20th Century Wars

My friend Steve Kennedy is a New York City art dealer. Steve was in art gallery two blocks from the Twin Towers, when dust-covered cop in shock entered, shouting “The towers hit by plane—collapsed!” Panicked, dusty people were running by as Steve stepped from shop to see air full of falling dust and debris. Suddenly a tattered book came tumbling down near him. Steve said from a dazed reflex, he’d stuffed book’s remains in his coat pocket. When he returned to his Manhattan apartment, watching news coverage of Twin Towers destruction, he brushed dust from book’s torn jacket and sat in shocked amazement at the cover image, title, subject of historical work!

That’s right… someone working at The Trade Center, in one of those offices of one of those companies in one of the Twin Towers had on their desk; perhaps was even reading this book about the tallest building in New York City in 1945 being struck by a plane; when the tallest building in New York City in 2001 was struck by a plane!

In 2001, a week after 9/11 destruction of Twin Towers, when I returned home from speaking engagements on the West Coast, I had phone messages from Wapak Post Office. I was told a number of packages for me had been mailed from New York City and a gray dust was sifting from them? They thought, as on previous occasions I had shipped archeological finds back home. The packages turned out to be from fireman and police who had participated in the 9/11cleanup. They were sending me boxes of paper material and objects from the site, a few of which are on front of frame. I had known these men from speeches delivered at their precincts and departments for free whenever I had traveled to New York City to give a presentation.

Year later, I called one of the precincts to say I’m coming to speak. “Many gone, Jim.” “Gone where?” “Gone; first responders!”