September 11, 2014

Where were you on 9/11/2001?




September 11th, 2001 will long be remembered as one of the most horrific days in the history of the United States.

I've no doubt that everyone remembers where they were when news hit the air waves that a plane had crashed into one of the towers in New York City.

I was at the American-Canadian Genealogical Society for a meeting with the Fall Conference Committee. One member walked in and said a plane had hit one of the towers. Not believing for one moment there was anything sinister involved, I remember telling her that some ridiculous person must have tried a stunt of some kind. We went about our business, but as other members arrived, it was clear that the United States of America had been attacked and a second plane had crashed into the second tower. Then there was the plane brought down in Pennsylvania.

We quickly ended our meeting and headed home. I still remember how desolate the highway was coming home to Methuen from Manchester, New Hampshire. Though not all that long a drive, this highway is usually teaming with some kind of traffic all day long. It was obvious everyone who could was off the highways and in a "safe" place.

When I arrived home our daughter who is a college professor in Boston was there and told me she had called the college and they were allowing their staff to remain at home. Nobody else knew if more attacks would take place and those two airline jets had flown out of Boston.

All afternoon we watched television and saw the devastation played over and over again - we saw people searching all over NYC in search of loved ones who worked in the towers and financial district. Mid afternoon as the list of names that had been passengers on both airlines were listed on the television screen, we could not believe that some people from our town were among them and even worse, one of our neighbors Doug Gowell

was on the United flight 175 . I think just about everyone somewhere was affected by the loss of a family member, neighbor or acquaintance that day as so many lives were lost.

I still get pretty emotional when I remember how for so many nights Doug's wife Barbara would put a candle out on the front porch as though waiting for Doug to come home from his business trip . It was heart wrenching. Just the night before flew out of Boston, I saw him working in front of their home; I also remember the limo driving in front of our house the morning of that fateful flight - Doug was on his way to Logan Airport in Boston.

Robert George LeBlanc of Lee, New Hamsphire was on the same flight as Doug. Robert is well known to us in the Acadian community. A Geography Professor at New Hampshire College, Robert was the creator of the map Acadian Odyssey.
 
The memories of that day are imbedded in our minds, hearts and souls forever.


So on Sunday, the 10th anniversary of this attack on our country and the loss of so many Americans and visitors to our country, we will pause to remember all who died that fateful September 11th. Below is a list of those who were on the American and United airlines flights... May they rest in peace. We stand with their families and the efforts they have made these past ten years to keep the memory of their loved ones alive.  
 
AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT #11
from Boston, Massachusetts on way to Los Angeles, California
crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center with 92 people on board.
CREW
Barbara Arestegui, 38, Marstons Mills, Massachusetts
Karen A. Martin, 40, Danvers, Mass.
First Officer Thomas McGuinness, 42, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Kathleen Nicosia, 54, Winthrop, Mass.
John Ogonowski, 52, Dracut, Massachusetts
Betty Ong, 45, Andover, Massachusetts
Jean Roger, 24, Longmeadow, Massachusetts
Dianne Snyder, 42, Westport, Massachusetts
Madeline Sweeney, 35, Acton, Massachusetts
PASSENGERS


