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I work as a trial attorney for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and was in our offices at 7 World Trade Center on September 11, which were destroyed that day. Seven World Trade was perhaps 50 yards from the towers and we had a front-row view of the carnage. We self-evacuated shortly after the first plane hit and all staff got out safely. I was on my way down the stairs from the 18th floor when the second plane hit. Debris from that collision flew in the direction of 7 World Trade’s lobby, which caused people in the stairwell to start running back upstairs. After a few minutes everyone resumed heading downstairs and out of the building single file through a side exit. I fled from the immediate area, met up with my wife who works nearby, and we watched the towers collapse as we walked eight or nine miles to our apartment uptown.
Throughout this time, our thoughts concerned my brother Mike (Mike Rose ’90), who worked on the 102nd floor of the south tower for Aon. He was able to escape after deciding to take to the stairs immediately after the first plane hit the north tower. He was in a stairwell at about the 56th floor when the second plane rammed into his building at about the 80th floor. It was hours until we knew he was safe, and after watching his building collapse, we had assumed the worst. Mike made it out, but lost some of his closest colleagues.
Our thoughts remain with those who were lost and their families, including the rescue workers who were running to the scene and up the towers as we ran away.
Note: Bob and Mike Rose are the sons of Bob Rose ’64.