In Memory of Steven Paul Chucknick

Steven Paul Chucknick loved Christmas.

"Well, the leaves have finally let go and have come down. And today, to my surprise, I woke up to snow. Is that a gift to me from you? I hope so, because it made me smile. I put up the Christmas lights outside today. Well, it doesn't look as good as when you did it, but I tried. I miss you so much. Christmas is so lonely without you. I miss waking up on Christmas morning and watching you and Steven opening your presents. I never knew who was the kid, you or Steven. You were always happy with whatever. I still remember and cherish the Christmas gifts you gave me on our last Christmas together. I will cherish them always. I miss so much the Christmas ornament you bought me every year. Steven and I still buy the son and dad ornament every year. It's what Steven wants. I asked him how long he wants to keep buying the dad ornament, and his answer was, "Forever." And we will. You will always be the best part of our Christmas, even though you aren't here in body. I love you, my Angel."

My heart to yours forever,
Your wife Barbara.


Steven Paul Chucknick was 44 years old and from Old Bridge, New Jersey. (Born: Staten Island, New York). Steven worked as vice president of communications and facilities for Euro Brokers Inc. on 84th floor in the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

In his position as the vice president at Euro Brokers, he was the one on the walkie-talkie, organizing employees for evacuation. That post, coupled with his duty as a floor fire marshal, put Steven as one of the last people to leave the floor. Most heartbreaking for his wife is that 240 of the 300 people who worked for her husband's company did escape, and remember seeing him. They tell her what a hero he was, calming anxious employees, making them feel better.

"I wish he would have run out. But he would have never left if even one person was still behind. He was always putting other people first," Barbara Chucknick.

Christmas Tributes at 9/11 Memorial

Source: Fox News.

With the first Christmas approaching since the 9/11 Memorial opened last September 11, holiday greens, wreaths, red berries, bows, and Christmas stockings are appearing to mark the season.

There's the little glass jar filled with sand from a special Oahu beach, left for the young Hawaii native, and the collection of red cotton scarves for "the man in the red bandana" who led so many others to safety but never made it out himself.

Elsewhere in the tapestry of tributes left at the 9/11 Memorial are notes in children's handwriting saying things like "Daddy, we miss you," first responder badges from around the world, family pictures, flags, sealed letters, flight attendant wings, rosaries, even a CD of hits by The Who.

Maile Rachel Hale, for example, was a 26-year-old Honolulu native and Wesleyan graduate working in the financial industry in Boston who was attending a conference at Windows on the World on the morning of September 11, 2001.

Next to her name, visitors left a collection of what she loved: a glass jar of sand with a label saying it was from Malaekahana Beach, a pair of ballet slippers to reflect her passion for dance, a small bag of M&Ms because she was a chocolate fanatic, several leis, a collection of notes and a soccer ball signed "For Maile from Elise."

At Welles Crowther's name, it's the red bandanas – at least three of them. On 9/11, when Flight 175 hit the South Tower at the 78th floor, a number of survivors said a young man appeared with a red bandana around his face and personally escorted or carried them off that floor and got them started to floors below. Then he kept going back up to help other people.

For LeRoy W. Homer, Jr., co-pilot of Flight 93, which crashed in a Pennsylvania field, someone left a small balsa wood airplane with a paper flower attached.

And Who fan John Joseph Ryan was honored with a CD of their songs inscribed "I think of you every time I hear your favorites! Miss you! PR"

At the Survivor Tree, a callery pear so named because it survived the 9/11 attack, then was nursed back to health and replanted – someone left a red-ribboned wreath with badges from eight different first responder units, some as far afield as Wyoming and Rhode Island.

In Memory of Mary Lou Hague

Mary Lou Hague was 26 years old and from New York, N.Y. (Born: Marietta, Ohio). Mary worked as a financial analyst for Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. on the 89th floor in the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

Liza Adams, mother of Mary Lou Hague.
"I received a phone call from her and it was a quarter of nine and she said mother turn on the television, we think a plane has flown into the other tower but she said all I can see is flames and flying papers."

Mrs. Adams told Mary Lou to get out of her 89th floor office in the second tower, immediately. "She called me back and said, I have my cell phone, I have my purse I'm leaving now."

