Voicemails are strongly etched into recollections of 9/11. Cell Phone networks were overwhelmed that day in 2001, as individuals all around New York City sought to contact friends and relatives. For several of the victims trapped inside the aircraft and towers, leaving a voicemail was their final chance to communicate with loved ones.
In the weeks coming up to the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, NPR set up an old phone booth in Brooklyn Bridge Park, across the river from the new World Trade Center, and urged individuals to leave a message for somebody they lost that day.
Families And Friends Leave Voicemails For Loved Ones Killed In 9/11Voicemails are deeply embedded in the memories of 9/11. On that day, in 2001, as people all across New York City tried to get a hold of friends and family, cellphone networks were overloaded. For some of the victims inside the planes and towers, leaving a voicemail was their final goodbye. To mark 20 years since the attacks, we set up an old phone booth in Brooklyn Bridge Park — across the river from the new World Trade Center — and invited people to leave a voicemail for someone they lost that day. This is what they had to say.
Posted by NPR on Thursday, September 9, 2021
We found six people ready to share their stories by searching public records, reaching out to national survivors’ networks, and collaborating with facilitators of 9/11 support groups on Facebook — people like Trish Straine, whose husband died in the north tower just six days after their second son was born, and Matthew Bocchi, who was only nine years old when his dad was killed in the attacks. Their personal experiences provide an understanding of the nature of sorrow and how it develops or does not change over time.
