Ed Zier's Blog: The Undaunted Blog
September 10, 2022
A Day in the Life of a 9/11 Photographer
Never Forget! I hope the phrase never wears out. However, it’s critical to show new angles surrounding the importance of remembering 9/11. I have written a tribute to a photojournalist ("A Day in the Life of a 9/11 Photographer") who risked much on that infamous day to capture incredible images. Her efforts will help ensure that future generations will have a very visual reminder of the heinous attacks. May we never forget the day and all the innocent souls lost! Thank you Brigitte Stelzer!
https://edzier.com/2022/09/06/a-day-i...
https://edzier.com/2022/09/06/a-day-i...
January 27, 2022
Finding the Right Photos
One of the challenges that authors face is to decide which photos or images to include within a book...even just locating them and securing permission. The creation of
UNDAUNTED
was no less challenging. My latest blog post "Finding the Right Photos" delves into that predicament. Find it here on my author website:https://edzier.com/2022/01/27/finding...
January 9, 2022
Hoboken Horror
On September 11, 2001, the quaint, square-mile, urban town of Hoboken, New Jersey found itself right smack dab in the middle of the chaos. Located on the banks of the Hudson River overlooking Manhattan, Hoboken serves the entire state as a very important transportation hub. New Jersey Transit trains deposit tens of thousands of commuters every day into the historic train station built in 1907. From there, the city-bound workers catch ferries, buses, and the underground PATH train system to complete their journeys. It is the same today as it was on 9/11.
Due to a postponed meeting from the prior week with our largest client, Wells Fargo Wealth Management, I was eventually destined for JFK airport at 4pm on that infamous day. Thankfully, my frugality had me summarily reject a straight re-booking with my normal morning United flights to San Francisco, which had soared in price due to a last minute travel change. That skin-flinting behavior of mine prevented me from possibly being aboard United flight 93 that would end in Shanksville, PA later that day. It was one of three early morning United flights that I often took westward.
Due to my late afternoon travel, and likely late night on the west coast, I packed that morning for my three-day trip and even had a rare breakfast with my ten- and eight-year-old daughters. I caught a later train and found myself arriving in Hoboken at precisely 8:45am. The North Tower of the World Trade Center would be struck by American Airlines flight 11 one minute later—but the impact would occur without my immediate knowledge. Still in the dark, I would be stymied by the PATH’s suspension of its underground rail service, and immediately shifted my attention to the ferry. Above ground, as I headed for the boats, I could see everyone was gazing and pointing eastward toward lower Manhattan. I suddenly saw what they were so keenly watching. The North Tower was ablaze. The then-current theory was that a small plane had accidentally impacted the tower. How horrible! I thought.
Not One Tower, but Two!
If there was any good news, it was that I was headed for the other tower – Two World Trade Center – the South Tower. I quickly tried reaching some of my colleagues—I was Baseline’s chief operating officer. Calls to my CFO and head of Sales went to voicemail. I wasn’t worried about them…yet. I then made a very fateful call to my wife. As I was dialing her, she was watching the events unfold on LIVE television. By the time she said “hello” United 175 had flown directly into floors 78 through 84 in my building. We occupied floors 77 and 78. An excerpt from my book, Undaunted , highlights the phone call:
She answered the home phone and literally started screaming the moment she heard my voice.
“Oh my God! Where are you?”
She had just watched the second plane, on live television, tilt its wings and fly directly into my building from the 78th to the 84th floor—on the same south side of the structure as my office. From her viewpoint, it must have hit my office on 77. She hadn’t focused on my purposely delayed commute that morning, and so believed that I was sitting at my desk.
“Come home immediately! It’s a terrorist attack, Eddie! We’re under attack.”
I still had confidence that what I had seen was simply an accident and that she mistook which building was mine. I began to dissuade her of her information.
“Oh, no hon. That’s not my building! I’m in the other one, and it looks like a Cessna—”
She cut me off harshly. “No! Two jumbo jets have just flown into the World Trade Center! They were probably hijacked. This is horrible. Get home now!”