That was the last time a loving mother would talk to her 26 year old daughter, as the second plane crashed, 5 floors below Mary Lou's office.

"A parent never gets over, or heals or has closure with the loss of a child, you just learn to cope with it. I miss her every day and do whatever I can in the community to keep her memory alive."

In Memory of Susan M. Pollio

Susan M. Pollio was 45 years old and from Long Beach Township, N.J. Susan worked as a a bond trader with Euro Brokers Inc. on the 84th floor in the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

At 9:03am on September 11, 2001, United Airlines Flight 175 hit the South Tower, entering at a tilt and raking across six floors - 78 to 84, the last being the Eurobrokers' office. Most of the company's trading floor was annihilated.

After months of being reported as missing, Susan's body was recovered on November 1, 2001. She was laid to rest on December 1, 2001, at Holy Name Cemetery, Jersey City.

At Thanksgivings, Susan would get up from the table and announce, "I have to go see a friend." After she died, her family learned that she had been going into Manhattan to feed the homeless in soup kitchens.

In Memory of Stephen V. Long

Stephen V. Long was 39 years old and from Alexandria, Virginia. Stephen was a Major in the United States Army.

On September 11, 2001, Stephen was attending a biweekly meeting in the ODCSPER executive conference room at the Pentagon. After American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon, Stephen crawled towards the Pentagon's E ring and there he died while trying to rescue others.

Major Stephen V. Long is buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Section 64 with the other victims of September 11 at the Pentagon.

In Memory of Madeline Amy Sweeney

Madeline Amy Sweeney (known as Amy Sweeney), was 34 years old and from Acton, Massachusetts. (Born: Valley Stream, New York). Amy worked as a flight attendant for American Airlines Flight 11.

On September 11, 2001, Amy was asked by American Airlines to take an extra shift, because the other crew member who was assigned to the position was ill. Normally, she would only work on weekends.

During the hijacking of American Airlines Flight 11, Amy used an airphone to call American Airlines flight operations center. During the call Amy reported that two flight attendants, the pilots, and a first class passenger had been stabbed. She reported that the hijackers had jammed their way into the cockpit and that there was mace in the first class cabin, and how they struggled to breathe. She also stated that the cockpit was not answering their phone. During the last minutes of the call, she said that the aircraft was flying erratically and that they were descending very rapidly.

As she looked out of a window, Amy's final words were, "I see water. I see buildings. I see buildings! We are flying low. We are flying very, very low. We are flying way too low. Oh my God we are flying way too low. Oh my God!"


Amy's name inscribed on Panel N-74 of the National September 11 Memorial's North Pool

In Memory of Zoe Falkenberg

Zoe Falkenberg was 8 years old and from University Park, Maryland. Zoe was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 77.

Zoe, along with her parents, Charles Falkenberg and Leslie Whittington, and her 3 year-old sister, Dana, were on their way to Australia for a two month stay.

On September 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 77 was deliberately crashed into the Pentagon killing everyone on board.

The night before Zoe climbed aboard Flight 77, she phoned her friends Katie and Camila with big news. She wanted her girlfriends to know she had got to ride around town in a limousine.

All the girls, and sometimes their friends, would read with their parents before bed, often Harry Potter books, and then they'd sing "Puff the Magic Dragon."

In Memory of Robert John Fangman

Robert John Fangman was 33 years old and from Chelsea, Massachusetts. (Born: Wilmington, Delaware). Robert worked as a flight attendant for United Airlines Flight 175.

United Airlines Flight 175 was a passenger flight which was hijacked on September 11, 2001, as part of the 9/11 attacks. The plane was deliberately crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center, killing all 61 people aboard plus the hijackers, and an unconfirmed number in the building's impact zone.

At the time of the hijacking, Robert, using an Airfone in row 31 at the back of the plane, called a United Airlines office in San Francisco, and spoke with Marc Policastro. Robert reported the hijacking, and said that the hijackers were likely flying the plane. He also said that both pilots were dead, and that a flight attendant was stabbed.

