To all the 9/11 victims, you will no be forgotten
Freedom itself was attacked this morning by a faceless coward and freedom will be defended –George W. Bush
Commending the victims to almighty God's mercy, I implore his strength upon all involved in rescue efforts and in caring for the survivors -Pope John Paul ll
Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember every fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children.
I will never forget 9/11 and will always remember those who died that day, those who continue to fight for those that died for America.
On September 11th, 2001, our world changed. As we remember 9/11 and those who lost their lives and loved ones, remember the world will always be full of suffering, but it's also full of the overcoming of it.
September 11th was a moment when America had the sympathy of the world.
On September.11th, 2001, sixteen year old popular girl Cameryn Montgomery was sitting in her father Lucas Montgomery's office on the 101st floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. It was about 7:45am, and Camryn was getting bored, just sitting in her dad's office.
It was simple, full of windows, a plant in the corner, a wooden door, a wooden desk, leather computer chair that Lucas was sitting in, two black leather chairs in front of his desk, a fuzzy brown couch beside one of the many windows, and a brown leather lazy boy on the opposite side of the big office. On top of Lucas' desk was a computer, four or five notebooks, a portfolio, a drawer full of statistic papers, pens, pencils, a telephone, a pager, and some papers just roaming around.
Lucas was some big CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald L.P., which is why he was positioned on the 101st floor. He was typing on his computer, probably making a schedule or something. Cameryn was there because her dad wanted to teach her about his work. The entire previous night, Cameryn has had a bad feeling about September 11th.
"Cammie, come here, please. I want to show you how to make an order," Lucas exclaimed.
She looked away from her perfect view of the water from the window, and looked at her dad. "An order?"
Lucas nodded and gestured her over. Cameryn followed.
"Okay, so we need more mufflers for the cars we're building." On the computer, was a graph-like thing with words that said "Exhaust pipes" "tires" and "motors," and then it said, "Quantity." Lucas clicked on mufflers, and said, "I just clicked on the label 'muffler', and now –" He typed 300 down on the quantity bar. "There. I just ordered three hundred mufflers for three hundred race cars. Isn't that cool?"
Cameryn smiled back unenthusiastically, just merely trying to please her father. "Yeah, dad. Just awesome." As soon as Cameryn turned away, she stopped smiling.
As she sat down, she felt her iPhone vibrate in the pocket of her white jean short-shorts. She dung inside and pulled it out, clicking view.
Thinking of u, Cammie. It was from Cameryn's long time boyfriend, Kendall McCarthy. Kendall and Cameryn have been going out since they were both fourteen.
Glad to hear it, Kenny. Hey, when I get back to Lake Pleasant, wanna go swimming? After typing that, Cameryn pressed send. She was really desperate to go swimming.
Barely a minute later came Kendall's reply. Sure! And after that we can play basketball! We can call Thayer and Emily, 2! And Claire, and Tyler, and Dylan, and Cory, and Courtney!
Thayer was Kendall's best friend, and Emily was Cameryn's. Claire, Tyler, Dylan, Cory and Courtney were some of their close friends. Yea, ok! Dad's boring me alive
A few minutes later . . .
Ugh, I hate when my dad does that. What r u doing now?
Sending this txt 2 u, and looking out onto the harbour. U?
Sitting on my bed in my room, wondering why in the hell I didn't go with u
Lol. U so funny, Kendall.
Oh, u so hot Cammie.
Hehe, I know.
Srry, Cammie, but my phone is going dead. C u at 5?
Yep. Bye! Then, Cameryn put her phone back in her pocket and turned to her dad.
Before she could say anything, Lucas' assistant Mary walked in. She was wearing a knee-high black skirt, sky blue polo shirt, a black jacket, black high heel shoes, and her brown hair was pulled up in a tight French bun. She also had a heavy coat of pink lipstick on, and many pieces of jewelry.