My mind went instantly to mush. My wife’s emotions and vehemence were clear. She repeated the cold hard facts. I dropped the phone and just left it dangling by its cord. Anger, fear, and sadness gripped me all at once.
While my day would get perceptibly worse when I eventually heard of my building’s collapse, this was (up until that point) the single worst moment in my life. I certainly felt everyone I knew at Baseline had just died. I rushed outside to catch a taxi back home…my next train wasn’t until 10:30am, but would eventually be cancelled. A cab was my only hope.
My Oblivious, then Purposeful, Taxi Behavior
The streets of Hoboken were reminiscent of an old Godzilla movie. Police cars, fire engines, and ambulances were jockeying with crazed pedestrians for dominion over the roads. The word “order” had lost all meaning. Another excerpt shows the state of people’s minds—including my own:
I saw a taxi and hailed it. However, before I could get in, someone grabbed me from behind. It was a police officer who said, “Get off the street and get in the taxi line!” How I had completely ignored, nor even seen, the 200 people already queued up for a cab ride was a shocker to me. A subliminal desire to survive and get home apparently had me block those very visible and dutiful commuters from my conscious mind. Anyway, now dejected and facing reality, I slumped back towards the curb. Incredibly, as I crossed the median the same cabbie pulled up alongside me and said, “Get in!” He knew I had intended a longer ride and probably concluded a larger fare and tip would be forthcoming. Possessed with feelings of getting home, I didn’t reflect too long on the line behind me. As I opened the door, however, I was knocked completely into the taxi by the same throng that wanted the next available cab ride. Shortly, there were seven men in this cab—a picture right out of the Guinness Book of World Records, often involving VW Beetles! None of us were sitting in any recognizable position. I was lying prone across the drive train on the floor of the backseat. The cab driver yelled, “I’m not going anywhere!” Some guy on top of me in that scrum suggested we’d each pay him $30, and the cabbie shifted the car into drive and said, “Where are we going?” Good ole capitalism. Fortunately, we were all from Bergen County and so northward we went.
My new reality as I departed Hoboken on 9/11.
The seven exasperated men became a terrific support group when the other six heard the story of my colleagues high up in the South Tower. As we drove north, we could see both towers were seriously ablaze. In the next few hours I would suffer a further drop in emotional stability when my tower fell killing anyone left alive at that moment. By mid-afternoon, I started hearing stories of survival which instantly began to warm my spirit. In the end we sadly lost four terrific individuals — Jill, Ruth, Bob and Steve — murdered at the hands of evil. However, amidst the despair, the resolve of the remaining 200 associates to rebuild was nothing short of astonishing. Undaunted is our complete story.
The book is not just a somber reminder of 9/11, but it also stands as an example of American resolve to overcome horrible adversity. It not only details the stories of those on floors 77 and 78 that morning, but it also chronicles the resolve of the survivors. I hope you will read it. It was released September 11, 2021–the 20th anniversary.
Due to a postponed meeting from the prior week with our largest client, Wells Fargo Wealth Management, I was eventually destined for JFK airport at 4pm on that infamous day. Thankfully, my frugality had me summarily reject a straight re-booking with my normal morning United flights to San Francisco, which had soared in price due to a last minute travel change. That skin-flinting behavior of mine prevented me from possibly being aboard United flight 93 that would end in Shanksville, PA later that day. It was one of three early morning United flights that I often took westward.
Due to my late afternoon travel, and likely late night on the west coast, I packed that morning for my three-day trip and even had a rare breakfast with my ten- and eight-year-old daughters. I caught a later train and found myself arriving in Hoboken at precisely 8:45am. The North Tower of the World Trade Center would be struck by American Airlines flight 11 one minute later—but the impact would occur without my immediate knowledge. Still in the dark, I would be stymied by the PATH’s suspension of its underground rail service, and immediately shifted my attention to the ferry. Above ground, as I headed for the boats, I could see everyone was gazing and pointing eastward toward lower Manhattan. I suddenly saw what they were so keenly watching. The North Tower was ablaze. The then-current theory was that a small plane had accidentally impacted the tower. How horrible! I thought.
