mkiegold86 Loc: New York, NY. U.S.A.

I have lived in New York City long enough to have survived 9/11. I couldn't help but notice how some here posted images of that faithful day as we remember that day. That was 17-years ago, and for many of us it seems like yesterday. Yet, he has been 17 years, In that time we have grown as a nation but nowhere more so then right here in New York. In that time the city has rebuilt and recovered from that devastating time.
This year I would like us all to not only remember that day but celebrate today, and how we have recovered. We must never forget what happened but we must look to the future with hope and pride in ourselves at a nation. To that end I would like to offer the following images for your consideration...

roaddogie

Thanks for the pictures. After having been there a week after the disaster, I cannot bring myself to return to that spot. NEVER FORGET, NEVER FORGIVE.

danniepolley

Nice set, I was in Washington, DC working at 18th and F, we could see the smoke from the Pentagon from our building. Still have strong emotions of that day.

Barn Owl

Thank you for your positive mental reflections and beautiful photos of 9/11. Many of us still have vivid memories of what we saw from the incoming news that morning. Reality can result in harsh brain episodes. Some of those visuals may have bordered on slight PTSD. Fortunately, our positive attitudes and stable psychology allows us to forget some of that past. How do our combat soldiers return to duty, year after year after year?! I absolutely commend your optimism and work with your photography. Nonetheless, in the distant shadows of darkness and others' more recent experiences with genocide (Even if it might not be PC in some circles, I define the 9/11 attack as genocide.), I encourage a read on this BBC report. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-45406232.

tradio Loc: Oxford, Ohio

Thank you.

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

How can anyone forget, even if they wanted to?

I was locked in on 9/11 due to security concerns at work. As the crow flies I was 2 miles from ground zero in downtown Brooklyn. We watched the buildings fall on TV while our building doors were locked and chained, not knowing what was next, as smoke filled the sky. I had relatives of friends and friends of relatives who died that day.

The one thing I can say with conviction is we really don't know what happened that day. Although it did spark a Middle East war we have been fighting for 17 years now. The entire air defense command failed. The government ignored a bunch of warnings before the event and failed to take action. All the collapsed steel was shipped out quickly to China to be sold as scrap, which avoided providing any future investigation into the materials. A mystery wrapped in an enigma.

Reminds me of another day I was there to witness. After voting in the California primary in 1968 for Robert Kennedy I was awoken by the phone the next morning by my Mom, who informed me RFK had been shot. Once again we don't know what happened on that day either. RFK had been on track to be president and stop the war in Vietnam, which lasted another 6 years. The LA coroner's finding was the fatal shot came from just behind RFK's right ear, so it had to be from someone other than Sirhan. The LAPD dismantled the room and secured all the evidence then destroyed it all because of "lack of storage space".

I go back to another day I was there for, working as a mailboy for the U.S.G.S on my first full time job. A couple of weeks after I started that job JFK was assassinated. We don't really know what happened there either.

To me, JFK, RFK, 9/11 will always be linked. Three tragedies and no real coherent believable accounts of what really happened.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Absolutely no collapsed steel was sent to China as scrap. Zero. Sounds like conspiracy theory crap. The buildings were not all steel to start with and most of it was pulverized during the collapse. What large pieces of steel were found are being used in memorials all over the country and world, with a few remaining pieces that have yet to be sold or given away. As one who was in the World Trade Center on 9/11 and lucky to be alive, I have little tolerance for conspiracy theories, and the occasional outright lies that I hear spewed concerning the events of that day. If you want to know exactly what happened to all the recovered steel it's easy enough to find out the real story.

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

Zero? Nope. Lies? Nope. Conspiracy theory crap? Nope. Just the facts. As reported by the Chicago Tribune and CNN in January, 2002, just 4 months after the attacks. And it took about 5 minutes to find out the real story of what happened to the recovered steel. 116,000 tons was sold to China and India as scrap for $120 or less per ton. Plus India had an additional 66,000 tons on order.
....................................................

January 27, 2002
By Ching-Ching Ni, Special to the Tribune. Ching-Ching Ni is a staff reporter for the Los Angeles Times, a Tribune newspaper.