"Mr. Montgomery, you are needed over in Building Two on the ninety-first floor," she declared in a professional voice.
Getting up, Lucas buttoned the button on his jacket. "Okay, Mary. Thank you." With that, she gave a slight smile and walked out. Lucas turned back to Cameryn. "Cammie, I want you to stay here. Don't go outside."
Cameryn nodded. Before Lucas could leave, she said, "Dad, can I take the convertible out for a drive around New York?" She smiled hopefully.
Lucas sighed. "Okay. But, but you wait until I get back from Building Two. Deal?"
Cameryn smiled. "Deal."
Lucas gave her a quick kiss on her forehead, and walked out the door. By this time, it was 8:40am. Just another nine hours until I can go home. But, when dad gets back, I can try and persuade him to let me go home early, she thought.
Groaning, Cameryn carried herself out of her dad's office and started to talk with Mary.
"How's school, Cammie?" Mary asked, typing something on her computer.
Camryn rested her arms on Mary's desk. "As good as school can get. Which is not very. But I am getting good grades."
"Cameryn, you always get good grades." Mary finished typing on her computer and looked at Cameryn. "So, why aren't you in school today?"
She sighed. "Patriot Day. The school decided to give us this day off because it's technically a holiday."
Mary nodded. "Are you on the swim team again this year?"
"Yeah. I'm the Flyer. Best at speed swimming."
After chatting to Mary for about five minutes, she walked back into Lucas' office.
All of a sudden, she heard a tremendously loud rumbling that continued to grow. When Lucas' desk caught her eye, she saw it vibrate. It was vibrating so violently that his papers and computer fell on the floor. With a single yelp, she sprinted forward and tried to stop other things from falling.
The rumbling got louder, and Cameryn started to wonder what in the world was happening. Doors were rattling in their frames, papers, pens and pencils were vibrating off of his desk, drawers were vibrating in the desk, and chairs were violently shaking on the floor. Cameryn herself was shaking and vibrating so much that she had to hold onto different solid objects to stand up straight.
When she looked out the big windows, she saw a huge flying object fly towards the building. With one final gasp on her part, the plane flew directly towards her, and she fell to the ground.
Lucas' POV
Lucas was halfway between Buildings One and Two, when he heard a loud rumbling. Passing bystanders were stopping, looking around amazed. As soon as Lucas looked up at Building One, a giant plane fly directly into the top part of the building. Smoke and flames billowed out from the hole.
It took Lucas merely twenty seconds to realize that Cameryn was either above or inside the impact zone. Then, he turned hysterical. And so did every bystander watching this all unfold.
"Cameryn! No! Cammie!" Lucas' eyes were completely watery and he couldn't see anything except the orange and red of the flames. He fell to his knees and kept yelling, "My baby girl! Cameryn! Cammie! My baby girl! No! No! No! Please! No!"
He was so hysterical, he didn't even notice the second plane hit Building Two, or the police and fireman come. He just kept crying and calling out for his precious baby girl.
Cameryn's POV
Her leg hurt. She couldn't move her left arm, and her right hair was hurting so much that she could barely think. She was slipping in and out of consciousness, and everything was getting brighter, almost white. She heard faint screams coming from everywhere, and heard a sweet voice saying "Come to me. Come to me, Cameryn Skylar Montgomery, Come home. We call you home."
Once she managed to open her eyes, she looked around. Different pieces of medal were scattered around Lucas' office and three big pieces of medal were on top of Cameryn. Cammie tried to move her left arm, but she only felt pain, searing pain and only pain. She didn't have enough energy to move. About three meters away from Cameryn, lay a single tanned arm black nail polish on the fingers, and Cameryn's scar she got during a car accident, which is a straight puckered line on her forearm.
Tears ran down Cameryn's cheek because of all the pain. She couldn't bring herself to look at the stump of her arm that would surely be there, so she looked the other way. Cameryn glanced down at her body, and saw that her ankle was twisted the wrong way, she had multiple burns and lacerations all over her, and Cammie's whole body was burned badly and soot covered.