Not One Tower, but Two!
If there was any good news, it was that I was headed for the other tower – Two World Trade Center – the South Tower. I quickly tried reaching some of my colleagues—I was Baseline’s chief operating officer. Calls to my CFO and head of Sales went to voicemail. I wasn’t worried about them…yet. I then made a very fateful call to my wife. As I was dialing her, she was watching the events unfold on LIVE television. By the time she said “hello” United 175 had flown directly into floors 78 through 84 in my building. We occupied floors 77 and 78. An excerpt from my book, Undaunted , highlights the phone call:
She answered the home phone and literally started screaming the moment she heard my voice.
“Oh my God! Where are you?”
She had just watched the second plane, on live television, tilt its wings and fly directly into my building from the 78th to the 84th floor—on the same south side of the structure as my office. From her viewpoint, it must have hit my office on 77. She hadn’t focused on my purposely delayed commute that morning, and so believed that I was sitting at my desk.
“Come home immediately! It’s a terrorist attack, Eddie! We’re under attack.”
I still had confidence that what I had seen was simply an accident and that she mistook which building was mine. I began to dissuade her of her information.
“Oh, no hon. That’s not my building! I’m in the other one, and it looks like a Cessna—”
She cut me off harshly. “No! Two jumbo jets have just flown into the World Trade Center! They were probably hijacked. This is horrible. Get home now!”
My mind went instantly to mush. My wife’s emotions and vehemence were clear. She repeated the cold hard facts. I dropped the phone and just left it dangling by its cord. Anger, fear, and sadness gripped me all at once.
While my day would get perceptibly worse when I eventually heard of my building’s collapse, this was (up until that point) the single worst moment in my life. I certainly felt everyone I knew at Baseline had just died. I rushed outside to catch a taxi back home…my next train wasn’t until 10:30am, but would eventually be cancelled. A cab was my only hope.
My Oblivious, then Purposeful, Taxi Behavior
The streets of Hoboken were reminiscent of an old Godzilla movie. Police cars, fire engines, and ambulances were jockeying with crazed pedestrians for dominion over the roads. The word “order” had lost all meaning. Another excerpt shows the state of people’s minds—including my own:
I saw a taxi and hailed it. However, before I could get in, someone grabbed me from behind. It was a police officer who said, “Get off the street and get in the taxi line!” How I had completely ignored, nor even seen, the 200 people already queued up for a cab ride was a shocker to me. A subliminal desire to survive and get home apparently had me block those very visible and dutiful commuters from my conscious mind. Anyway, now dejected and facing reality, I slumped back towards the curb. Incredibly, as I crossed the median the same cabbie pulled up alongside me and said, “Get in!” He knew I had intended a longer ride and probably concluded a larger fare and tip would be forthcoming. Possessed with feelings of getting home, I didn’t reflect too long on the line behind me. As I opened the door, however, I was knocked completely into the taxi by the same throng that wanted the next available cab ride. Shortly, there were seven men in this cab—a picture right out of the Guinness Book of World Records, often involving VW Beetles! None of us were sitting in any recognizable position. I was lying prone across the drive train on the floor of the backseat. The cab driver yelled, “I’m not going anywhere!” Some guy on top of me in that scrum suggested we’d each pay him $30, and the cabbie shifted the car into drive and said, “Where are we going?” Good ole capitalism. Fortunately, we were all from Bergen County and so northward we went.
My new reality as I departed Hoboken on 9/11.
The seven exasperated men became a terrific support group when the other six heard the story of my colleagues high up in the South Tower. As we drove north, we could see both towers were seriously ablaze. In the next few hours I would suffer a further drop in emotional stability when my tower fell killing anyone left alive at that moment. By mid-afternoon, I started hearing stories of survival which instantly began to warm my spirit. In the end we sadly lost four terrific individuals — Jill, Ruth, Bob and Steve — murdered at the hands of evil. However, amidst the despair, the resolve of the remaining 200 associates to rebuild was nothing short of astonishing. Undaunted is our complete story.