In Memory of CeeCee Lyles

CeeCee Lyles was 34 years old and from Fort Myers, FL. CeeCee worked as a flight attendant for United Airlines Flight 93.

On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, United Airlines Flight 93 was hijacked by four terrorists. Subsequent analysis of the flight recorders recovered from the crash site revealed how the actions taken by the passengers prevented the aircraft from reaching the hijackers' intended target.

Before Flight 93 nose-dived into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, CeeCee dialed home twice on a cell phone to tell her husband about the hijacking and of her love for him and their children. Calmly, she prayed to see her husband's face again, then beseeched God to forgive and welcome her home, along with everyone else on the plane.

In Memory of Thomas F. McGuinness, Jr.

Thomas McGuinness was 42 years old and from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Thomas, a former Navy fighter pilot was the co-pilot and first officer on American Airlines Flight 11.


The names of John A Ogonowski, Thomas F. McGuinness, Betty Ann Ong, and other 9/11 victims from American Airlines Flight 11, inscribed on bronze panel N-74 of the North Pool of the National September 11 Memorial

The Unforgettable Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers

I think this review on Amazon sums up this book very well.

"A recommended read for any true story fanatic and anyone who would like an insiders perspective into the tragedy. It definately made me phone home and tell my family how much I love them, hitting home that anything could happen to any of us at any time."

Details:
At 8:46 a.m. on September 11, 2001, fourteen thousand people were inside the World Trade Center just starting their workdays, but over the next 102 minutes, each would become part of a drama for the ages. Of the millions of words written about this wrenching day, most were told from the outside looking in. New York Times reporters Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn draw on hundreds of interviews with rescuers and survivors, thousands of pages of oral histories, and countless phone, e-mail, and emergency radio transcripts to tell the story of September 11 from the inside looking out.

Dwyer and Flynn have woven an epic and unforgettable account of the struggle, determination, and grace of the ordinary men and women who made 102 minutes count as never before.

9/11 Ordinary People: Extraordinary Heroes

This excellent new book relates the stories of many heroic people directly involved at the World Trade Center on 9/11.

The stories rendered here with stunning emotion and depth of feeling by retired Army Colonel Will Merrill Jr. will stand as vivid reminders of the deep sense of pain experienced by an entire nation. Interviews feature more than sixty heroic people directly involved with the events of that day, including Mayor Rudy Giuliani, the Fire Commissioner of New York City, two Department Chiefs of the Port Authority Police Department and the Senior Deputy Chief of the New York City Police Department as well as ordinary people affected by the loss of human life.

Colonel Merrill evokes the spirit of the fallen as both a reminder that the threat of terrorism is still very real and to call attention to those still suffering from the effects of that horrific day. Many of those exposed to Ground Zero both on 9/11 as well as in the relief effort are experiencing severe health problems, including suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), and it is paramount that the heroes of these events never be forgotten.

Full of heart wrenching tales of loss and awe inspiring moments of valor and bravery, Ordinary People: Extraordinary Heroes is a profoundly moving call to arms to make sure the events that occurred that day never happen again on American soil.

In Memory of Suzanne Rose Kondratenko

Suzanne Rose Kondratenko was 27 years old and from Chicago, Illinois. (Born: Grosse Pointe, Michigan). Suzanne worked as a management consultant for Keane Consulting Group.

Suzanne had traveled from Chicago to New York for a meeting in Aon's offices on September 11, 2001. She was in a meeting with six Aon insurance executives on the 92nd floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

When the North Tower was hit by American Airlines Flight 11 at 8:46 am, no one in the meeting felt or heard anything in the windowless interior conference room until commotion and screaming outside interrupted their conversation. The group emerged to find people headed for the fire stairs. The air smelled like smoke. The south tower's ventilation system was sucking in smoky air from outside.

Suzanne and her colleagues had just 16½ minutes before United Airlines Flight 175 would tear through the 78th through 84th floors of their building.

According to survivors Suzanne Rose Kondratenko was last seen heading down the stairs from the 92nd floor of the South Tower.

In Memory of Rahma Salie and her unborn child

Rahma Salie was 28 years old and from Boston, Massachusetts. Rahma was a passenger aboard American Airlines Flight 11. Rahma was 7 months pregnant, and traveling with her husband, Michael Theodoridis, 32.

