From: Clear Diane
Sent: Friday, September 14, 2001 10:12 AM
To:
Subject: I am Alive!

As you know, it has been and still is a devastating horror here. I generally work on the upper east side, but I had was to report to jury duty on Tuesday, September 11th, where it all happened. I got off the train at chambers street at about 9:20am just after the second plane had struck. Standing there in horrified disbelief, shock and tears as my best friend works there in building one on the 98th floor and saying, not again!. As I cried and walked a couple of blocks away, I finally got a call through on my cell phone to my boss, who, of course urged me to get the hell out, do not get on the subway, just start walking uptown. I said of course, but spotted a church and decided to say a prayer as many did. When I was just about to rise we heard another......... blast, we did not know what but people started running and pushing people back into the church. Apparently this is when the first building was collapsing and hordes of people starting screaming and running away. I, like the rest, walked uptown, others across bridges, etc... to our homes.

One block away from home I got a call that my friend had made it out. God Bless. I don't know how. Apparently after the first plane hit (her building, One) collapsed a wall that blocked the stair exit. They immediately started digging away rubble and proceeded to run down stairs.

She said when they reached about the 27th floor, firemen carrying equipment on their backs were running upstairs. She said, seeing their faces was like seeing angels. When she and her co-worker arrived on the mall level, they started hugging, claiming they had made it, again! (Both were also in the 1993 bombing). No sooner did that happened when the first building fell. She said there was a cloud of fire coming at you, her friend was blown away from her, then there was darkness, then just glass and rubble beneath her. Scared to move, she said she remembers, dead silence. As the dust cleared a little she started to see a little light, then heard someone say, form a human chain. Finding as many as they could along the way made it to the street. She said that's when she realized that the firemen that had passed her did not make it.

There are many friends, co-workers, fathers, bothers, sisters, sons, daughters that we will continue to grieve for and bury in the weeks to come. This is going to go on for awhile. But our spirits are strong and our hearts big.

Yesterday, I went to three hospitals to volunteer blood and time at the Red Cross. I took flowers and a check to my local fire station, they lost 14 firemen. That was a very emotional experience. The fire chief was so appreciative and he thanked me! I said no, thank you, my bravest heroes!!

There is an outpouring of sharing and donations from everywhere and we thank each and every one of them as I thank all of you for your calls and emails communicating your concern and love. Thank you, thank you.

Sincerely,
Diane Clear