The book is not just a somber reminder of 9/11, but it also stands as an example of American resolve to overcome horrible adversity. It not only details the stories of those on floors 77 and 78 that morning, but it also chronicles the resolve of the survivors. I hope you will read it. It was released September 11, 2021–the 20th anniversary.
December 28, 2021
NEVER FORGET!
In 1905 the Spanish philosopher George Santayana stated in The Life of Reason, “Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it.”[i]
“Never forget!” is a rallying cry that is exclaimed every so often in the course of human history that generally corresponds with brutal wartime attacks, sudden acts of mass violence, or prolonged horrors in the name of hate. Gettysburg, Pearl Harbor and, certainly, the Holocaust are just a few examples in which the phrase is often applied. The importance of the phrase is not necessarily for the purpose of exacting revenge, but rather for preparing future generations to see warning signs and avoid repeating our mistakes – whether they be by Americans, foreign nationals, or humanity as a whole.
Avoidance is a Primary Goal
On September 11, 2001 another tragedy, known simply as “9/11,” took its place among the infamous human-led catastrophes that were both horrific and, arguably, avoidable. Going forward, avoidance should be a primary goal. In recent years that has entailed shoring up security and tightening immigration and banking laws. Longer term, it’s going to require far more peaceful co-existences among the world’s peoples. Here is an excerpt from UNDAUNTED:
“The individuals that attacked us on 9/11 wanted to make their own statement about their perception of America, but were not interested in anything peaceful. Their statement was lodged in a mission of hate. It is essential that we not forget the day nor the people we lost, for 9/11 should remind us of how much we actually have in common here in this country, and across much of the free world. Nor can we, as a species, allow ourselves to digress to earlier histories of human warfare based on hate and mistrust, as such acts are an unacceptable stain on our evolutionary progress.”
Casualties were Significant
As we all know, 9/11 saw a successful plot hatched against targets inside the United States. It was the first large scale attack carried out by foreign interests since the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Unlike Pearl Harbor, the four incidents that made up the events of 9/11 took aim mostly at civilians. Incredibly, approximately 500 more people were killed by four airplanes on 9/11 than by all the Japanese attack planes on December 7, 1941. Also, unlike Pearl Harbor where the attack was carried out against a naval base where casualties were Americans, the victims of 9/11 very much embodied the name of a primary target—the World Trade Center. The attacks of 9/11 took the lives of people from ninety nations.[ii]
Nearly 50,000 people worked within the Twin Towers daily. While the Washington targets on 9/11 were an attempt to be symbolic, the World Trade Center was clearly chosen for its size, its association with American capitalism, and the potential for large scale human casualties. Prior to the infamous day, the thought of four commercial airliners being simultaneously hijacked and flown into revered and human-laden buildings was unconscionable. They succeeded on an unprecedented scale, and dealt the United States a blow of vulnerability. The death count from the four incidents reached 2,977 innocent lives. Companies headquartered at the WTC like Cantor Fitzgerald and Marsh McLennan lost hundreds of good, hard-working employees – who were (each in their own right) husbands, wives, partners, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters.
Baseline’s Fallen Colleagues
Among the victims in the South Tower, which was the second building to be hit, Baseline lost four wonderful people that day – Jill Campbell, Ruth Lapin, Bob Levine and Steve Weinberg. They were more than co-workers. They were individuals with families that loved them. They were people who had accomplished much, and they were looking forward to additional adventures ahead. They were also our good friends. They were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The Baseline family will never forget them. As a country we can never forget the day and its consequences, and can never allow that to happen again. And, as a species we have to do better—much better.
[i] George Santayana, The Life of Reason, 1905, (The Project Gutenberg E-book, 2005), https://www.gutenberg.org/files/15000....
[ii] Garrett Graff, The Only Plane in the Sky (New York: Avid Reader Press, 2019), xix
“Never forget!” is a rallying cry that is exclaimed every so often in the course of human history that generally corresponds with brutal wartime attacks, sudden acts of mass violence, or prolonged horrors in the name of hate. Gettysburg, Pearl Harbor and, certainly, the Holocaust are just a few examples in which the phrase is often applied. The importance of the phrase is not necessarily for the purpose of exacting revenge, but rather for preparing future generations to see warning signs and avoid repeating our mistakes – whether they be by Americans, foreign nationals, or humanity as a whole.
