9/11: Twenty-three Years Later (2024)

Alumni Remember and Reflect 

Thank you to the alumni who have submitted articles. Further contributions or comments should be sent to news@chasealum.org.

determination to survive

By Tom Buda

I was there that day. 
A number of us were in 1CMP60 for a managers' meeting. Several of us happened to arrive early and we saw the second plane hit. 
I remember people saying that it looked like a small plane. The crash and resulting impact weren’t much at first.
Within minutes, we were all ushered to the elevator banks to exit the building . 

 

We initially stood on the street corner watching the debris flying out of the WTC windows. There weren’t too many of us out there. Then people started jumping out together. 
Chase guards quickly moved us back into the building down to the cafeteria level, which was in the fifth basement. 

 

We were given wet cloth towels for our faces. There was soot and ash everywhere. We were told to sit on the floor. All of the TVs were turned off so that there was no panic.

 

I remember having to go to the men’s room.
People from outside were lined up to get to the sinks. They took their business clothes off in order to wash, men and women standing in the same line, stripped down to their skivvies. It was surreal. 

 

At no time did I think we were going to die. If anyone thought it, no one said it. There was no panic. Just a determination to survive. 
It was an amazing sight to see and it will be forever burned in my memory. The staff at Chase did an outstanding job managing the crowd and the associated stress. 

 

Around noon we were told we could go outside and start to head uptown.
When I got upstairs it looked like a movie set. About an inch of white ash on the ground. My blue suit and black shoes (uniform of the day!) were soon ash white.

 

The police told everyone that the subways and highways were closed. Moving uptown via Chinatown was designated as the path north. 

 

I remember going back into the building to make a call to my daughter. I was in the 1CMP building office when we all heard a loud boom. We thought that CMP was coming down. It was actually one of the WTC towers. 

 

I came out again and walked over to the East River Drive, figuring it was the straightest walking path north to New Jersey. There were no cars. Minutes later, a car came speeding up the highway and I put my thumb out and hitched a ride to 42nd Street.

 

Days later, as I recall, I was asked back to work at a makeshift Chase Command Center at Water Street on a 24 on/24 off basis. We slept on office couches. I don’t remember showering. During breaks we were allowed to walk outside, as long as we had the proper identification. Armed military police were patrolling everywhere. We walked up to the WTC, which was already fenced off, and still smoking. You could smell the stench in the air from people not yet recovered from the debris.