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Terrorist Attacks on America

HeroicStories Special Edition, 11 September 2001

This is a special issue of HeroicStories in response to the cowardly attacks on New York City and Washington, DC.

People need to know that we will survive this. As details emerge, we will hear of unspeakable horror -- 50,000 people worked in the World Trade Center, and about 100,000 people visit there each business day. There were hundreds of rescue workers helping the injured when the buildings collapsed -- and certainly many were crushed underneath. The loss of life will be tremendous. But the USA is strong, and will survive this injury, as bad as it is.

It's sobering to think that the Oklahoma City federal building bombing is now a distant second-largest American terrorism. Consider all the flashbacks the people in Oklahoma City are going through now! And all the "regular tragedy" in our lives continues -- I got word a short time ago that my brother-in-law died this morning from leukemia. People need support. They need to mourn, certainly -- but they will also need to heal. I hope you can help those who need to be with someone.

What can you do now? The Red Cross has made it clear that the East Coast is in desperate need of blood. If you are an eligible donor, please do not leave it to "someone else". Blood banks are probably very crowded right now, and may be for several days. Don't let that stop you. Wait a few days and go back. You are needed. You can help. (Find out more about donating blood at http://www.redcross.org/donate/give/)

I know the Red Cross is mobilizing an enormous force right now. I know this because my girlfriend and I are Red Cross disaster volunteers; I have been put on standby, and she has been called to New York. (We are in Colorado.) Such huge mobilizations cost lots of money. Providing shelter, and food, and clothing, and communications to loved ones costs a fortune. If you can, send a contribution to the Red Cross to help support the thousands of volunteers who are racing to help. Send money if you can; clothes and such can wait until they say they need them. (Find out more about donating to the Red Cross at http://www.redcross.org/donate/donate.html)

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But above all, remain calm, strong, and resolute.

HeroicStories will continue to publish. We will publish and respond to the letters from readers regarding Monday's "controversial" story -- but probably not right away. We will re-evaluate on a daily basis and will publish at least the usual number of stories as our schedule has planned.

What follows is a re-run of a recent story to remind you how people do react to such man-made disasters. I have no doubt that the people of New York, and the USA as a whole, are reacting in a similar way now, helping people they don't know. Please endeavor to be one of them.

--Randy Cassingham, Publisher
HeroicStories

Reaching more than 33,000 subscribers in 106 countries, this is... HeroicStories #206: 16 April 2001 www.HeroicStories.com A Beacon for Survivors by Gordon Owasso, Oklahoma, USA Story Editor: Joyce Schowalter After the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, April 19, 1995, many stories were produced about public service heroes working tirelessly day and night in cold rain to find survivors. There was another group that helped victims and their families which received no publicity. On Wednesday, April 19, 1995, a bright spring day in Oklahoma City, a slender young woman with long blond hair parked her car two blocks from work. "Jane" walked east up Fifth Street into the lobby of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. She took the elevator to her third floor office at the Federal Employees Credit Union. The staff meeting started at 9:00 a.m. and the CEO of the Credit Union was telling Jane what to expect when the upcoming audit started. At 9:02 and four seconds an explosion destroyed half of the Federal Building. Nine floors near the east end collapsed. The building was almost cut in two. Phone calls made by her family to hospitals, morgue, Red Cross and other disaster centers turned up no information about Jane that day. There were no unidentified victims. The family started gathering and waiting. They waited eight nights and nine days. Days were busy with visitors and calls from coast to coast. Nights were when imagination ran free and horror came close. Jane's body was not found for over a week. As terrible as the bombing was, it helped the people of Oklahoma City come together. Jane's car was damaged in the explosion. After repairs the body shop marked the bill "no charge." As the family met with cemetery sales people, the sales manager marked the paperwork "paid in full." Jane's mother went to a florist to select a casket blanket; they would not take any money for it. A large chain store donated sandwich trays when they found it was for the family of a bombing victim. A small dry cleaning shop wouldn't charge for their work. A major corporation flew Jane's sister and her husband home in their corporate jet. When the family left for the funeral two motorcycle policemen were in front of the house to escort them. Over 600 people attended the funeral, wanting to contribute any way they could. Jane was one of 168 people who died on a bright spring day in the bombing in Oklahoma City. The outpouring of concern and help for Jane's family is typical of the generosity shown to all victims and their families. Through the dark clouds of death, destruction and grief shined bright beams of support and concern -- an example for the world, a beacon for survivors and families, saying "We care." Amidst all the horror we saw that the vast majority of people are decent and caring. The people of Oklahoma City demonstrated that people will go to great lengths to help someone who is in need. Even someone they don't know.

HeroicStories #234: Special Edition, 12 September 2001

We've had a terrific amount of mail come in, and haven't been able to get through it all. Kit Riley (HS's former Managing Editor) and I are both Red Cross disaster responders. Even though we are in Colorado, there was plenty for Red Cross chapters all over the U.S. to do. Since most planes that were in the sky were ordered to land as soon as possible, there were a lot of stranded passengers. In Denver alone, at least 200 people didn't have friends or family in the area and needed shelter. Kit and I worked at one very near Denver International.

The mood there was upbeat; no fussiness whatever. The response from the community was fantastic. A coffee company dropped by with cases of coffee to get people started in the morning. A local Wendy's donated huge boxes of burgers and fries for lunch; a local KFC donated many, many cases of chicken dinners; AT&T donated cell phones not only for the volunteers to use, but five extra set aside specifically for the people to use to call home to tell family and friends they were OK. Awesome.

And plenty of volunteers. Our shift was only about eight hours because there were plenty of people who were lined up to relieve us. We've been called in again today; we're leaving as soon as I post this. Kit was originally called to go to New York, but they canceled that -- apparently they had enough people.

I just heard that there are 17,000 passengers stranded in Newfoundland alone. (That's a province in Canada; all international flights into the U.S. were diverted to Canada yesterday. Thanks, Canada, for your very special help.) I'm sure the Canadian Red Cross is helping there, and they can use your help (donations especially). (Red Cross Canada: http://www.redcross.ca)

Blood banks had huge lines. If you tried and were turned away, please check back in a few days. And don't make it a one-time thing, OK? These days, the shortage of blood is chronic. You can donate every 8 weeks.

And sorry for any confusion by my putting the wrong year on yesterday's subject line. I was in a hurry since I knew I had to get out to the shelter, so I didn't do as much checking as normal before I sent it out.

One common comment from yesterday's issue was people who questioned my use of the word "cowardly". Yes I think the terrorists are cowards! If you have a problem with someone and sneak up behind them and crack their heads with a baseball bat, that is cowardly. It takes guts to stand up to someone and tell them you have a problem. I can understand that other cultures are bothered by the U.S. In some cases, our ideal of freedom threatens despots who want to cower their people into submission. Such attacks on our freedoms only make us stronger, and the world can watch us come together. Quite simply, their terrorism does not work here.

If you doubt at all that the world shares our pain, visit the following site -- a collection of pictures of people around the world honoring our loss. It's incredible. http://www.dd.org/world-mourns/

My personal hope is that the people of the world show these terrorists that we will not be bowed by their actions. Americans will refuse to collapse in sobbing ruins, and no one will approve of mass murder of civilians, no matter what their cause may be. Take care, and there will be more soon.

Meanwhile, if you wish to discuss any of this with other HS readers, remember our "HeroTalk" e-mail discussion list. For details on how to join, see http://www.HeroicStories.com/herotalk.html

--Randy Cassingham, Publisher
HeroicStories

For two more issues of HeroicStories, with stories both related to and from the actual events, and more reader comments, click here.