World Trade Center survivor shares story in 9/11 remembrance

LOMBARD, Illinois — Thomas Jones, former Lombard resident, was recently a guest on Lombard Village President's “Open Mike” program, where he shared his personal story about the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Mueller interviewed Jones on his experience as he recalled what it was like to be in the south tower at the time of the attacks. Jones, who was on floor 61 of the south tower when the first tower was hit, was in New York on business and in the World Trade Center for the first time the day before. This event has forever changed his life.

Immediately after the attacks, Jones recalled that he became a student of the event and read and learned as much about it as he could. And then there came a time where he would try and forget.

“This being the 10-year anniversary is different for me,” said Jones. “The 10th anniversary is too important a date for me and our country. I wanted people to honor and remember it,” he added. And that is one reason he has decided to share his experience.

Jones explained that after the attack, he did not do what people in the tower were instructed to do. He followed his own instincts and felt that by doing so, he saved his own life.

“People were told to go back to their offices after the first tower was struck,” Jones said. “While some people were told to do that, I elected not to.”

At the time the first tower was hit, Jones was on the 61st floor of Tower 2. “I couldn't fathom what was happening at that point,” he said.

“I'd been in very early for meetings with my employer and had just taken a coffee break. Out the windows, all I saw was an immense amount of office paper billowing around outside and a lot of black smoke. My instincts, while not knowing what had happened, was that the last place I wanted to be if there was a fire or explosion was in a high rise so I immediately decided to leave the building,” he said.

Jones took the elevator down one floor and then realized that it was not the safest place should there be a fire. He exited as soon as the elevator doors opened and hit the stairwell.

In the stairwell, Jones joined a man who was descending who told Jones that from his office window he witnessed a plane strike the first tower. He indicated that he thought there was a lot of damage and a lot of people injured. “We did not know at that time that the second tower was going to be hit,” said Jones.

While descending the stairs, the two reached the 50th floor and movement stopped. Over the PA system there was an announcement that Tower 1 had been hit and everyone was advised to go to the 44th floor, an elevator exchange floor. People in the stairwell had moved considerably faster after the announcement and began exiting onto that floor, recalled Jones. He and the other man at first exited, too, but then returned to the stairs where they continued their descent.

“Now I know I was on about the 36th floor when the second plane hit Tower 2. In the stairwell, we could not see or smell anything, but the building was shaking and we could see that the building was swaying as we held onto the handrail. It was at that time that I went from cautious and hopeful to the realization that something was really wrong.

“In my mind after the building was hit, the apprehension and fear in the stairwells escalated; there were a number of people visibly shaken. We continued down the stairwell. That day, I witness the worst that man had to offer with the attacks as well as the best that man had to offer with the kind of help people were offering. From that point on, we moved at a snail's pace. At one point, people started counting down the floors together, ‘21st floor,' etc., which although terrifying, was also very touching as well,” Jones shared.

Once they descended to the main level, it took some time before Jones was allowed to exit the building. Outside, debris and commotion was everywhere.

“I remember that people's faces were just astonished,” he said. “It was quite an event and I think about it almost every day. It's not easy to avoid today with all the news of society, airport security … it all ties back to September 11.”

Jones will be a guest on “Open Mike” through the month of September. For programming details, please visit www.villageoflombard.org.

The Village of Lombard will be sponsoring a remembrance commemorating the ten-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

The remembrance will be held on Sunday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. A silent procession will begin from Maple and Elizabeth and march to the Maple Street Chapel, where a brief program will be held. Maple Street will be closed from Main Street west to Elizabeth from approximately 6:30-8:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend.