Frances Long and Nelson Simon

00:05 My name is Nelson Simone. I'm 46 years old today is September 16th 2005 work the World Trade Center site. And if you're with Francis talk about her experiences on September 11th.

00:21 Hi, my name is Frances long.

00:26 My age is 65.

00:30 Today's date is September 16th 2005 and I'm at the World Trade Center site was Nelson and Bonnie.

00:42 And

00:45 Do I start my story now ask you questions?

00:52 So why don't we actually start out with a little bit about you. Can you tell me some of your background in New York City?

01:01 In Yorkville, that's the upper east side of Manhattan. I live there most of my single life.

01:11 And when I married I moved to Brooklyn and I move to the Bronx then I woke to queens. Now. I live in Staten Island. I think I've hit every Borough. So you're a native New Yorker and what made you want to come in today? Because I was at the the event when the World Trade Centers were hit and I would like to relate my story so that people would know it was like being on the outside of the Trade Center when all this happened.

01:51 So you weren't you weren't in the building, but you were nearby. Yes. I was where were you I was in Century 21 at the time, which is the department store across from the Trade Center.

02:05 I came in on my on the express bus from Staten Island, and it drops us off right outside of the store. So every day I wouldn't want her in there and go shopping and that particular day when I got off the bus. I look at the trade center, and I said do I have time to go down there shopping? I wanted to get some gift to my granddaughter with her birthday on September on September 18th, and I still had a week to go before I finished shopping.

02:33 And

02:36 I thought no I don't have time to put down there cuz it was like quarter after 8, and I had to be at work at 9 and by time I got into the Trade Center came back out again. I wouldn't have much time to shop. So I did let me just run into centuries.

02:50 And go up to the children's department and see what I can find.

02:55 So that's exactly what I did and I spent quite a while in the children's section looking around clothing.

03:05 And found some items and while I was in there, it was a very strange noise.

03:13 It was it sounded like there was a very heavy machinery on the floor above being pushed against the floor like pushed on the concrete floor with very loud and the building.

03:28 Didn't shake at SoDo vibrated

03:31 And everyone was taken aback by the by the noise. We all looked at each other, you know all the other Shoppers and the and the sales staff.

03:41 And we just continued and then there was an announcement, please evacuate the building. There's a fire.

03:51 So they said follow the sales associates.

03:54 So with my arms full of children's clothing, I followed the salesgirl to the to the doorway and they let us into a stairwell. And before we got outside really cold. Don't go outside the fires outside stay in the building of be safe.

04:13 So I think it's a great. Let me go back and finish shopping and shopping is one of my very important things to do.

04:22 So with this arm full of clothing, I decided Well, maybe I can find one or two more pieces to add to it. And then I took my purchases to the counter to pay for them.

04:34 And while there I see people exiting going down the escalator really quickly and like not really Panic struck, but they were frightened of something and I didn't know what it was.

04:51 So I stayed online and pay for the purchases and then went down the escalator and exited the building.

05:01 On the side where the Trade Center is. What were you thinking at? This point was happening?

05:10 I thought well the fire must be close by but

05:15 I had no idea. Was that big?

05:18 Tell him I acted at the building.

05:21 The first thing I had to do was look up cuz it was snowing. I would look like snow flakes coming down.

05:30 I mean big flakes and I could smell smoke and when I looked up I saw the fire in the Trade Center and had no idea what happened.

05:43 I just assumed it was an explosion.

05:48 Something happened, you know because if I was quite big

05:53 I couldn't see too much above the smoke.

05:57 I didn't know how many floors that involved. All I knew was it was in the upper part of the building.

06:04 And my thought was let me get away from here.

06:10 Before

06:12 Window separating and glass comes out and I would be hurt by that by the flying debris.

06:20 So

06:23 If my package is in my hand, I walked up the block towards Broadway.

06:29 And

06:31 Cross diagonally across the street

06:35 And all of a sudden we heard a noise that was a plane.

06:41 And I didn't pay too much attention, but I thought in my mind my God, it's it's it's flying awfully low.

06:49 And then the impact and we will look up and we sore.

06:55 I mean, well, I assume that the plane that hit the building I didn't see it that's see the actual impact. I just saw the Flames shoot again.