She heard the sweet, soothing voice once more. "Cameryn, you are safe. Return home to us. Come to us. Come to us. Return home. Be loved, Cameryn."
With tears still staining her face, Cameryn decided to give up, and give into the urge to follow the voice home. Which she knew was heaven.
Those were Cameryn's final minutes on Earth. On September12th, 2001, they finally found Cameryn's burnt body. It was mostly unrecognizably because of the burns, but her face was completely unscarred. Lucas, Cameryn's mom Annemarie, Cameryn's older brother Brandon and her younger sister Allison were left heartbroken. Lucas and Annemarie identified the body as their baby girl.
On September.13th,2011, her school, Lake Pleasant High, dedicated the new wing of their school to her, calling it "Cameryn's Wing." Cameryn's Wing held the gym, the pool, the art room, the music room, the history room and the biology room, which were all of Cameryn's favourite things. In the school's waiting area is a golden plaque that says:
Cameryn Montgomery
March.13th, 1995 – September.11th, 2001
Flyer on the Lake Pleasant Sharks
Only the good die young
On a different plaque in park eventually called the "Cameryn S. Montgomery park", is written:
A beloved youth member of our community was killed during 9/11. She was quite popular in school, was the Flyer for the Lake Pleasant Sharks, and was top of the class with a swimming scholarship on the horizon, and valedictorian sure to be her. Cameryn was the nicest girl in school, and loved animals. She was also a very gifted sailor and frequently entered boating contests with her best friend Emily Thompson, and they won every one. Cameryn is a symbol of freedom and life after death. Even though the terrorists took Cameryn's life, she is never forgotten, not even for a single second. For Cameryn: Death must be so beautiful. To lie in the soft brown earth, with the grasses waving above one's head, and listen to silence. To have no yesterday, and no to-morrow. To forget time, to forgive life, to be at peace. Rest in peace forever and always, beautiful Cammie.
On September.16th,2001, Cameryn was laid to rest in South Side Lake Cemetery, beside her two day old baby cousin Joseph, and her grandpa Dean Smith. Every Friday, Cameryn's family goes to put her favourite flower, Narcissus, on her grave.
Her grave stone reads:
Cameryn Skylar Montgomery
March.13th, 1986 – September11th,2001
Beloved daughter, sister, niece, cousin, friend and girlfriend
God only takes the good home early
On September.17th, 2001, Cameryn's family made four separate speeches in honor of her.
First, her dad went. "My daughter, Cameryn, was a special little girl right from the get-go. When she was born, and the nurse washed her off with warm water and took her out, Cameryn cried louder than I ever thought possible." Giggles could be heard. "So, the nurse finally got fed up with her crying and just put her back in the water, and then Cameryn splashed and laughed. And right then, I knew that Cammie was meant to be a swimmer. When she was merely five, she meant her best friend Emily Thompson while Brandon and I were bringing her down swimming in the cove. Emily and Cameryn took immediate liking to each other. You could find Cameryn without Emily, and vice versa. At age six, Cameryn decided to try to do competitive swimming. From the minute she dove into the water until the time she came out, she was smiling." By this time, Lucas was crying and his voice was shaking. "By age ten, Cammie had finished all her swimming levels, and colleges were already looking at her. But before she finished her levels, Emily and Cameryn tried boating for the first time, and just three months after that, were masters. When Cameryn was fourteen, she met her boyfriend, Kendall McCarthy, whom she loved very dearly. When I looked up at Building One and saw the plane crash, my world fell apart and I was numb. I couldn't feel any of my body parts, and then I realized that Cam was either in the impact zone or on top of it. I want to say one thing to Cameryn: Laugh when you can, apologize when you should, and let go of what you can't change. Kiss slowly, play hard, forgive quickly, take chances, give everything and have no regrets. Life's too short to be anything but happy." Wiping his tears, Mr. Montgomery stood beside his wife.
