09/11/2026
25 years ago I was 28 when I sat down with paper and pen to try and capture my thoughts following the morning of 9/11. This is my story of 11 Sept 2001.
Written Sept 14, 2001
Today is day three of what I can only call the most remarkable experience of my life. I believe that the final conversation of the day was with a gentleman from Italy. Words can’t describe the feeling of a complete stranger on the other side of the planet graciously thanking you for what I have done for him and his family. I have spent 35 hours out of the last three days working with the Canadian Red Cross. This all because of the events of Tuesday, September 11, 2001 which will undoubtedly be one of the most remembered days in history.
We (Linda, Sheri and I) left work at 103 Search and Rescue Squadron to go to the airport to make ourselves available for whatever had to be done. Little did I know what was in store.
We were pointed to the international terminal where the Canadian Red Cross had set up base. They asked us if we would mind answering telephones and providing information. How hard could that be.
I have to admin that I was a little uncomfortable with the idea at first, but wasn’t going to be choosy over jobs and decided to give it a shot. I expressed my concerns over not really liking telephones to Linda and she suggested that maybe trying to offer computer services. I decided not to and for that I am very happy right now.
So I sat down at a telephone and waited for the first call. I must say that after the first couple calls I felt rather reluctant as I came to realize that all of these calls were international, but I kept with it. I am sorry that I waited until now to put all of this to writing because most calls are not as fresh in my mind, but I truly believe that some that I recall will be with me forever.
On the first day all calls were friends and family looking for friends and family members. Basically it was get information from the caller such as the name of the person they were looking for and the airlines they were on. All of the callers that I received were very composed. Nobody was mad, all were concerned. The job was easy – well easy once we were able to get the information from people with broken English and being able to spell the names.
Calls were routine, get information from caller, retrieve information from our files, then relay the information to the caller. These people were very grateful to get the information that we were able to provide, such as where the family and/or friends were now located and provide a phone number.
I recall a turning point of the calls for me. After all, this hadn’t really sunk in what the situation was. Many of these people were either related to or know people who were probably lost in the Tuesday disaster at the World Trade Center in NYC
I remember receiving a call from a lady desperately trying to get a massage to her mother. This lady’s mother had a son and another relative who worked in the WTC. She needed a message passed on that they had been evacuated and were alive and fine. Unable to pass on this information personally I gave the lady the phone number and told her to call the number and pass on the information herself.
After this call I began to wonder if the next call may need a message passed on with a not so happy tone. This had an effect on me that is kind of hard to describe.
The next account was that of a lady from London England names Patricia S. I remember that at first she simply wanted the number to her father-in-law. I provided her with the number and as far as I was concerned this was the end of the conversation.
Later that same day I received another call, again from Patricia. She was still trying to contact her father-in-law. I recall his name was John C. The whole thing sits strongly in my mind. John was originally from NY but now lives in London. The best I could tell Patricia was to keep trying the number at the Elks Club in Gander and if she was still unsuccessful to call me again and I gave her my name. Later on I again received a call from Patricia. If I recall correctly he was 73 years old and had still not made contact to home. At this point I made her a promise. I wrote down her phone number and compiled a message for John. Then I assured that I would find John and pass on the message on to him, I felt it was the least I could do, after all she was thousands of miles away from him, and I was only 5 minutes away from him.
The calls kept pouring in all day, and I kept trying my best to give these people the information they needed, and as I was discovering with each new call came a whole new emotion. I must admin, this first day made me feel like I have never felt before in my life – in very positive way. One call comes to mind when I commented on the accent that the woman had. It may not have been correct protocol, but the woman thought it was a very nice thing to say. Anyway, she asked for any information that I was able to provide and when I came back with a location and phone number, this lady was very happy and rather surprised.
One thing I began doing with phone calls right from the start was getting the names of the caller, the immediately getting on a first name basis with the caller. It began with what I at first considered to be a technique, but as I soon discovered developed into a means to in a sort of way put two complete strangers at ease with each other, and it worked quite well.
People needed reassurance and comfort, so this is what I soon began to deliver, or at least I hope so. I tried to get information from the caller in a quick and mannerly fashion, after all-they didn’t want to talk to me, they wanted to make contact to their family and loved ones.
I recall a lady who sent her daughter to the UK as a birthday present, she had a little chuckle at this. I said to her that I guess that this was one of those birthday gifts that will never be spoke of again. Then we had a little laugh together.
I had a man apologize to me for his poor English. Perhaps I should have apologized to him for not knowing a single word of Polish. We struggled to communicate and eventually got him the information he requested. One word of English this man knew very well, which he said to me many times – very clearly… “Thank-you” “Thank-you”
How can that not out a smile on your face.
I passed information on to almost every country I can think of. These people were so nice and so thankful. I took messages for people needing special attention. One gentleman in particular, who was still on one of the aircraft on the ramp had a heart condition, this was a message that I hand delivered to the medical people at the airport.
I had many people call that were very upset that their family and/or loved ones were still on the airplanes, where they had been for many hours. It made me happy hat somehow I was able to put these callers at comfort that the passengers were being well treated, and getting medical attention where necessary.
Wednesday came to an end, and we headed home, but I was not empty handed. I had a message for John C and was determined that he was going to get it. I arrived at the Elks Club and it was my first opportunity to see the visitors in their new element.
Accommodations were not exactly 5 star, but they seemed to be settling in pretty well under the circumstances. So I began my search for John based on the vague description that Patricia had given me. I went to the ar and had him paged. He didn’t show, so I began to head out. Last stop I asked an elderly man if he knew John C. As it happened, this was him. I passed the note on to him with a brief introduction and headed on my way.
Thursday continued in the same manner, answering telephones and assuring concerned callers that their loved ones were fine and doing well, and explained to the best of my ability the reaction of the town to the situation. From the town, help poured in as well as food and whatever the town was able to do to help out.
I had a feeling when I was talking to people. It was a “try to put myself in their shoes” type of feeling. With this I tried to relay the type of information that I would like to hear if I was on the other end of the phone, and passed on the utmost truth to the best of my ability. In these situations I feel that people can see through a crock of bull.
It was amazing how many people showed so much appreciation and gratitude when we were able to provide them with such information. Even when we were unable to provide all the information that people were requesting, people were grateful nevertheless..
The day went on relatively routinely, letting people know where to locate the ones they called for. One call wasn’t so routine, it was a call from Patricia S. She simply called to thank me for passing on the message to John and him in turn getting in contact with her. Her thanks gave me an absolutely amazing feeling.
Friday was a bit of a change of pace. Flights were now starting to leave Gander. So the callers were now anxiously looking to find out when families, friends and loved ones were coming home. For overseas callers the news was mostly good once the flights left. The situation was that non-US flights were not allowed to enter US airspace and were returning to their departure locations. This turned out to be not so good news to callers from NY waiting at JFK airport for flights now on their way back to Rome.
What we found to be happening now is that airlines were pushing to get their planes in the air, and were relaying false information to callers. For example, one airlines told somebody that a flight had left at 11:00am that day when in actual fact it was not even scheduled to leave that day.
People were especially pleased to call us today, especially when the airlines were giving them the runaround, and we could give them an up to the minute update about the passengers, right from the flight leaving that day to the passengers boarding, and right to the plane taxiing down the runway