07:04 Everybody around me screamed. I mean we were Panic Struck it was it was terrible and looking at it. I mean we stood there staring at the Flames for about

07:17 I take 20 30 seconds before anybody took a step.

07:22 Landry cable at that point of people having if you were there were there a 30-40 and people walking very quickly going somewhere. I know.

07:36 So

07:42 I didn't move too quickly.

07:46 But I know someone started running.

07:50 And when they did their arm court inside of the

07:56 The strap of my Handbags and spun me around.

08:02 And then started dragging me backwards.

08:06 And I couldn't run very quickly.

08:10 I couldn't get away from that person. I'd want to let go of my purse.

08:15 So I I just held on and the next thing I know I was falling.

08:21 And that's the last I remember.

08:25 I woke up about I take 20 or 25 minutes later probably.

08:31 There was a little Spanish band trying to pick me up off the floor.

08:37 Were you in the same spot?

08:40 I guess so I was still on the corner. I was next to the phone booth.

08:46 And from what I can recall I was facing face down on the street still holding the shopping bag. You better let that go and my pocketbook and I mean native New Yorkers. We don't let anything go we just hold on.

09:04 So this gentleman was trying to pick me up by grabbing my arm and he kept saying I can't get her up. She's alive. She's alive and I I didn't realize he was talking about me.

09:21 But somebody else came and helped him and that got me up off the ground and I just looked at them and I said just just go leave me I'll be fine and I I walked over to the phone booth and they're laying on it.

09:35 And and try to figure out what in God's name happened to me cuz I never passed out on my life and I didn't I didn't know at that point what happened? I didn't I didn't know that I had been knocked unconscious.

09:49 But when I woke up there was practically nobody on the street, but this one gentleman who tried to help me and whoever was passing by that he grabbed to help me get up off the ground. What else do you remember? What did the streets look like at that point? Where you deserted?

10:06 Feeling nobody walking on the street. I mean all those people that were running from the last time I could recall there was no one there.

10:15 I heard fire engines I heard sirens.

10:20 I

10:21 I heard noises probably the fire or maybe things exploding in the building. Not sure what it was.

10:32 But I I tried to gather myself off and make some sense out of what I was going to deal where I was going to go in and what it happened to me.

10:42 And

10:45 I just looked around for a minute and I had I realized I'm missing a shoe.

10:52 And then I realized my mom my glasses with my eyeglasses. I can't see things wearing clear.

11:02 So I I looked on the ground where I had fallen and I saw this show and I hobbled over and put my shoe on.

11:11 And then I found my glasses they was smashed.

11:16 They were one of the one of the part one of the arms of the of the glasses was broken off completely the glasses were cockeyed. You know, they were squashed is

11:29 So are

11:31 And then I realize I was soaking wet.

11:35 And to this day, I have no idea why or how or what got me wet.

11:42 You think it was water, but I guess it was cuz I mean I was so straight to.

11:50 So I got my stuff together and slowly started walking down the block towards Nashua so that I could go to work.

12:01 Where did you why I work at 1 Chase Plaza for JPMorgan Chase? And I just knew it was late and I had to get to work. How far away is 1 Chase Plaza from Wichita to blocks from where I fell.

12:18 So I walked very slowly. I couldn't do anything else and got to the corner and made a right and started up the block and paused outside of Friendly's Pizzeria. Cuz I usually stopped in there and have coffee, you know, I would get coffee and a muffin and bring it to work with me.

12:40 And the gate was closed.

12:42 I just got that strange.

12:45 And then I saw someone's pocket book sitting on you know, the the water stands that they have attached to the buildings where the I guess they would attach up a hose or something. It was pocketbook sitting there and I says, why would somebody leave their pocketbook?

13:05 And I mean that's important and you have all your things in there, you know, you don't believe that.

13:10 So I'd I just looked at it and I touched it and I said well, maybe they'll come back for it. So I just left it.

13:18 And I continued on to the building and

13:21 I saw people standing on a plaza looking up and I've course I had to try to look up to see what was going on.

13:30 I saw the flames and both buildings.

13:34 I don't know my God. How could one fire catch the other building on fire. I didn't know I'd I didn't know what it happened.

