HomeAid Gets a Once in a Lifetime Experience with Private Tour of the National September 11 Memorial Museum
HomeAid was accompanied by former New York Fire Commissioner Tom Von Essen on a private tour of the 9/11 Memorial
As most of us do, I remember very vividly the morning of September 11, 2001. I was doing my normal mom with young children, morning routine while having the Today Show on in the background. I remember the very clear blue sky and the smoke that was filling it, the first plane had already hit the North Tower when I turned on the TV and I then the second plane hit the South Tower soon after.
I do recall thinking, “I can’t even imagine what it would be like to be in New York right now.” Then, over twenty years later I was extremely fortunate to hear first-hand from former New York Fire Commissioner Tom Von Essen, talk of some of his experiences from that awful day, while on a private tour of the National September 11 Memorial Museum.
Mutual of America Financial Group provided me and several of my HomeAid colleagues with this amazing opportunity last week. HomeAid and the HomeAid WORKS program was a 2021 Honorable Mention winner as a Mutual of America Community Partner. This honor included a trip to New York, a wonderful awards ceremony, and this once-in-a-lifetime experience at the World Trade Center Memorial.
Now to go along with my vivid memories of that sky, I have on the day itself, thanks to this experience I can now add these images:
· The Survivor Tree
· The serene fountains of the outdoor Monuments that mark the location where each tower stood and that has every victim’s name etched on the side.
· The damaged and melted Ladder 3 Fire Engine whose crew lost their lives
· The room that holds a picture of every victim that day
· Personal remarks and memories from a person who was forever changed that day.
September 11, 2001, will never be forgotten and I am thankful for the chance to tour the memorial and museum and to experience up close the sacrifice and heroism of that historic day.