Most class field trips are at least moderately exciting and/or entertaining. Even going to a crowded, noisy zoo is better than sitting idly in a classroom. But there was nothing exciting, or happy, or entertaining about my class field trip to the World Trade Center Tribute Center. It was just sad.
The T.C., located on the corner of Liberty Street and Greenwich Street, is easy to miss. It's a small building with an unassuming sign, making it a wonder that tourists are able to find it at all. (A New Yorker myself, I even got lost). But seeing the massive, building-less pit known as Ground Zero lets me know I'm close.
Upon entering the T.C., a flood of emotions sweep over me. To my left, countless photos of all the victims and lost souls of the 9/11 tragedy adorn the walls--truly the most morbid memorabilia I've ever seen. To my right, there is a four-minute 9/11 commemorative video being projected on a loop on the wall above.
Farther into the museum, there are glass-encased artifacts and ruins that were either found in or around the wreckage at Ground Zero. A black pair of women's shoes, a seared baseball cap that reads "Emergency Response Team," a mangled set of car keys, a battered police radio.
A shiver runs down my spine as I pass a scorched fireman uniform and helmet. I later learn these items belonged to the son of the T.C. founder. His son, who served the F.D.N.Y. on 9/11, did not survive.
In the back room of the museum, there are hundreds of more photos as well as the "Missing Person" signs that infested Ground Zero after the attacks. Desperate friends and family members had written down as much about their missing loved ones as they could think of ("wearing blue jeans and gray tee-shirt," "green eyes," "height: 5'8," etc.). Most hauntingly were the smiling faces of the victims, completely unaware of their horrific fates.
After wandering the museum, the class headed outside for the 50-minute audio walking tour. The tour starts at the F.D.N.Y. memorial wall, proceeds to the World Financial Center, and concludes at the Winter Gardens. Standing at the windows inside the Winter Gardens building is where the best view of Ground Zero can be seen. An infinite amount of progress has been made, but there is still much work to be done.
At the end of the tour, the class sat down with retired F.D.N.Y. firefighter Steve Wall, 60, who was called to duty on 9/11. He recounted his story of the historic day and extremely physically and emotionally trying aftermath. In addition to being exposed to the gruesome sights and heinous smoke and ash (which left him with a permanent lung condition), Wall lost a dear friend and fellow firefighter on that doomful day.
Though I was only 11 years old when the events of 9/11 took place, it left an eternal scar. Ten years later, it is still difficult for me to confront the events up-close. I gather my classmates felt the same pain, as many of us were teary-eyed as we toured the melancholy museum.
It is important--no, NECESSARY--that we, as Americans, confront the events of 9/11 so that we may be fully aware of the reckless evil, hatred, and destruction mankind is capable of. But it is equally necessary to recognize the overwhelming kindness and selflessness humanity is capable of in the aftermath of such a catastrophe--the hundreds of lives lost in the pursuit of saving others' lives.
The T.C. is, indeed, an intensely powerful place to visit. But it was worth every moment. No matter how many years go by, we much always remember how we lost... and how we rose again from the dust and ash.
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