13:43 So I went into the building and I saw people I know and and they weren't concerned about how I looked.

13:52 At that point. I didn't know I was hurt.

13:55 But I found out later that my face is all scratched up.

14:01 I didn't have my glasses on so I look different to my hair was a mess.

14:06 My bike clothing was wet. And I also am I myself up the side, but nobody cared cuz they were busy trying to get the hell out of there.

14:15 People were running down to the train station. Some people were just standing there watching the fire.

14:23 Other two were looking at each other and talkin and small groups as to what's going on.

14:29 And a

14:32 I did hear somebody say a plane.

14:36 So I assumed the plane hit the building. I'd I had no idea what such a big plane, you know, cuz the Empire State Building has gotten hit with small planes small aircraft and survived and nothing really bad happened. I mean a few people died.

14:53 And what in your mind you just been through all this and your first thought was let me get to work, right it was it wasn't thinking that I have a very strong work ethic and Timmy getting up stairs and getting the office ready for my manager to come in and getting the mail and sorting it out. And these are important tasks and I know and I had to do it.

15:23 So eventually I got upstairs to my floor and people saw what I look like I said, oh my God what happened to you and I don't like I explained I said I fell and I didn't know what has happened that I done trampled.

15:40 Don't

15:42 During this time.

15:45 I sat at my desk for a while. I guess I realized my manager wasn't in and I knew she was coming in from Jersey so the path.

15:54 And I started to get anxious about that. I thought my God, maybe she's she's there now trapped in the building and I worked at the fire and you knowing that everybody running around.

16:08 So the other people came around and they try to take care of me and I'll bring me a cup of coffee you drink a water or wet towel. They took me to the bathroom that woke me back that were telling everyone that was was really kind.

16:25 And we were told don't go outside stay in the building.

16:31 So that was said exactly what I plan to do. I was petrified to go back outside again.

16:37 So I stayed there for a while at my desk which faces the trade Trade Center. I can't I couldn't see the Trade Center building in front of us that block The View but I could see the smoke and she are the things and I look out the window and see everybody running around.

16:58 So I I remember looking at the mail and trying to make some reason out of it. I couldn't understand what I was doing. I must have been in shock.

17:11 So I am

17:14 I stood at my desk.

17:18 I don't know how long I was there.

17:21 The people I had a I had a little Eminem radio on my desk.

17:26 And people were asking, you know, does anybody have a TV? I would have her ready to go outside till he attacked the radio. And so they took the soul Eminem radio and took it to a conference from everybody sat around trying to get some news to find out what's going on outside.

17:42 I called my house. I spoke to my husband. I said I don't I don't know what's going on, you know, but I got a little hard outside, but I'm I'm fine, you know, and I'll be home later.

17:57 So you didn't know this point. Did you have any idea of how how big this was that how many people were affected no streets you you didn't realize that yet. All I know is they were two fires one in each building?

18:13 And one I thought might have been caused by a plane hitting it.

18:18 But I didn't know how badly the Trade Center was damaged at that point.

18:25 So I just hung out at my desk and then

18:31 Those are very loud noise.

18:35 After a while, it was extremely loud. I never heard an avalanche. But that's the impression. I got in my mind when I heard this noise and somebody grabbed me by the arm and said run.

18:49 So we ran into a Xerox room that had no windows.

18:56 And we stood there doing this sound.

19:01 Cuz I didn't know what it was and things outside started getting very dark.

19:06 Was very very black.

19:10 And then we went back to the windows.

19:14 Windows are still intact with your amazing me from that that Roar that we heard.

19:20 What time?

19:22 A little while later. There was another noise.

19:26 And it was the same type of noise. I didn't know the buildings have fallen.

19:32 We were starting to get sketchy news from people talkin, you know about what they had heard on the radio that weren't many radio stations on the air. It wasn't many TV stations on the are Vinny at that point. So no one really knew the whole story and a lot of the phones weren't working at that point. You have to jump from desk to desk talk to try to get an outside line.

20:01 And

20:04 Finally, we heard that two planes that hit the buildings.

20:12 And I was I was absolutely amazed I said I said that's how could this happen? I mean one plan an accident.

