Atlantans in New York reflect as 9-11 anniversary approaches
Caitlin Corsetti will observe the anniversary of 9-11 as newly minted New Yorker this year.
The anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks has always been a difficult day for Atlanta native Caitlin Corsetti.
Her father used to work at the World Trade Center and lost many friends that day. Her cousin, FDNY Ladder Company 3 Lt. Kevin Donnelly, died while trying to rescue people from one of the crumbling towers.
“I had never known anyone who had died before,” she said. “Being that young, I was so confused.”
A sixth grader at the time, she also found that some of her classmates had trouble understanding why she took the disaster so hard, so personally. It took a long time for anxiety to subside – and to this day, it hasn’t completely.
“Having to deal with that at a young age definitely impacted me,” Corsetti said.
Corsetti's cousin, FDNY Ladder Co. 3 Lt. Kevin W. Donnelly, died while trying to rescue people on Sept. 11, 2001. Photo by Harry Loud
On Tuesday, the 11th anniversary of the attacks, Corsetti will observe the somber day in New York for the first time. A May graduate of the University of Alabama, she moved here for a job in marketing about a month ago.
“I was planning to stay in Atlanta,” she said. “I had made arrangements to move to Buckhead with a sorority sister.”
But when a dream job became available, she jumped at the chance, even if it means sleeping on a friend’s couch for a while and spending time in the city’s green spaces like Union Square Park (where she’s shown in the photo above) to make up for Atlanta’s comparatively wider open spaces.
Observing the anniversary of Sept. 11 as a newly minted New Yorker has her feeling a bit at odds.
“I would like to be down there,” she said of the Ground Zero site. “I haven’t decided yet. I may get up early and walk around the city. As much as you want to take the day, you have to go about your business.”
Atlanta native Melissa Smith moved to New York recently as well, but does not have a personal tie to the Sept. 11 attacks.
“Quite honestly, it will probably just be a normal workday for me,” said Smith, who also works in marketing.
Martin Mintz, another Atlantan in New York, also will be working as usual, but his day will focus on the anniversary to a degree. The 2011 graduate of Washington University just began his second year as an eighth grade history teacher through the Teach for America program. Like Corsetti, he was in sixth grade on Sept. 11, 2001. Today, the students he teaches are just a couple of years older than he was at the time.
Atlanta native Martin Mintz, shown at the U.S. Armed Forces Recruiting Station in Times Square, teaches eighth grade social studies here now. He plans to discuss the heroes of Sept. 11 on Tuesday with his students.
“I want to use that day to honor the sacrifices, looking at those heroes who stood up and made a difference,” he said. “History is made by individuals.”
On that pre-Twitter day 11 years ago, Mintz didn’t learn what had happened until hours later.
“I remember hearing bits and pieces throughout the day. I had no idea it was a terrorist attack until I got home,” he recalled. “It was so much to wrap your head around. It was unimaginable.”
His students were toddlers at the time, and have grown up in a post 9-11 world, noted Mintz.
“It could be just a regular day for my students,” he said. “My goal is for it not to be.”
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32 comments Add your comment
Dr. Warren
September 10th, 2012
12:56 pm
Love the typo on the AJC homepage headline. “Atlantan’s in New York…” Ah, our big small town will never be New York, now will it?
UGA
September 10th, 2012
1:06 pm
I was going to point out the typo, but couldn’t come up with a way to do it without feeling like a jerk given the topic. Thanks Dr. Warren – I’m glad someone bit the bullet and did it.
Dr. Warren
September 10th, 2012
1:20 pm
Your welcome, UGA. (Okay, just kidding about the “your” instead of “you’re). And by the way, professionalism should be a given, no matter what the subject matter may be.
2Infiniti
September 10th, 2012
1:24 pm
What I remember most about 9/11 is that it was an absolutely gorgeous day — here and in NYC. Blue skies, mild fall temps. And later I thought, “But how could such evil happen on such a beautiful day?” It still seems surreal. My thoughts and prayers will be with the families and loved ones of all who perished on that day and we observe the annivesary of that horrible event.
weena
September 10th, 2012
1:35 pm
Eleven years later and 9/11 is pushed to the local gossip page. Hey Jennifer, maybe tomorrow Elton John could phone in his opinion of the anniversary. Now that would be some news…
Spellcheck you fools
September 10th, 2012
1:55 pm
At times I wonder if most all internet news concerns are no longer hand typing anything and are now using one of those speak to type thingamabobs. I’ve never seen so many typographical errors done by organizations that surely employ people who know how to type as I have in the last few years. And it’s only getting worse. I simply can not believe they’re hiring human beings who are making these types of mistakes, unless they’re hiring 6th graders to to the data input.
Bonehead Blogger
September 10th, 2012
2:03 pm
My heart will forever go out to all the victims, victims families, and everyone who was affected physically, mentally, or emotically by the events that took place on that sober day.
