I vividly remember the bright blue skies of September 11, 2001. When I finally had the courage to visit the 9/11 Museum years later, the art installation “Trying to Remember the Color of the Sky on That September Morning” brought me right back to that day.
It was a Normal Morning
September 11, 2001, started as a normal day at the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center. I was attending an 8-9 am meeting of the Senior Veterinarians. Toward the end of the meeting, one of the veterinarians got a call from a pet owner who was unable to bring their pet to AMC because a plane had run into the World Trade Center, snarling traffic downtown. Despite that tragic news, it still seemed like a relatively normal day because New Yorkers are used to snarled traffic.
Don’t forget, twenty-five years ago, smartphones did not exist. When the meeting ended everyone rushed to their office to check computers for information about the “accident.” The internet and telephone lines soon slowed to a crawl because of all the people searching for news and loved ones. I gave up on the internet and listened to the news on a radio I had on my desk.
As the events of the day unfolded, appointments were canceled and AMC was quiet, perhaps solemn is a better word. Because we are so close to major New York City hospitals, we expected to hear sirens all day. After the morning rush of sirens heading downtown, we heard only a few coming back uptown.
A Licensed Veterinary Technician Remembers
Jessica Mejia, a Licensed Veterinary Technician who has been at AMC for 26 years, shares her remembrance of September 11 and the subsequent days.
I was working at the Animal Medical Center when September 11, 2001 happened, although I had called out of work that day. Like so many others, I watched everything unfold from home on the news, unable to believe what I was seeing. I remember trying to call some of my coworkers, but I couldn’t get through.
What I remember most vividly was returning to work the next day. At the time, I took the 7 train into Manhattan, and I remember seeing the black cloud still covering lower Manhattan. When I got off the train, the city felt completely different. The streets were almost empty—no cars, hardly any people. It didn’t feel like the New York City I knew and loved.
Things didn’t get easier right away. The commute was especially difficult. Getting on the train every day suddenly came with fear and uncertainty. Being in New York no longer felt completely safe, and there was always that thought in the back of your mind that something could happen again.
When I got to AMC, I remember seeing everyone coming together to help. Some of the doctors were gathering supplies to assist wherever they could, while the ICU and Emergency Room prepared to care for any injured police or search-and-rescue dogs that might need us.
More than 20 years later, I still remember that black cloud, the empty streets, and how different the city felt. But I also remember how people came together. For me, that will always be part of remembering September 11—the fear and sadness, but also the incredible willingness to help one another during one of New York City’s darkest moments.
A Video Tribute
You can also watch accounts of that day from two other AMC staff members, Claudia Wiley, Veterinary Assistant, and Dr. Philip Fox, Service Head of Cardiology, a veterinarian who helped treat NYPD canines at Ground Zero.
A Tragedy that Touched All New Yorkers
On 9/11, during the COVID-19 pandemic and through many other difficult times, New Yorkers have shown resilience. But on the twenty-fifth anniversary of 9/11, what we remember most is those we lost on that beautiful September day.