20:21 Back to playing one right after the other what is going on? And then we started talking about you know, what was planned it was a terror attack. It was okay. I mean, I didn't even know that point what Al-Qaeda was

20:39 Well, I knew it was still wish I could for people over in the Arabia or someplace.

20:46 At that point didn't didn't in your office was somebody in charge it's a do with somebody telling you what to do or was everybody just kind of getting an announcement to stay in the in the building don't go outside is too dangerous.

21:03 Which is exactly what we did eventually they told us move away from that side of the building closer to the Trade Center go to the opposite side. Then we were told go to a higher floor because the smoke coming in on the lower floors. And as you looked from one of the floor to the other you could see it.

21:25 And people coughing

21:28 Did anything so do you?

21:31 I think at any time in their I need to get out of here.

21:37 I did wish I wasn't there but I didn't think of going outside at that point because I didn't know how I was going to get home.

21:51 We stayed in the building till that one.

21:55 Can we were told? All right. We're going to evacuate.

21:59 All the time I was there. I was calling one relative after another telling them. I'm okay. Don't try to come and get me, you know, I'll be home eventually. I was very calm considering what I went through.

22:13 I don't know how I did that. All I know is I don't want to panic my family.

22:19 So we stayed the building till around 1 when we left we decided Well, let's take something because when we looked at the windows, we saw it was still dark out there and very very smokey.

22:33 So we took some T-shirts that we had that we had bought for an event for a Race for the Cure a matter of fact.

22:43 And we welcome and when we went outside we put them over our mouths.

22:49 And we were told we had to walk to the Brooklyn Bridge and walk over the bridge. That was the only way out of Manhattan. Everything else was lockdown.

22:58 No, one coming in at 1 coming out just to eat the the emergency police and the fireman.

23:08 I never walk I haven't had never walk over the Brooklyn Bridge my life. I mean living in New York. That's a lot of things. I've never done.

23:15 And that was one of them.

23:17 So we started with Lefty we exited the building and we started walking and it was like walking through 6 inch of dust.

23:28 It was so much dust.

23:31 That when you kicked it it just flew up like

23:37 I can't describe this with ashes.

23:42 And after seeing the fire and everything the thing that came to my mind while I'm walking through this dust.

23:49 I'm walking to dead people.

23:53 Analisis ashes are probably some people that have died in the Trade Center.

24:00 Cuz the fire was so intense.

24:04 And I had dust from

24:07 My knee is down.

24:09 Matter fact knowing that I was coming here today. This is the outfit I had on that day.

24:16 An orange shirt black pants and black suede shoes.

24:21 I kept the outfit.

24:24 How come

24:25 Memories, I guess you don't like it isn't something that you wanted to give away or throw away or or discard. It was important.

24:35 Sound

24:40 We started getting closer to the bridge and the air cleared up. Thank God so we were able to breathe a little better with we got rid of the shirts and people along the way was so kind of people outside with water water bottles.

24:59 Reg so I can face.

25:02 I mean, I've never seen New Yorkers so nice to each other. I mean, it's not that we're bad people.

25:09 But I've never seen people.

25:14 How do you spell ended in a like they were very close like everyone cared for me for another person?

25:23 So I'm

25:26 We got to the bridge for you started walking over the bridge and I had already called someone in Brooklyn and on MetroTech building cuz I knew that you lived in Staten Island where I live and I said wait for me don't go anywhere. Where do I get there? I'm coming and and she said, of course, you know all I'll stay here and I'll wait for you.

25:50 So two of them.

25:52 Officers that I work with

25:55 When was Sharon Pearl and the other lady was Leslie Klein, they flanked me one on each side and they're skinny little women and they held onto me all the way over the bridge and as we got towards the middle of the bridge some planes came over.

26:12 We panicked and people after knowing that the plane that hit the Trade Center. We are under attack and and we're going to get hit on the bridge and people just screamed and started running on the bridge and then it says lucky we can kill each other.

26:30 But finally when we realize the plan to past us and and didn't drop any bombs or shoot us then we kind of calm down and we went back to your walking but it was a very long walk. It was hot that day and I was tired.

26:47 And I was you know anxious about how am I going to get home? What am I going to do? No cars were allowed.

