Twenty-five years ago, four planes were hijacked, resulting in the deadliest terrorist attack ever. Nearly 3,000 people died the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, with many more losing their life due to lingering effects.
On the 25th anniversary of the tragedy, Carefree resident and 9/11 survivor Bob Jenkins will speak during the 6 p.m. “25 Years Later: Together We Remember” event in the Town Council Chambers, 33 Easy Street.
Jenkins was on the 39th floor of the north tower giving a presentation to Lehman Brothers at the time of the attack. He said he hadn’t even finished his first sentence when he felt an explosion.
He added he knew it was an explosion because of his time as a combat engineer in the Marines. Though he didn’t know a plane crashing into the building is what caused the explosion.
“I immediately thought to myself, "You’re in lower Manhattan. You’re in the World Trade Center. You’re in New York City. Earthquakes don’t explode.’”
He knew not to panic, saying that’s what actually kills people. So, he sat in the conference room to see what was going to happen while everyone was running out of the room.
The guest pass Bob Jenkins was given to get him into the north tower on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.
(Submitted photo/Bob Jenkins)
He moved over to the floor-to-ceiling windows, looked up and saw paper flying through the sky above.
“I put my hands in my pockets,” Jenkins said. “I could feel the change in my pockets from when I bought a cup of coffee that morning. I smiled and I said out loud, 'So this is where I die.’”
Jenkings said he thought there was no way he would survive. He said the building was violently swaying, making it difficult to walk without stumbling like a drunk person.
Then, the building stopped moving and he realized that was his chance. He made his way to the stairs and started his descent through the smoke-filled stairwell.
When the smoke became too much to bear, he stopped on the 20th floor and moved into a room with fresh air. He thought that was a safe place to be, but someone grabbed him and pulled him back toward the stairs where he didn’t want to be.
“You’re about to make a life-and-death decision,” Jenkins said. “You got clean, fresh air and you’re gonna die of smoke inhalation in the stairs. Human beings are not built to put ourselves intentionally in peril and here I was doing it… that’s the only reason I’m on the phone talking to you this second.”
Jenkins finally got out of the building and left the area before the towers collapsed.
He added he was in shock when he learned it was a plane that had crashed into the tower and knew it was intentional. His mind didn’t immediately go to a terrorist attack, but he knew it was on purpose.
“Twenty-five years later, it feels surreal,” he said. “I’m angry that it happened. I’m very sorry for the people that perished that day, but I’m also even more sorry for the people that were left behind.”
Through the experience, he’s learned to not sweat the small stuff in life because life can get so much worse.
“Until you’ve had to stand in a building and make a decision to jump to death or burn to death, you’re really going to be OK,” he said.
Jenkins added that he makes it a point to thank first responders for everything they have done and everything they do to keep people safe.
Jenkins is speaking at the Carefree event because he doesn’t want people to forget about what happened in 2001, adding it’s “such a big part of our history.”
Mayor John Crane said this will be an event worth attending.
“I think his story certainly is inspiring,” he said. “We can all make a difference. There are things that are more powerful than what we have differing opinions on. Another take away is that this is an outgrowth of 9/11. Coming out of 9/11, I think we all have a higher regard and respect for our first responders, the firemen and police officers.”
He added that Jenkins is someone many in the town know, which “brings it home.”
The event’s name, “25 Years Later: Together We Remember,” adds value too.
“As a country, we come together, we gather, we remember those who died as a result of it, who gave their lives to rescue people,” Crane said. “This is just so important… I think we owe it to all of them to remember.”
In addition to Jenkins’ presentation, attendees are invited to share memories and contribute memorabilia.
For those who can’t make it, the event will be livestreamed on the town’s official YouTube channel.
For more information, go to carefreecavecreek.org/event/9-11-remembrance-gathering.
Reporter Zev Black can be reached at zblack@iniusa.org. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
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