She and her husband, and their unborn baby died on 9/11, when Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. They were Muslim

Rahma's mother, Haleema, said, "I would like everyone to know that she was a Muslim, she is a Muslim and we are victims too, of this tragic incident."

Video of 9/11 10th anniversary memorial at Ground Zero, NYC

In Memory of Jeanette Louise Lafond-Menichinoi

Jeanette Louise Lafond-Menichinoi was 49 years old and from New York, N.Y. Jeanette worked for Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc on the 94th floor of the North Tower at the World Trade Center

Jeanette was also a serious part-time artist who was inspired by the view from her office high in the north tower. Jeanette took photographs of the view from her office, her mother says, and used them in her own landscape paintings.

"The clouds would come right up to her window, and sometimes there were rain clouds, and you could actually see the rainfall. And if you looked above the clouds, it was completely clear. And when the airplanes and helicopters passed by, you could actually see in the compartments." Dina LaFond.

On September 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc offices spanned the entire impact zone, from floors 93 to 99. No one present in the offices at the time survived the attack, and the firm lost 295 employees and 63 contractors.

In Memory of the Hanson family

On September 11, 2001, Peter Hanson was traveling with his wife, Sue Kim Hanson, and their 2 year old daughter, Christine Lee Hanson, who had never flown on a plane before. The Hanson family were passengers on United Airlines Flight 175, where they were seated in Row 19, in seats C, D, and E.

At 9:00 am Peter Hanson made a phone call to his father:
"It's getting bad, Dad. A stewardess was stabbed. They seem to have knives and Mace. They said they have a bomb. It's getting very bad on the plane. The plane is making jerky movements. I don't think the pilot is flying the plane. I think we are going down. I think they intend to go to Chicago or someplace and fly into a building. Don't worry, Dad. If it happens, it'll be very fast....Oh my God... oh my God, oh my God."

At 9:03 am Flight 175 crashed into the southern facade of South Tower of the World Trade Center.

Christine Lee at two and a half was the youngest victim on 9/11, and she died in her parent's arms.

Recommended 9/11 Reading: We're Not Leaving

We're Not Leaving, 9/11 Responders Tell Their Stories of Courage, Sacrifice and Renewal is a compilation of powerful first person narratives told from the vantage point of World Trade Center disaster workers. Police officers, firefighters, construction workers, and other volunteers at the site.

While the effects of 9/11 on these everyday heroes and heroines are indelible, and in some cases have been devastating, at the heart of their deeply personal stories, their harrowing escapes from the falling Towers, the egregious environment they worked in for months, the alarming health effects they continue to deal with, is their witness to their personal strength and renewal in the ten years since.

These stories, shared by ordinary people who responded to disaster and devastation in extraordinary ways, remind us of America's strength and inspire us to recognize and ultimately believe in our shared values of courage, duty, patriotism, self-sacrifice, and devotion, which guide us in dark times.

In Memory of Molly L. McKenzie

Molly L. McKenzie was 38 years old and from Dale City, Va. Molly worked at the Pentagon as a civilian budget analyst for the Army. She had worked for the Army for 14 years.

At 9:37 am on September 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 77 was crashed into the western side of the Pentagon, killing 125 people working in the building.

Identifying 9/11 Victims 10 Years On

As of August 2011, 1,631 victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks have been identified, while 1,122 (41%) of the victims remained unidentified. The remains are being held in storage in Memorial Park, outside the New York City Medical Examiner's facilities. It is expected that the remains will be moved in 2013 to a repository behind a wall at the 9/11 museum. As of July 2011, a team of scientists at the Office of Chief Medical Examiner continues to try to identify remains, in the hope that improved technology will allow them to identify other victims.

In this video David Common explains how new science is being used to help some families find closure.

In Memory of Samantha Martin Egan and Lisa Erin Egan

Samantha Martin Egan was 24 years old and from Jersey City, New Jersey. (Born: Brooklyn, New York).

Samantha was killed at the World Trade Center during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks while working at Cantor Fitzgerald on the 104th floor of the North Tower. She worked with her older sister, Lisa Erin Egan, 31.