26:55 Bosses that was there was no trains running nothing. You know how I'm going to get from Brooklyn to Staten Island.

27:03 Since you don't like I can't walk that far.

27:08 I got to the Brooklyn office the girl told me there's a woman here who has a car in the garage and she lives in Staten Island. If we wait for her, she'll drive us home via but are they going to allow us to use the cars? You know, I said that that was the only thing I could think you know with all the police around in the firemen. Are they going to allow us to drive?

27:32 So we stay there in the building till about 7:30.

27:37 And then finally this woman said, all right, let's let's go, you know.

27:44 So somebody found out that that we were allowed to drive out of the area but not drive into the city so we can go in the opposite direction, which was good.

27:55 So we got in the car and I remember.

27:59 Driving long. I sat in the backseat while this girl and and the woman whose car was sat in the front.

28:09 Panda when we drove over the bridge.

28:14 I look back it was like

28:17 The scene in the Bible where the City was destroyed and I know that's the impression I got.

28:27 Looks like

28:28 I couldn't see a whole or I could see was smoke fire.

28:33 You know in the area where the Trade Centers were.

28:38 And it was it was it was terrible.

28:41 I just kept thinking that look what they did to my city.

28:48 So I got home about 10:30 at night.

28:53 And I stayed home from work about three weeks. I just could not go back in there asking people if you can make it coming to Brooklyn walking the Brooklyn office and I told my mom like I said, I just can't make it.

29:09 And I mean work ethic or not. I just it was no way in hell. I want to leave my house.

29:17 What was the the next day? What was the first thing that came to mind when you woke up?

29:25 Then I survived it.

29:27 You know, I don't know how.

29:32 Actor

29:34 I remembered later that day going online and trying to get through to whoever might be needing help. I mean God knows they really didn't need me at that point cuz I couldn't do anything.

29:49 But that I I sat by the window with my computer on.

29:55 I I noticed it's so damn quiet.

30:00 Nothing. A bird that a cricket nothing. Nobody in the area was even making any noise. So no children out on the street.

30:11 Nothing

30:15 So we just stayed in the house for that day, and then I went to the doctors the next day.

30:23 And he said I might have a slight concussion exam in my head.

30:28 But other than that, I mean I survived few days later. I went to get new glasses.

30:35 And

30:40 I'd I really didn't want to go back to work.

30:43 You know after 3 weeks side, I decided Well, there's other people going back in. The building was finally going to be reopened.

30:53 And I said, well, you know, I'm going to have to do it till I took off Monday and Tuesday. I think I went in Wednesday of that week and when we got into the city on the bus driving across the bridge.

31:08 What's so scary?

31:10 Just looking off the Verrazano looking in the direction of the Trade Center that I could have always seen before and not seeing them there. It was it was something.

31:21 I remember watching TV and watching the same.

31:26 News Clips over and over and over. I just couldn't get enough of it for the three weeks that I was home.

31:32 Why do you think that was?

31:35 I don't know if it was trying to believe what I saw.

31:40 I just found it so difficult to believe that two buildings that size had fallen down.

31:48 It's so many people have gotten killed and core so much met him.

31:54 And if I could have had the people there that didn't I would have killed him myself.

32:02 I just felt you know that it was it was such an injury cannot lie.

32:09 To every American

32:12 So when we got into the cities for the first day that I was there they were police and they were armed soldiers in the streets, which I found some strange had seen pictures of soldiers in other cities in in the news Clips, but to have them here in my city in my you know in the Wall Street area walking around in indoor driving, you know armed vehicles and stuff. It was it was

32:44 Unreal

32:46 And that that lasted for weeks and weeks.

32:51 And that I think the worst part about coming back to work. What's the smell in the city?

32:57 The smell of decay

33:00 It was something with

33:05 I mean

33:07 If I didn't know there was so many dead bodies around I wouldn't even have known what that smell was.

33:16 But I had that older here all day long at work. You could smell it inside the building even even with the with the AC on full-blast. And also when I get home we we live near the

33:32 The landfill on Staten Island

33:36 With the debris from the Trade Center was being taken to be shifted. So for bodies and parts.

