Baylor College of Medicine remembers, and we honor by serving
As we mark the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001, we pause to remember the lives lost, honor the courage and sacrifice of first responders, and reflect on the resilience of our nation and communities. At Baylor College of Medicine, we also recognize the enduring spirit of service that emerged in the wake of tragedy. Today, and every day, we honor that legacy through our commitment to caring for others, advancing health, and serving our communities. Visit the National September 11 Memorial & Museum website for educational materials, historical information, and resources for remembrance.
On 9/11, I served as Chief Medical Officer for the New York State Office of Mental Health. The anticipated flood of med/surg emergencies did not occur – too few survivors. Instead, it was a mental health emergency. I stood in a hard hat at Ground Zero with other state and city officials a few days after 9/11, when it was still smoldering, which of course I'll never forget. Our statewide efforts to provide mental health and emotional support utilized a Y2K emergency network that had not been needed but was still in place. But the shared pain was most visible on the NYC pier, where families posted pleas looking for lost loved ones. Let this never happen again!
- John Oldham
On July 4, 1976, when I was seven years old, my father took my up to his office in the World Trade Center to watch the big boat parade on the Hudson River that was part of the Bicentennial celebration. I still cherish that memory, but it's been tinged with a bit of sadness ever since 9/11.
- Anonymous Submission
I remember 9/11 so vividly. I was in college at the time, getting ready to head to my part-time job. My sister, who lived in another state, called in a panic, saying that a plane had just gone through the World Trade Center Tower. As we were talking to her, she started yelling as she watched the second plane go through the other. It was at that point that we, and our entire nation, realized this wasn't an accident.
I headed to work. But our world was eerily silent. Music that normally played on the radio was replaced by the news. Ongoing commentary the entire day. And we all worked in silence. Hardly any customers came in. None of us talked. We just listened. And grieved.
As I'm sure Pearl Harbor was to so many of that era, 9/11 was that to me. I realized an undeniable fact: America was fought for. And what we stood for and what we were blessed with was not won without sacrifice. It wasn't just something that I was born into. But rather, it was something so many (some unknowingly) paid for with their lives.
In the days and months that followed 9/11, I witnessed something remarkable. People set aside their differences. They hugged those they previously opposed. They celebrated the victories and heartbreak together. And America was united.
Flags and pride for our country were rampant. Terrorism may have taken lives and broken hearts, but it would never quench the American spirit. Instead, that spirit became stronger, louder, and more thankful for the freedoms we hold dear.
- Nichole Stewart
I remember showing up to work on the bottom floor of the Jewish building, where HR was at the time. Our benefits director came in and told us a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center.
This was before you could stream anything, so I called my wife, who was taking the kids to preschool. She had the news on the car radio and relayed what she was hearing.
Then we rolled in the training cart — a TV with a VHS player underneath — got the antenna up, and stood there together as the second plane hit.
Standing next to my coworkers watching it was surreal. It's a moment I'll never forget. Some people were upset enough that they went home. The rest of us stayed, and it was very hard to focus for the rest of the day.
My other memory is from a year later, at a butterfly release with Dr. Fagin. I was an active reservist then, and I was chosen to do the release on the steps of the Cullen entrance. The butterflies didn't want to go. We had to tap on the box a couple of times before they finally took off.
- Dane Friend
The attacks of September 11 occurred in the United States, but the impact was felt across our nation and in more than 100 countries around the world. In the face of tragedy, millions of people came together to support one another, to stand with those most directly affected, and to honor the courage and sacrifice of the first responders. One of the enduring lessons of that day is that people can unite internationally through a shared commitment to compassion, respect, and healing. That lesson remains as important today as it was then, and it is one we should strive to uphold every day.
- Claire Bassett
I was walking into work from Garage 6 on that morning and recall seeing the news on the security guard's monitor as we passed by. In the aftermath of Tropical Storm Allison, three months before, security had already been tightened up at BCM, controlling entrance to the buildings. In our Center, we pulled up the news on a giant monitor/TV in our conference room as we watched in horror as the World Trade Center buildings burned and collapsed. I had two junior staff members out of town attending a conference in Canada. As I recall, the border was closed, transportation was shut down and they were trapped. It took them almost a week to get home, taking buses and trains and eventually renting a car.
- Anonymous Submission
