During my recent trip to New York City I visited the reconstruction site in Lower Manhattan where the twin towers of the World Trade Center stood until the September 11, 2001 attacks.

What a site to behold…even today…almost eight years after those coordinated suicide attacks using the hijacked jet airliners!

But it was en route to the site that I literally experienced chills and goose bumps.

Surprisingly, it seemed as if the souls of those innocent victims from that terrifying disaster were all around me. The air was infused with emotion and I could taste it!

This was something I’ve never experienced before…something very powerful…and I felt caught off guard.

The sheer enormity of the tragedy was overwhelming and I could feel the hairs at the back of my neck and on my arms standing upright.

I was brought to tears.

Yes, I couldn’t help but cry as I walked.

My husband also found the walk emotional. He had received a Canadian Association of Broadcasters award for Community service after he spearheaded a community initiative (from our hometown) that raised $165,000 in 10 days to buy therapeutic talking bears for the children who lost their firefighter and EMT parents on 9-11. He then delivered the bears to New York and broadcast live from Ground Zero in October 2001.

Now, returning to the area, it was still an emotional experience for him.

While walking along that deserted bicycle/foot path on West Street, my husband and I encountered a long line of NYPD cars (with their logo “Courtesy Professionalism Respect” imprinted on the driver’s side passenger door). There were at least a hundred cars with lights flashing.

As we boldly approached one of the cars, the driver, an African-American officer, lowered his window while his female partner leaned closer to have a look at us.

“We were just wondering what was going on?” said my husband. “We’re from Canada.”

Turns out they were in the midst of an anti-terrorism drill to improve their response time to terrorist activities in the area. And beyond that of course, they couldn’t discuss their tactics and methods with us.

To those officers I’d like to say, “Thanks for your service and dedication!”

And to those innocent victims of 9/11, “May you rest in peace.”

Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
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