Musings: Remember those who survived that awful day

As the anniversary of 9/11 approaches, I am, again, chagrined at how one group of those affected is paid short shrift in the media coverage of the event. I refer to the ordinary people lucky enough to have survived the horrors and devastation of that day. You see, I am one of that group.

I don’t mean to take anything away from those who lost their lives in the Twin Towers and especially not the first responders who bravely rushed in to do what they could. Or even those who lost loved ones that day. They deserve all the recognition they get.

Many of us were lucky to have gotten out of the towers and away from the collapse. Yet you hear little about these people. Many like myself, while fortunate to have lived through that horrible day, still relive the trauma at each anniversary.

I’m retired now, but I still have survivor’s guilt. I think, why me — why did I survive? Was I wrong to get out so quickly? Could I have done something to help?

Even today, whenever I hear a plane overhead, I look up with trepidation.

I was in my office on the 50th floor of the south tower that morning. I heard the first plane crash and saw out my window smoke coming out of the north tower and debris raining down. Our security people ran through the office telling everyone to get out.

I was in a stairwell on the 16th floor when the second plane hit. The building shook, and the lights went out briefly. When we reached the ground level, the plaza looked like a war zone, flaming debris everywhere.

Like everyone around me, I was panicking. The police ushered us down to the concourse, telling us to head north. From here my luck was tremendous. I managed to catch one of the last subway trains heading north and got to Penn Station in time to catch one of the last Long Island Rail Road trains leaving the station.

I was home before noon, unscathed, though my wife and daughter for the first two hours had thought I was dead. Others were not so fortunate. Pictures of people running away from the dust clouds are haunting.

I hope that people will remember that some of the victims of 9/11 did not die in the attacks. Yet another group needs to be remembered, of which I am a member, the World Trade Center Survivors’ Network. On this tragic anniversary, please think about us, too.

— Scott Diamond, Levittown