The 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks is approaching. Radio World is presenting a series in which people in and around radio share their memories.
Bernie Wagenblast is a transportation journalist and voice actor.
To me, the World Trade Center was more than a landmark, it was the headquarters of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, an agency that employed me for a decade.
I spent many hours in 1WTC in meetings, celebrations and just eating lunch. I used the Observation Deck as a vantage point to help coordinate transportation during major events such as the Statue of Liberty centennial. Many years earlier, it served a similar role when I worked for Shadow Traffic. We had spotters atop the building to report on traffic conditions in the days before traffic cams and in-car navigation devices.
On 9/11 I was no longer working for the PA, but I was still involved with the agency. I had moved to the private sector and was working for a transportation consulting company.
That morning we were getting ready for a two-day meeting in Atlantic City for the I-95 Corridor Coalition. I was doing some last-minute prep online when I saw the first indication something was wrong. Like many people, I assumed a small plane had somehow struck the tower. While tragic, it wasn’t something that would affect our planned gathering.
That quickly changed as the enormity of what was happening became apparent. Our meeting in Atlantic City was going to involve transportation and police from agencies stretching between Maine and Virginia, the corner of the country which was under attack. In consultation with staff from the coalition, it was decided to cancel the meeting.
Fast forwarding three years, I found myself back at the site of the tragedy. I was asked to be the announcer for the laying of the cornerstone of what was then called the Freedom Tower.
Being down in “The Pit,” surrounded by first responders, officials and the families of those we lost that day, was one of the most profound moments of my life.
We welcome memories of that day from readers. Email [email protected] with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject field.
