Forgive us if you have already seen this video. It is making tracks across the web in record time and for good reason. This is the story, as narrated by Tom Hanks, of the men who sprang to action on 9/11/2011 in their ferries, tug boats, party boats, and whatever else that had and engine and could float to evacuate people trapped on Manhattan island. While the subject matter of this piece may seem miles outside of the normal BangShifty content you see here, the underlying message is very much about who we are. We’re doers and these Captains and crew members are doers of the highest level.
We knew nothing of this story until watching the video. This was the largest boatlift in the recorded history of mankind, larger than the evacuation of Dunkirk by a lot. If you don’t mist up at some point while watching this, we’re pretty sure you don’t have a soul.
In the chaos of that awful day, these guys rose to an immense challenge and achieved results beyond anyone’s imagination.
Heroes came in all stripes that day. My contribution was just staying calm, which may have helped someone somewhere. From Ann Arbor, MI that was about all I could do.
Interesting that the security word is “yellow” right now. That’s what these folks weren’t and what the crazy people were.
Dan
Thanks for putting this video up for all to see. As a Lieutenant with the FDNY, I saw a so many AMERICANS come together to help out in our country’s time of need and these extraordinary people did what was needed without a thought for their own safety.
Thank you, Dennis
I was at work @ midas in wareham when this happened. Jets from Otis passed over every day, but the noise from the jets scrambled that day inspired terror themselves. I never heard them make that much noise before, or since. Pure fury poured from those machines. I will tell you people say I have no soul at times, but I have a knot in my throat remembering that.