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[Page S5415]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REMEMBERING SEPTEMBER 11TH
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, 18 years ago today, on a cloudless
Tuesday morning, my city, our country, our world changed forever. In
the span of a few hours, the Twin Towers fell, the Pentagon was hit,
and smoke rose from an empty field in Pennsylvania. More than 3,000
souls were taken from us that day.
I knew some of them: a guy I played basketball with in high school, a
businessman who helped me on my way up, a firefighter I did blood
drives with. It was one of the bloodiest days on American soil since
the Civil War.
Each year, we pause to remember that awful day. We mourn those we
lost, but we also recognize, in the aftermath of September 11, the
resiliency of the American people. The resiliency of New Yorkers shone
through one of the darkest hours in our country.
Looking back remains difficult even after 18 years. I ride my bike
through the city of New York and every fifth or sixth street is named
after a firefighter or a police officer who died, as are parts of
Brooklyn, Bay Ridge, and places like that. I will never forget. I think
of it all the time.
The day after, when President Bush sent Senator Clinton and me to go
up to New York in planes, we were the only planes in the sky. We were
in an airliner that had us surrounded by F-18s and F-16s. When we
landed, we went down to the site. The smell of death and burnt flesh
was in the air. This I will never forget, a thousand people lined up--
no one knew who had lived and who had died--with little signs: Have you
seen my mother, Mary? Have you seen my son, Bill?
That stays with me.
I remember the generosity of New Yorkers. A man who owned a shoe
store just north of the Towers gave out free shoes to everybody who was
fleeing. Many of them had lost their shoes in the long trek down the
stairs.
I remember the valor of the first responders who rushed to the
Towers. I remember a firefighter from Staten Island, based in Brooklyn,
who went to his firehouse, put his full gear on, and ran through the
tunnel with about 60, 70 pounds of gear on. It was his day off, but he
knew he was called. He went up the stairs of the World Trade Center and
was crushed when the Twin Towers collapsed. So there is a lot.
Another way I think of this every day, as I am sure you have noticed,
is that I always wear this flag on my lapel. I called on Americans to
wear the flag the day after my having witnessed the site, and I have
worn this flag every day since. Every time I look at it, I think of
those who were lost, and I think of the valor of New Yorkers and of the
American people.
For the first responders, this 9/11 carries additional significance.
A few months ago, some of the heroes that day were here in Washington
to celebrate the permanent reauthorization of the Victim Compensation
Fund. I thank the first responders who came to Washington and helped to
secure this funding, especially those who are no longer with us--James
Zadroga, Luis Alvarez, my friend Ray Pfeifer. Wherever they are, I hope
they are looking down with the knowledge that their brothers and
sisters are being taken care of.
God bless those good heroes. May God continue to bless this resilient
Nation.
Later this morning, I will return to the floor with the Republican
leader and my colleagues as we will respect a moment of silence in
memory of September 11.
____________________
