September 11, 2001 NYC - The Pile

Soldiers stop to take a photo of the destroyed steel skeletons of the towers, the area came to be known as "The Pile".

September 11, 2001, NYC. Four US airplanes were hijacked by members of the Islamic extremist group Al Qaeda with the intent of carrying out suicide missions to US locations in Washington DC & New York City. Two of the planes were flown into the Twin Towers in New York City, inevitably taking both towers down & killing 2, 753 people & injuring thousands more.

I remember that morning so vividly, I woke up to a message on my answering machine from my ex-boyfriend - "something happened to the towers get your camera and go out!" I can see the towers from the street I live on, still not knowing exactly what happened I turned on the news just as the 1st tower fell. I immediately ran out down Sixth Avenue the whole-time having the Tower 2 in sight. When I stopped, I was probably still about a mile and a half away & watched in horror along with hundreds of other New Yorkers. Within a few minutes I started to hear a gut-wrenching low rumble, and with that the second tower came down. These photos were taken the day of and the days following.

Editors note: Actual date not certain but within the following date range: 9/12- 9/16.

Color file converted to B&W