CHARLOTTE, N.C. — 2020 marks the 19th anniversary of the tragic terrorist attacks on American soil.
September 11, 2001 is a date most Americans will never forget. WCNC Charlotte spoke with some Charlotte-area residents who were in New York on the day of the attacks. Below are their stories from that day, in their own words.
Greg Wolman
"As we walked, we could smell the jet fuel in the air."
Greg Wolman lives in Fort Mill, South Carolina now - but 19 years ago Wolman lived in Manhattan, just blocks away from the World Trade Center.
Wolan said he was walking into his New York City job when he saw a colleague watching the news. Reports were that a plane had hit one of the Twin Towers.
"And then we watched the second plane hit," Wolman said.
He immediately called his wife and they met a few blocks from his office. Wolman said he then met up with some of his friends and they walked through Central Park to get to one of their apartments, all awhile not sure if Manhattan was still open.
"As we walked, we could smell the jet fuel in the air," Wolman recounted. "And as we were leaving Central Park, we heard multiple planes flying overhead."
Wolman said his wife, Christine, panicked -- afraid it was another attack.
"We looked up and saw US jet fighters overhead, there to protect us. It was the first relief we felt that day," Wolman said.
The couple said they were not able to leave Manhattan until later that afternoon. Eventually, the two able to get on a bus that dropped them 4 miles from their apartment in the Bronx.
"Our day ended with that long walk," Wolman said.
It wasn't until the next day, September 12, that Wolman learned his brother-in-law's brother, who was a New York firefighter, died in the collapse.
"By far the scariest and most surreal day of my life," Wolman said.
Nadine Castro
"That's how far the debris blew around. I was amazed by how much was actually blowing there."
Nadine Castro lives in north Charlotte today, but 19 years ago she lived in the Bronx and worked in Manhattan. Just six blocks away from the World Trade Center.
Castro said she walked into her work building at around 7:00 a.m. on 9/11/2001. She worked on the 27th floor so she took the elevator up. A short time later, a friend called her and told her about the first plane hitting the Twin Towers. She didn't think anything about it.
"Shortly thereafter, I heard a woman scream," Castro recalled. "I walked over to her, and she had the television on in that room. She saw the second plane hit."
Castro immediately went back to her desk, grabbed her bags and took the elevator back down before they could shut it off.
"I was probably 6 to 10 blocks across from the Trade Center," Castro said.
When she walked out of the building she recalled seeing paper debris that came from the towers.
"That's how far the debris blew around. I was amazed by how much was actually blowing there," Castro said.
Then she started walking, she didn't know where she was going but she knew she couldn't stay there.
"And so I made the decision to walk because obviously I wasn't going to get on a train," Castro said.
She walked for about 40 minutes until she finally circled back to Manhattan. That's when she learned that the towers had collapsed.
"I just I removed myself so far from it," Castro said. "And then you start to realize, the police officers wouldn't let you on the trains."
Castro said her mind was just racing all day. She was scared and praying for everyone involved.
"It was terrifying, and I was saying prayers to make sure that everyone was okay," Castro said.
Castro went on to say: "It's important to remember the families and the lives that that were impacted. And making sure that we take the time to appreciate each day."
Arlene Reyes-Berger
I heard him say "get out."
Arlene Reyes-Berger remembers that September 11, 2001 initially started out as a gorgeous day in New York City.
"I remember it being a really nice day - no clouds, just a sunny gorgeous day," she recounted.
Reyes-Berger was working in Manhattan on top of Penn Station when she got a call from her brother. He told her a helicopter had hit the Twin Towers.
"And I was like, no way - how do you miss this big building," Reyes-Berger remembered.
He was watching the news and she was asking him questions when the second plane hit.
I heard him say "get out."
Reyes-Berger's brother was a police officer and knew exactly what was happening. A terrorist attack.
But Reyes-Berger couldn't leave, she was stuck. The trains and buses were all halted.
"I worked for a behavioral health company who said we had to stay here and triage calls we got. We had clients in that building," Reyes-Berger recalled.
She said she could remember people running out of her building because there was talk of a bomb threat.
"It was nerve-wracking," Reyes-Berger said. "My son was at the babysitters and she lived 20 blocks away."
Reyes-Berger said her husband went back home but then couldn't get back into the city to pick her up. Eventually, she was able to catch a ride with her best friend's father who happened to drive himself into work that day.
Even 19 years later, Reyes-Berger said it's difficult for her to visit the site of the event. She said she visited One Trade and was fine, but lost it once she got to the museum.
"I couldn’t do it," she said. "It brought back all of the emotions and listening to all of the voice messages that people were leaving and people throwing themselves off the buildings."
Kadijah Goosby
"He turned on the radio and told us we were under attack."
Kadijah Goosby was just 10 years old on September 11, 2001, but she still remembers everything about that day.
Goosby, now a Charlotte resident, was living in Brooklyn New York on the day of the attack. She recalled the moments leading up to the event.
"I was in the 4th grade and we were on the top floor of the building and you can see the skyline of Manhattan," Goosby remembered
She said her class was waiting for their art teacher to come in, he was never late.
That's when he walked in, frantic.
"He said 'I just saw a plane hit one of the towers.' We were all confused," Goosby said. "He turned on the radio and told us we were under attack."
Goobsy said they heard the screams of people outside. Goobsy and her classmates all hid under their desks while staff members made calls to parents.
"We had to get our stuff and go to the auditorium and that's when parents started rushing in," Goobsy said.
"I saw people covered in smug and people jumping out of windows, they were showing everything," Goobsy recalled. "It was so sad you could see people bleeding, dying."
Kimberly Dubrey
"Her cry is something I will never forget as we watched the people jumping from the towers."
Kimberly Dubrey now lives in Denver, NC, but 19 years ago, she lived in Upstate New York with her family.
Dubrey said she was in high school at the time and had just entered second period, US history, when the principal came over the loudspeaker saying everyone needed to shelter in place.
The school was then placed under lockdown.
Dubrey said there was some chatter among teachers, but no one really knew what was happening. Not yet.
The teachers turned on the TV, right as the second plane crashed into the towers.
"My classmates and I were silently watching in horror," Dubrey said.
Then one of her classmates became frantic and asked if anyone had a phone she could borrow.
Her mom had a business meeting in Manhattan that morning.
"As the teacher tried to get ahold of someone to get her out to call she became more and more upset," Dubrey said. "Her cry is something I will never forget as we watched the people jumping from the towers."
It was terrible.
Eventually, Dubrey said the guidance counselors started entering the classrooms and pulling out any kids who had parents traveling by plane or train to NY or DC.
Dubrey recalled that her classmate was able to get a hold of her mom, and luckily, they had stopped her from boarding in Albany and she never made it to Manhattan.
"We were released early from school and when I got home and saw my parents I finally felt like I could breathe," Dubrey said.
Her father was a New York police officer and had many friends who were firefighters who volunteered to their time to help.
"The days following we were filled with such pride for our state coming together to help in such tragedy," Dubrey exclaimed.