Remember
September 10th, 2012
2:10 pm
Had CLINTON done his job after the World Trade Bomb , WORLD TRADE 2 (911) most likely would not have happened.
Road Scholar
September 10th, 2012
2:17 pm
weena: And you wonder why since most posts so far has concentrated on English , misspellings, or how an article is written!
I remember because when they first reported the WTC , I kept wondering why the plane went into the GWCC. Then I realized it was the twin towers. About a month earlier, my wife and I were discussing terrorism and when they would strike next…never thinking of the WTC. But I told her when she remarked about how they would make a big bomb, I nonchalantly responded ” Heck, just fly a plane into something…” Man, what a low feeling…
My heart and prayers go out to those families affected.
weena
September 10th, 2012
2:20 pm
Girl, you got Martin Mintz’s phone number? He’s got it going on, and I’m suspecting he’s your cousin or something.
TrishaDishaWarEagle
September 10th, 2012
3:37 pm
“Ah, our big small town will never be New York, now will it?”
Thankfully, no it will not. I remember 9/11 each day and it keeps my hatred for the Muslim fundamentalists alive and burning, but then, Hussein doesn’t want you to think that way , does he?
Kyle
September 10th, 2012
3:39 pm
To “Spell Check you fools”: Maybe you should heed your own advice there genious. Not sure what this means, “unless they’re hiring 6th graders to to the data input.” An article written about 9-11 and you are worrying over typos.
Georgia Boy
September 10th, 2012
3:50 pm
AJC censoring comments as usually!!!…..didn’t even use profanity but still got my comment deleted….what a joke this paper is!!!
Georgia Boy
September 10th, 2012
3:53 pm
Usual not “usually”…It was a typo, thought I’ll mention that before the Grammar Squad comes out to crucify me!
Teri
September 10th, 2012
4:03 pm
How about being respectful instead of critical? This article is about 9/11 not English or grammar. RUDE!!
Mark
September 10th, 2012
4:35 pm
I completely agree with Teri. Take your complaining elsewhere, please. This is NOT what the comments on this article should be focusing on.
ziza
September 10th, 2012
5:23 pm
as a native new yorker who has been living in atlanta for many years, i remember the day vividly and still get emotional in the days leading up to 9/11 every year. it’s a sad day when we think of all our innocent lives lost and the shattering impact on their families, friends and those their lives had touched. we must never forget them. they truly have paid the ultimate price.
itpdude
September 10th, 2012
6:08 pm
Dr. Warren, hate to say it but the New York Times commonly has errors in its paper.
Welcome to the internet age and new journalism. Blogs become articles and copy-editors have been laid off.
NYC Dawg
September 11th, 2012
1:06 am
I live in NYC, but I went to UGA and lived in Atlanta for many years (still have a place in Buckhead.) I used to work in 1 World Trade (97th floor) so like many other people, 9/11 is always a somber day for me. Now my office is in the world financial center, next to the new World Trade center, so I can look directly from the office into the national 9/11 memorial. It is a sobering experience. The memorial is very well done, and everyone in Atlanta should make the trip up to NY to see it. Today was a bright, cool and beautiful September day in NYC, exactly like that Tuesday morning in 2001. It was so beautiful, but somehow an eerie reminder.
Stan
September 11th, 2012
8:42 am
What I was Doing 11 Years Ago on The Morning of 911
By
Stanley L. Raper
What I was doing 11 years ago on the morning of 911: My girl friend, Robin called me and woke me up and just told me to turn on the televis ion and still sleepy, I said, “What?”
Again she said, “Turn on the t.v.” Why I didn’t turn on the t.v. in the bedroom I don’t know but after I used it; I turned the t.v. on in the living room and sat down to watch; she was stilling holding the phone. As I sat there watching, I asked her, “What’s the name of this movie?” Robin replied, “This aint no movie – this is real. It’s happening in New York City.” I stood up and hollered, “What!” She said, “Yes – its real, Baby – an airplane crashed into one of the Twin Towers.” As we watched and holding the phone, the news reporters went on about this and that but nothing concrete about how did it happen? And just we began talking again and still watching in disbelief, an airplane was flying what looked like from the t.v. vantage point that it was flying past the other Tower not in flames, suddenly crashed in the building. We both hollered through the phone in horror.
One horrible thought ran through my mind that shook me cold and I told, Robin about it. Which was that my youngest daughter, Kimberly’s boyfriend, Kevin (Husband) worked in New York on Wall Street near the Towers, and how often she went to New York to visit him and that she could have been there when this horrible incident happened caused me pulse in fear. And by the grace of the Creator God, Kevin was not there. Robin, my girl friend comedown my understandable fears with her reassuring words.
We stayed on the phone until the Twin Towers crashed to the ground. After that, we spent the rest of the day together.