Avoidance is a Primary Goal
On September 11, 2001 another tragedy, known simply as “9/11,” took its place among the infamous human-led catastrophes that were both horrific and, arguably, avoidable. Going forward, avoidance should be a primary goal. In recent years that has entailed shoring up security and tightening immigration and banking laws. Longer term, it’s going to require far more peaceful co-existences among the world’s peoples. Here is an excerpt from UNDAUNTED:
“The individuals that attacked us on 9/11 wanted to make their own statement about their perception of America, but were not interested in anything peaceful. Their statement was lodged in a mission of hate. It is essential that we not forget the day nor the people we lost, for 9/11 should remind us of how much we actually have in common here in this country, and across much of the free world. Nor can we, as a species, allow ourselves to digress to earlier histories of human warfare based on hate and mistrust, as such acts are an unacceptable stain on our evolutionary progress.”
Casualties were Significant
As we all know, 9/11 saw a successful plot hatched against targets inside the United States. It was the first large scale attack carried out by foreign interests since the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Unlike Pearl Harbor, the four incidents that made up the events of 9/11 took aim mostly at civilians. Incredibly, approximately 500 more people were killed by four airplanes on 9/11 than by all the Japanese attack planes on December 7, 1941. Also, unlike Pearl Harbor where the attack was carried out against a naval base where casualties were Americans, the victims of 9/11 very much embodied the name of a primary target—the World Trade Center. The attacks of 9/11 took the lives of people from ninety nations.[ii]
Nearly 50,000 people worked within the Twin Towers daily. While the Washington targets on 9/11 were an attempt to be symbolic, the World Trade Center was clearly chosen for its size, its association with American capitalism, and the potential for large scale human casualties. Prior to the infamous day, the thought of four commercial airliners being simultaneously hijacked and flown into revered and human-laden buildings was unconscionable. They succeeded on an unprecedented scale, and dealt the United States a blow of vulnerability. The death count from the four incidents reached 2,977 innocent lives. Companies headquartered at the WTC like Cantor Fitzgerald and Marsh McLennan lost hundreds of good, hard-working employees – who were (each in their own right) husbands, wives, partners, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters.
Baseline’s Fallen Colleagues
Among the victims in the South Tower, which was the second building to be hit, Baseline lost four wonderful people that day – Jill Campbell, Ruth Lapin, Bob Levine and Steve Weinberg. They were more than co-workers. They were individuals with families that loved them. They were people who had accomplished much, and they were looking forward to additional adventures ahead. They were also our good friends. They were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The Baseline family will never forget them. As a country we can never forget the day and its consequences, and can never allow that to happen again. And, as a species we have to do better—much better.
[i] George Santayana, The Life of Reason, 1905, (The Project Gutenberg E-book, 2005), https://www.gutenberg.org/files/15000....
[ii] Garrett Graff, The Only Plane in the Sky (New York: Avid Reader Press, 2019), xix
November 11, 2021
On Veterans Day, Let's also Celebrate our First Responders!
Happy Veteran’s Day! Today, formerly called Armistice Day, we celebrate the service of all the men and women who have served in the armed forces of the United States.
We celebrate their sacrifices on this particular day because in the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 an armistice was reached between the Allies and the Central Powers led by Germany. Unfortunately, World War I – dubbed the “war to end all wars” – resulted in just another conflict in a continuing long line of bloody disputes. As a result, Armistice Day became Veteran’s Day.
As a witness to the war-like attack on our shores by international terrorists on September 11, 2001, I believe that all rescue personnel that responded to the World Trade Center and the Pentagon are veterans - wartime heroes who answered the call of duty and faced utter horror, death and destruction. They raced to save fellow citizens. They raced into harm’s way. They didn’t hesitate. Many gave the ultimate sacrifice. At the World Trade Center alone, over 400 rescue personnel were killed as they sought to free those hurt or trapped in the burning buildings – a horror created by an attack orchestrated by hate-filled individuals from a distant land.