According to The New York Times, their father, David, said he knew that the sisters were together after the plane hit.

Their father said: "They would have been seeking one another immediately. It would have been the first thing in their minds. 'Where is Samantha?' Lisa would have said. 'Where is Lisa?' Samantha would have thought. I know they are together."

The sisters share a memorial at Sea View Cemetery in Mount Sinai. A photograph of the pretty blond sisters, who were from Rocky Point, is displayed on their large headstone, and a poem by their father is written on a brass plaque.


A bench before the grave of the Egan sisters

In Memory of Patricia Ann Puma

Patricia Ann Puma was 33 years old and from Staten Island, New York. Patricia worked for Julien J. Studley Inc. on the 86th floor of the North Tower at the World Trade Center.

On September 11, 2001, Patricia was in the same office as James Gartenberg on the 86th floor, well below the bottom of the impact zone on the 93th floor. In several conversations on the telephone, they said that access to the exits was blocked by the collapsed walls and debris. They were unable to escape.

Patricia Ann Puma said, "The wall in the ladies room started to crack, it looked like an earthquake. The noise and debris falling outside the building are frightening."

In Memory of Karen Sue Juday

Karen Sue Juday was 52 years old and from Brooklyn, New York. (Born: Bremen, Indiana). Karen worked as an administrative assistant for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 101st floor of the North Tower at the World Trade Center.

In Memory of James Francis Quinn

James Francis Quinn was 23 years old and from New York, N.Y. James worked for Cantor Fitzgerald in the North Tower at the World Trade Center.

In Memory of Vanessa Lang Langer and her unborn child

Vanessa Lang Langer was 29 years old and from Yonkers, NY. (Born: Bronx, New York). Vanessa worked for Regus Plc on the 93rd floor in the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

On September 11, 2001, Vanessa, who was four months pregnant, escaped from the South Tower. However, her quest for survival had fallen short. She ran as the South Tower collapsed. She did not make it. Her body, and in it the small body of her unborn child, was pulled from the rubble of the fallen tower on September 24th, just ten feet from an alley between Towers IV and V.

Vanessa's husband, Tim, fell into a spiral of alcohol abuse after the death of his wife and unborn child. He died of liver failure in 2005. He was 34.

In Memory of Deanna Lynn Galante and her unborn child

Deanna Lynn Galante was 32 years old and from Staten Island, N.Y. On September 11, 2001, Deanna was seven months pregnant with her first child and was scheduled to take maternity leave.

Deanna worked for Cantor Fitzgerald's eSpeed division as a personal assistant on the 106th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

9/11 Memorial has 500,000 Visitors

The National September 11 Memorial and Museum reached a milestone this week, with half a million visitors from more than 100 countries worldwide since its big opening just over two months ago.

In Memory of Jonathan Eric Briley

Jonathan Eric Briley 43 years old and from Mount Vernon, N.Y. Jonathan worked as an audio media specialist at Windows on the World on the 110th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center.


Westchester County 9/11 Memorial in Valhalla, N.Y.

In Memory of Alicia Nicole Titus

Alicia Nicole Titus was 28 years old and from San Francisco, California. (Born: Springfield, Ohio). Alicia was a flight attendant for United Airlines Flight 175.

"Some Guinness was spilt on the barroom floor,
When the Pub was shut for the night.
Out of a hole crept a wee brown mouse,
And stood in the pale moonlight.

He lapped the frothy brew from the floor,
Then back on his haunches he sat.
And all night long you could hear him roar,
"Bring on the goddamn cat!"

by Alicia N. Titus



Alicia Titus Tribute on Youtube


Losing Alicia: A Father's Journey After 9/11 by John L. Titus
In Losing Alicia, readers not only witness a father's struggle over the murder of his young, vibrant and beautiful daughter, but they walk with him through his agonizing grief after one of the most horrific tragedies in history, September 11, 2001.

In Memory of Jennifer Yen Wong

Jennifer Yen Wong was 26 years old and from Whitestone, NY. Jennifer worked for Marsh & McLennan on the 96th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center.