Where Were You?

I was in NYC a couple of weeks ago on a business trip. I met Oleg Yerofeyev when he drove me from LaGuardia airport to my hotel. Oleg has lived in Seagate, Brooklyn for 22 years. He immigrated here with his family from the city of Baku in the country of Azerbaijan. He is also the proud father and grandfather of a 39 year old daughter, 15 year old granddaughter and 4 year old twin grandsons. On the way to the hotel I asked Oleg to tell me where he was 17 years ago on the morning of 9/11. He said on that morning he had just dropped off his Japanese clients at the airport and was in traffic on his way back via the New Jersey turnpike in direct view of Manhattan. Something caught his eye and he looked up and watched the second airplane hit the WTC. He said everyone thought a bomb exploded. Oleg said there were no words to describe his confusion and subsequent horror. He was stuck in the same spot on that highway for 24 hours when he finally got out of his car and made his way on foot to the closest New Jersey town. Businesses opened their doors offering him and many others who were stranded food, shelter, a local hotel gave him a room. Just one story, one man, one memory. #neverforget #wherewereyou