33:43 And if it smell if they're so I had it all day. I had it all night. There's like no getting away from it.

33:51 Even driving in my area that will constant trucks coming and going that was filled with the debris from the landfill, you know from me and the Trade Center headed for the landfill.

34:02 So there was no escaping it.

34:06 So, can I ask you to your New Yorker your native New Yorker? Yes. I am the bunny who can help from and working through all this what when did you realize that you weren't going to be able to just get through this on your own that you needed help?

34:28 Well right after the Trade Center.

34:35 Starting lead the spring of the following year.

34:39 I lost my sister.

34:41 And then

34:43 A few months later. I lost my mother.

34:46 And the following year. I lost my husband and then I lost my brother.

34:51 So between 9 and 9:11 and losing for family members. I knew I was in serious trouble and I needed help I needed to be able to talk to someone about how I felt and I'm at what I'm going to do with my life. So I was directed to Bonnie Ryan.

35:13 And that

35:27 She was able to.

35:29 Help me make sense of my life.

35:39 Say something.

35:43 How did she help you do that princess?

35:50 By talking to bed.

35:58 Trying to get my self-worth back.

36:04 Set losing so much so quickly.

36:10 Let me see the want to go on with life.

36:16 What disaster is is is hard, but when you have so many so quickly it's very difficult to.

36:28 Regional why God did this

36:32 What is your part in all this? And what do you supposed to do?

36:40 So that that's one reason why I wanted to come here. I wanted to tell people what it was like.

36:47 Outside of the Trade Center during the teeth Mayhem

36:53 Hinge

36:55 Record this for historical purposes

37:00 So that people years from now with no.

37:03 How it was living through this disaster.

37:08 I mean it was the first disaster that I've lived through in my lifetime. That was so close.

37:15 I know we've had storms we've had earthquakes. We've had other natural disasters but having something like this come up. That was not a natural.

37:28 Event

37:30 Asst very very hard.

37:35 It was the first time I think that the United States was.

37:39 Attacked within its own borders

37:45 In in modern time

37:48 I know we've had Wars in Revolutionary time and Civil War and stuff like that. But in the modern era.

37:56 This was that this was the first time.

37:59 That Americans got hit so hard and it's not a lesson that we're going to forget.

38:05 What is New York mean team?

38:09 York has a very special special place

38:13 It's a place where you can raise a family you can create a business.

38:23 Can dream of things of the future?

38:28 This is always something going on here in New York. There's never a minute where?

38:34 The area is extremely quiet.

38:42 And what what do you hope for yourself?

38:46 I hope to continue to live here in New York.

38:50 And be a part of

38:53 Whatever else happens.

38:56 And raised my children and my grandchildren here.

39:03 And make sure that they're safe.

39:06 That's that's important to me.

39:10 Is it is there one moment in in the days since September 11th. Is there one moment in this whole process of healing that you've gone through that stands out for you is as most important kind of a milestone in and you're getting your life back.

39:31 One thing that was very important actually happened today.

39:36 It was the first time I had come across the street to the Trade Center site.

39:41 I don in two centuries many times since the 9/11 event, but I never could even look across the street to look at the empty space.

39:53 So today was a very important day for me.

39:57 What was that like?

40:00 It was anxiety wouldn't I was petrified?

40:06 When I die, I knew nothing's going to happen. But

40:10 It was it was very scary even just walking across the avenue to get into the Pet Station.

40:16 And then having to come downstairs was just oh my God, why do they have to put this boots down here and they put it up on the top.

40:25 You know, but I died. I didn't want to come down. I didn't want to come near the hole.

40:31 I mean to me this is like

40:36 It's a Scary Place.

40:38 But it's also a very spiritual place.

40:47 And

40:49 I think it's a great thing that you've come to talk to us. I think it's in for an important thing. Is there anything else you've said so much but is there anything else you know, if people listen to this in years to come 50 a hundred years from now, is there anything else you'd like them to know about yourself or about all of this?

41:12 It's just amazing what you can survive.

41:16 We need the human form.

41:20 Knows no end.

41:23 That I mean even if something goes on your body is still have your mind so that they Stitch always some part of you that's here.

41:36 Thank you. Thank you.