SHANGHAI — As New Yorkers emotionally debate what kind of memorial should honor those killed in the Sept. 11 World Trade Center attack, 50,000 tons of mangled metal from the twin towers have been sold and shipped to China as scrap.

China's largest steel company denied reports that it plans to make souvenirs out of metal from the collapsed buildings. But officials at Shanghai Baosteel here said the company did buy scrap from the wreckage of the terrorist attack."

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CNN.com also reported an additional 66,000 tons of WTC steel was sold to India....

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Ground Zero steel China-bound
January 23, 2002 Posted: 6:49 AM EST (1149 GMT)

BEIJING, China -- China's biggest steel firm says it will receive its first shipment of scrap metal from the World Trade Center wreckage soon and turn it into steel plates -- not, as some newspaper reports had suggested, souvenirs.

Chinese state newspapers had earlier reported that Shanghai Baosteel Group Corp. planned to turn 50,000 tons of Ground Zero steel into souvenirs -- including models of the twin towers.

The WTC towers dominated the New York skyline before two hijacked passengers slammed into them on September 11, triggering their collapse.

The towers' steel outer skeleton was formed of steel beams up to two feet thick.
Workers have been whittling away at the ruins since then, with hundreds of trucks carrying rubble out of the crater each day.

'Steel plates'

But a company spokesman told Reuters news agency on Wednesday that the shipment would not be treated any differently from ordinary purchases of scrap, and would be turned into steel plates.

The Beijing Youth Daily, one of the newspapers to report the purported souvenir plan, said Baosteel was one of the first companies in the world to contact the United States about the scrap and consequently made a good deal.

It bought 50,000 tons of steel scrap at a price of "less than $120 per ton," the newspaper quoted Baosteel executives as saying. It did not give an exact price figure.

The steel is to be baled into large cubes for shipping, and could be used to make office furniture and filing cabinets.

India scrap dealers have already ordered four steel consignments.

Two 33,000-ton consignments have already arrived in the southern port of Madras, a third is on its way and a fourth would arrive soon at the west coast port of Kandla.

The scrap was bought at $120 per ton and is to be recycled into ingots to be sold to various industries, including construction."

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Like mwsilvers I also "have little tolerance for conspiracy theories, and the occasional outright lies that I hear spewed concerning the events of that day" or the days JFK and RFK were shot. More so when those outright lies and cover ups are coming from our elected leaders and government commissions reports.

J-SPEIGHT Loc: Akron, Ohio

Thanks for sharing these with us Mike.

Carolina Wings Loc: Flew from North Carolina to Pennsylvania

Thank you Mike for sharing these photos with us...this is something we should never forget! When I think of the biggest atrocity in history that we should never forget...the Holocaust...I sadly see so many who have forgotten and many who have even gone as far as to revise history😰

rdemarco52 Loc: Wantagh, NY

I had friends from England on the roof of the Trade Center three weeks before it came down. I worked uptown and I remember that I had to walk over the Queensboro Brtidge into Queens that night because the subway was not running. I had walked across that bridge several times, but always on my own terms. With the Trade Center smoldering in the background and the mass of people walking with me, I felt like a refugee fleeing Manhattan. I agree with another post on this thread:NEVER FORGET, NEVER FORGIVE. And I also add: NEVER LET OUR GUARD DOWN.

traderjohn Loc: New York City

You are right.
I have a friend who worked with me at Morgan. His son worked in the second tower. After the muslim terrorists took down the first tower they had to exit using the stairs. He was calling his mom on his cell. Don't worr................ That woman has never along with a lot of others have never been the same. The killer the absolute killer three years after the muslim terrorists killed all those people all the debris from the site was taken to Staten Island. Three years later, she received a call from whatever organization did this sort of stuff that they had found trace DNA of their son on some of the ruble. They were obliged by some law to make this notification.

Earnest Botello Loc: Hockley, Texas

Very good set Mike.

Alafoto Loc: Montgomery, AL

I agree with you wholeheartedly. Who knows how many are working in the shadows to bring about the same evil, barbarous result again? Lose sight of that fact and we will be victimized again. GOD bless America!

ICN3S Loc: Cave Junction, OR

👍Great shots! As far as conspiracy theories go , read thishttps://www.popularmechanics.com/military/a6384/debunking-911-myths-world-trade-center/