Anna Williams Allison, 48, Stoneham, Massachusetts
Myra Aronson, 52, Charlestown, Massachusetts
Christine Barbuto, 32, Brookline, Massachusetts
Kelly Ann Booms, 24, Brookline, Mass.
Carol Bouchard, 43, Warwick, Rhode Island
Neilie Anne Heffernan Casey, 32, Wellesley, Massachusetts
Jeffrey Coombs, 42, Abington, Massachusetts
Tara Creamer, 30, Worcester, Massachusetts
Thelma Cuccinello, 71, Wilmot, New Hampshire
Patrick Currivan, 52, Winchester, Mass.
David DiMeglio, 22, Wakefield, Mass.
Donald Americo DiTullio, 49, Peabody, Mass.
Paige Farley-Hackel, 46, Newton, Mass.
Alex Filipov, 70, Concord, Massachusetts
Carol Flyzik, 40, Plaistow, N.H.
Paul Friedman, 45, Belmont, Massachusetts
Karleton D.B. Fyfe, 31, Brookline, Massachusetts
Peter Gay, 54, Tewksbury, Massachusetts
Linda George, 27, Westboro, Massachusetts
Lisa Fenn Gordenstein, 41, Needham, Massachusetts
Peter Hashem, 40, Tewksbury, Massachusetts
Robert Hayes, 37, from Amesbury, Massachusetts
Edward (Ted) R. Hennessy, 35, Belmont, Mass.
Cora Hidalgo Holland, 52, of Sudbury, Massachusetts
Nicholas Humber, 60, of Newton, Massachusetts
John Charles Jenkins, 45, Cambridge, Mass.
Charles Edward Jones, 48, Bedford, Mass.
Robin Kaplan, 33, Westboro, Massachusetts
David P. Kovalcin, 42, Hudson, New Hampshire
Judy Larocque, 50, Framingham, Mass.
Natalie Janis Lasden, 46, Peabody, Mass.
Daniel C. Lewin, 31, Charlestown, Mass.
Susan A. MacKay, 44, Westford, Massachusetts
Christopher D. Mello, 25, Boston, Mass.
Antonio Jesus Montoya Valdes, 46, East Boston, Mass.
Carlos Alberto Montoya, 36, Bellmont, Mass.
Laura Lee Morabito, 34, Framingham, Massachusetts
Mildred Rose Naiman, 81, Andover, Mass.
Renee Newell, 37, of Cranston, Rhode Island
Jacqueline J. Norton, 61, Lubec, Maine
Robert Grant Norton, 85, Lubec, Maine
Jane M. Orth, 49, Haverhill, Mass.
Sonia Morales Puopolo, 58, of Dover, Massachusetts
David E. Retik, 33, Needham, Mass.
Philip M. Rosenzweig, 47, Acton, Mass.
Richard Ross, 58, Newton, Massachusetts
Jessica Sachs, 22, Billerica, Massachusetts
Rahma Salie, 28, Boston, Mass.
Heather Lee Smith, 30, Boston, Mass.
Douglas J. Stone, 54, Dover, N.H
Michael Theodoridis, 32, Boston, Mass.
James Trentini, 65, Everett, Massachusetts
Mary Trentini, 67, Everett, Massachusetts
Kenneth Waldie, 46, Methuen, Massachusetts
Candace Lee Williams, 20, Danbury, Conn.
Christopher Zarba, 47, Hopkinton, Massachusetts
UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT #175
from Boston, Massachusetts on way to Los Angeles, California 
second plane crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
Two pilots, seven flight attendants and 56 passengers were on board.
CREW

Amy N. Jarret, 28, North Smithfield, R.I.
Amy R. King, 29, Stafford Springs, Conn.
Kathryn L. LaBorie, 44, Providence, R.I.
Michael C. Tarrou, 38, Stafford Springs, Conn.
PASSENGERS
Garnet Edward (Ace) Bailey, 54, Lynnfield, Mass.
Mark Bavis, 31, West Newton, Mass.
Graham Andrew Berkeley, 37, Boston, Mass.
John Brett Cahill, 56, Wellesley, Mass.
Christoffer Carstanjen, 33, Turner Falls, Mass.
John (Jay) J. Corcoran, 43, Norwell, Mass
Lynn Catherine Goodchild, 25, Attleboro, Mass.
Peter Morgan Goodrich, 33, Sudbury, Mass.
Douglas A. Gowell, 52, Methuen, Mass.
The Rev. Francis E. Grogan, 76, of Easton, Mass.
Carl Max Hammond, 37, Derry, N.H.
Peter Hanson, 32, Groton, Mass.
Sue Kim Hanson, 35, Groton, Mass.
Christine Lee Hanson, 2, Groton, Mass.
Eric Samadikan Hartono, 20, Boston, Mass.
James E. Hayden, 47, Westford, Mass.
Herbert W. Homer, 48, Milford, Mass.
Robert Adrien Jalbert, 61, Swampscott, Mass.
Ralph Francis Kershaw, 52, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass.
Brian Kinney, 29, Lowell, Mass.
Robert George LeBlanc, 70, Lee, N.H.
Maclovio Lopez, Jr., 41, Norwalk, Calif.
Marianne MacFarlane, 34, Revere, Mass.
Louis Neil Mariani, 59, Derry, N.H.
Juliana Valentine McCourt, 4, New London, Conn.
Ruth Magdaline McCourt, 45, New London, Conn.
Shawn M. Nassaney, 25, Pawtucket, R.I.
Patrick Quigley, 40, of Wellesley, Mass.
Frederick Charles Rimmele, 32, Marblehead, Mass.
James M. Roux, 43, Portland, Maine
Jesus Sanchez, 45, Hudson, Mass.
Mary Kathleen Shearer, 61, Dover, N.H.
Robert Michael Shearer, 63, Dover, N.H.
Jane Louise Simpkin, 36, Wayland, Mass.
Brian D. Sweeney, 38, Barnstable, Mass.
William M. Weems, 46, Marblehead, Mass.

UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 93
from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco, California,
crashed in rural southwest Pennsylvania,
with 45 people on board.
All victims of a senseless attack, they and all who died that day were American martyrs! We shall never forget!
Peace and love to all of their families. God bless them and GOD BLESS AMERICA!
All Rights Reserved - 7 September 2011