Copyright © 2012 Stanley L. Raper
Atlanta Sports Fan
September 11th, 2012
8:53 am
As a native of Atlanta and was still living there at the time, I was at work when I first heard about the planes flying into the World Trade Center. I noted the time and wondered where my daughter was. She worked across the street but took the PATH train in which stopped in the World Trade Center lower level. She was walking through it when the first plane hit and running down the street when the second one came in. It was 11:05 when I finally got a call from her that she was okay. I could hear the sirens and screams in the background as there was complete chaos around her.
I now live in the area myself and know that around here this is a very somber day. I am very thankful that she made it out. It has made us closer and I truly feel for the people I have met here who lost family, friends and colleagues. Most have come to terms with what happened but it remains in the forefront of their memories and always will.
martha
September 11th, 2012
8:54 am
i kept hoping today would be a cloudy if not rainy day in new york — just so it wasn’t exactly like that tuesday — it’s a day full of sad — it will be forever i guess
Call It Like It Is
September 11th, 2012
8:58 am
I was at the beach with my parents, aunt and uncle. I remember turning on the TV and seeing all the coverage. The first tower had just gone down and no one realized yet what was happening. As the morning went on the 2nd tower goes down, then the reports from DC getting hit. It was all just so sureal, as if I was watching a movie. Then I look at my Uncle who had retired from the Navy and saw a small tear coming down from his cheek and then everything hit home. I wish we all could just have this day off for a day of reflection and mourning.
Kim Adams
September 11th, 2012
9:17 am
Reading the comments here — it makes me think that perhaps the AJC would have been better to have donated the front page to a coverage of Atlanta people who were school aged and how it impacted their lives. I think it would have made an interesting read and a tribute to the impact in all of our lives! Much love to those still living with their extreme loss of a loved one. My son chose to become a firefighter due to this. I don’t think any American was left unaffected — we must always remember.
meg
September 11th, 2012
9:18 am
Please also remember that there were also125 killed at The Pentagon. I cannot understand why the media refuses to include those slaughtered there, also.. 70 civilians and 50 military. It adds to the pain of those who were impacted to be ignored in the reporting of these terrorist acts. My brother was in The Pentagon on 9/11, at work. It was the worst day of my life. It took hours to find out if he survived, as the phone lines were jammed from the traffic. He did survive, his neighbor did not. Please remember Terry Lynch, age 49. He was a civilian, father of 2 young girls, and was there only for a meeting that morning. And God bless all the first responders and soldiers who worked so hard trying to get victims out of the fires that went on for days inside. The heroes and their families that were on the plane that crashed in Shanksville, Pa. are in my prayers today, also.
Sharia law is here in this country, and anyone who thinks that this anniversary should be forgotten, is mistaken. Be very aware of what the Muslim community is doing to our US Constitution.
Mark Poisson
September 11th, 2012
9:30 am
I was working in NYC that day and, as others have pointed out, remember how beautiful the blue sky was. Looking down Madison all I could see was a plume of smoke blowing east after the first tower was struck. By that time, people all over Manhattan were finding out and making plans to get out. I ended up walking 40 blocks to a friend’s place of business. We stayed there all day and drove home to the suburbs of Westchester with what looked like a nuclear explosion in our rear window. Absolutely surreal and an image that will forever haunt me. It is as if it happened yesterday.
MONKATL
September 11th, 2012
9:34 am
I was 6,000 Miles away in the countryside outside Moscow, Russia, but the shock and pain of 9/11
(CNN International, Live) went straight into my heart, I was in another World, both physically and emotionally to the
Whore of a Day that made me yearn to get back to the country that I proudly called HOME. God Bless America. God Bless those we lost and the families who carry on. We will Never Forget!
MONKATL
September 11th, 2012
9:36 am
Enter your comments here
MONKATL
September 11th, 2012
9:57 am
I was 6,000 miles away in the countryside near Moscow, Russia, but I felt the shock and pain
(CNN Int. LIVE } of that day as though i was standing next to and with my fellow Americans in a
moment in time that not only changed America but the World we all live in forever.
The helpless feeling that turned to the pride of being a American, anger, yes but knowing
Justice will be served ,and the Courage of a Great Country will prevail. God Bless America and
God Bless the Heroes,friends and families of 9/11 ,the pain and loss is with US ALL.
New Yorker : The Latest Fuzz
September 11th, 2012
10:21 am
[...] Atlantans in New York reflect as 9-11 anniversary approaches – Atlanta Journal Constitution (b… [...]
Colin
September 11th, 2012
1:37 pm
Sad stuff.
Becky
September 11th, 2012
4:34 pm
I was at work and it was already a sad day for me, as it had been11 years prior to then that my Mother had passed away..
I visited ground zero about 6 years ago and it was a very moving to be there..I cannot imagine the horror of being there on 9/11/01…Prayers to all…