Brandon went up. "My little sister was incredible. She was bubbly, bouncy, cheery, friendly, smart, and mostly of all, the most amazing friend and sister anyone could ever ask for," Brandon explained, hysterical at this point. "Anybody would be the luckiest person alive to just be friends with my sister, let alone related by blood to her. Even though we fought sometimes, we always had each others backs –" Brandon couldn't carry on. He gave a sob, and then cringed away into his mom's side, sobbing as quietly as he could.
Her seven year old sister Allison went up. "My big sissy, Cameryn, was my best friend. Me and her would always do stuff together, and she would always bring me boating out on the lake after my school. I love Cameryn. To me, Cammie isn't gone. She's still here." She looked up into the sky and yelled, "I LOVE YOU, CAMERYN MONTGOMERY!"
Mrs. Montgomery went up. "My daughter, Cameryn, was the most beautiful daughter in the world. I love her so much, and I refuse to believe that Cameryn is gone. To me, Cammie is merely not here with us now. I would like to take this time to say this one little thing: the one's we love never really leave, we can always find them here." She put her hand flat on her heart. "In our hearts."
In memorial to all those who lost their lives during 9/11. 4 from Argentina, 11 from Australia, 6 from Bangladesh, 1 from Belarus, 1 from Belgium, 3 from Brazil, 24 from Canada, 3 from Chile, 3 from China, 1 from Cote d'ivoire, 17 from Columbia, 2 from Democratic Republic of the Congo, 47 from Dominican Republic, 2 from El Salvador, 3 from Ecuador, 2 from Ethiopia, 3 from France, 11 from Germany, 2 from Ghana, 3 from Guyana, 2 from Haiti, 1 from Honduras, 41 from India, 1 from Indonesia, 6 from Ireland, 5 from Israel, 10 from Italy, 16 from Jamaica, 24 from Japan, 2 from Jordan, 3 from Lebanon, 1 from Lithuania, 3 from Malaysia, 16 from Mexico, 1 from Moldova, 1 from the Netherlands, 2 from New Zealand, 1 from Nigeria, 5 from Peru, 16 from the Philippines, 5 from Portugal, 6 from Poland, 3 from Romanian, 1 from Russia, 2 from South Africa, 28 from South Korea, 1 from Spain, 1 from Sweden, 2 from Switzerland, 1 from the Republic of China (Taiwan), 14 from Trinidad and Tobago, 1 from the Ukraine, 1 from Uzbekistan, 66 from the United Kingdom, 2, 669 from the United States, 1 from Bermuda and 1 from Venezuela. 158 passengers aboard America Airlines Flight 11, United Airlines Flight 93 and United Airlines Flight 175, 29 crew members aboard all three planes, 343 New York City Fire Department firefighters, 23 New York City Police Department officers, 37 Port Authority police officers, 15 paramedics, 3 Court Officers, about 600 people were killed instantly upon hit, about 292 bystanders were killed, 125 people were killed in the Pentagon, and one bomb sniffing down named Sirius was also killed. NO ONE, AND I MEAN NO ONE, WHO WAS KILLED DURING 9/11 WELL BE FORGOTTEN! BIN LADEN MAY HAVE TAKEN LIVES, BUT HE DIDN'T TAKE SPIRITS OR RELASIONSHIPS. WE CAN ALL BE HAPPY TO KNOW THAT BIN LADEN IS DEAD AND IN HELL WHERE HE DESERVES TO BE! BRAVERY WELL ALWAYS BE CHEERISHED! THE BRAVERY OF THOSE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HELP WELL NEVER, EVER BE FORGOTTEN. RIP EVERYONE! YOU DESERVE IT! NO MORE PAIN AND SUFFERING, JUST BEAUTY, LOVE AND ABOVE ALL ELSE, PEACE!