more mental than physical. Charlie and Dave embraced fellow firefighters and police officers, as the scene before them became too hard to endure alone. Families came calling for lost loved ones, but most would never hear a response. As the sky darkened, Dave and Charlie returned home to their families. As soon as Charlie came through the door, his wife and daughters embraced him in a hug. As Charlie held his youngest daughter, Sophia, up in his arms, she leaned up to his ear and began to whisper.

“You are a hero,” she said.

The heroic efforts of firefighters like Dave and Charlie saved many lives that day. Of the estimated seventeen thousand people that showed up to work at the World Trade Center, the efforts of first responders helped save more than fourteen thousand of them. As President Bush promised, the U.S. quickly jumped into the war against terror, seeking revenge for these terrible attacks. President Bush launched Operation Enduring Freedom just weeks after the attacks, on October 7, 2001.

This Operation continues today, focusing on fighting dangerous terrorist groups like the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. The U.S. will never forget the heroic efforts of the first responders as it continually strives to honor their memory through the war on terror.