My witness, and my story, has joined with the words of many of my colleagues at Baseline, which was headquartered on the 77th and 78th floors of the South Tower of the WTC. This story of both despair and fortitude is contained within the pages of my new book, Undaunted. It recognizes the amazing resolve of the American people – seen in the First Responders and in my colleagues as they faced both horror and the need to stand tall and rebuild.
Thank you First Responders – veterans of very graphic, war-like incidents. To those that specifically responded on 9/11, you have my undying respect and gratitude.
See my author website for additional information about the 9/11 First Responders…https://edzier.com/2021/07/09/all-hai...
Undaunted: Leadership Amid Growth and Adversity
We celebrate their sacrifices on this particular day because in the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 an armistice was reached between the Allies and the Central Powers led by Germany. Unfortunately, World War I – dubbed the “war to end all wars” – resulted in just another conflict in a continuing long line of bloody disputes. As a result, Armistice Day became Veteran’s Day.
As a witness to the war-like attack on our shores by international terrorists on September 11, 2001, I believe that all rescue personnel that responded to the World Trade Center and the Pentagon are veterans - wartime heroes who answered the call of duty and faced utter horror, death and destruction. They raced to save fellow citizens. They raced into harm’s way. They didn’t hesitate. Many gave the ultimate sacrifice. At the World Trade Center alone, over 400 rescue personnel were killed as they sought to free those hurt or trapped in the burning buildings – a horror created by an attack orchestrated by hate-filled individuals from a distant land.
My witness, and my story, has joined with the words of many of my colleagues at Baseline, which was headquartered on the 77th and 78th floors of the South Tower of the WTC. This story of both despair and fortitude is contained within the pages of my new book, Undaunted. It recognizes the amazing resolve of the American people – seen in the First Responders and in my colleagues as they faced both horror and the need to stand tall and rebuild.
Thank you First Responders – veterans of very graphic, war-like incidents. To those that specifically responded on 9/11, you have my undying respect and gratitude.
See my author website for additional information about the 9/11 First Responders…https://edzier.com/2021/07/09/all-hai...
Undaunted: Leadership Amid Growth and Adversity
November 7, 2021
Marathon Mettle
Today is Marathon Sunday. Top runners from around the world are competing under runner-friendly skies in New York City. Molly Seidel, the American who won Bronze in the Tokyo olympics, is out to prove her medal wasn't a fluke. However, there is one runner in the mix who is not a household name, but who returns to the New York City Marathon after twenty years.
Kellie Kenny, a dedicated marathoner and former employee of both Cantor Fitzgerald and Baseline, recently regained the emotional courage to re-enter this NYC race after an inspirational finish in 2001. The 2001 NYC Marathon was soon after Kellie had lost scores of friends and colleagues on 9/11. Despite the utter grief and despair of that infamous day, Kellie maintained her training regimen that year. Not only did she compete and finish with a respectable time, but she also adorned herself with 26 flags for 26 lost friends - one flag for each mile-marker. She is hailed in the pages of Undaunted. Learn more about her story here. https://edzier.com/2021/09/04/maratho...
Undaunted: Leadership Amid Growth and Adversity
Kellie Kenny, a dedicated marathoner and former employee of both Cantor Fitzgerald and Baseline, recently regained the emotional courage to re-enter this NYC race after an inspirational finish in 2001. The 2001 NYC Marathon was soon after Kellie had lost scores of friends and colleagues on 9/11. Despite the utter grief and despair of that infamous day, Kellie maintained her training regimen that year. Not only did she compete and finish with a respectable time, but she also adorned herself with 26 flags for 26 lost friends - one flag for each mile-marker. She is hailed in the pages of Undaunted. Learn more about her story here. https://edzier.com/2021/09/04/maratho...
Undaunted: Leadership Amid Growth and Adversity
The Undaunted Blog
Words are often hard to come by when the events of 9/11 are contemplated. The non-fiction work known as Undaunted brings a hard focus on a small group of people that occupied the 77th and 78th floors
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