Carmen Maria Rodriguez oral history interview conducted by Julie Broihier, June 24, 2014

About

Carmen was a "Peter Pan Child" in her native Cuba, one of many children sent out of the country during the revolution to live with relatives in the United States. On 9/11, Carmen, who worked for the United Nations reporting on international politics, was on a ferry into Manhattan when she saw flames coming out of the World Trade Center. As she walked down the ferry ramp, she saw the second plane go by, with silhouettes pressed against the windows of the plane, and saw that the plane was flying sideways "to maximize impact [and] kill more people this way." She heard the impact. She had to decide whether to get back on the ferry or to stay, but she had been forced to leave her home in Cuba as a child, and she decided she was not leaving Manhattan. She heard the collapse of the first tower and felt its tremor. She was engulfed in a cloud of smoke and considered running to the river. The second collapse was worse, adding more debris and dust to the air. She couldn't breathe. She saw a man in Jewish garb, and screamed at him, "You have to pray!" He immediately did. She saw this man four years later, and he remembered her. They have been friends ever since. After the collapse of the second tower, Carmen started transmitting on a military phone. She interviewed people in her "Coast Guard broadcasting booth" until 5:00 pm. The next day she learned that a Red Cross first responder was a fellow Peter Pan Child, and she went to search for him. In the streets, the debris was up to the…

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Library of Congress

Language

English

Country

United States

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