This is the 25th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center in New York, where planes flew into the Center’s twin towers.
Nearly three thousand people were killed.
A former Bismarck native, Casey Paul, lives in New York City. At the time, she says she lived with three other women in what she called a “shoebox with a million dollar view.” That view included the twin towers of the World Trade Center.
Paul says she and her best friend were running in Central Park that morning.
"It was the most beautiful day imaginable," Paul said. "Pure blue sky, no wind, nice warm weather with that crisp feeling in the air. Just a beautiful, beautiful day."
Paul said after a while, they started hearing what she called “an insane amount of sirens" – and she and others in the park knew something was happening.
Paul said at the south end of the park was a small electronics shop.
"There was already a big crowd there, with a hole bunch of TVs stacked on each other," Paul said. "Everyone was looking at the news from the World Trade Center."
Paul said one of the towers was already on fire.
"Then we watched the second plane hit, on those TVs," Paul said.
After that, Paul and her friend raced home to their apartment. It was on the 23rd flood of their building. She said the window faced south, and they could see everything.
"We watched both towers fall," Paul said. "It was a lot like watching a movie, to be honest. It was so unreal, and hard to describe, because we just couldn't come to grips with it — it was very confusing."
Paul also remembers the smell.
"Like a bonfire gone wrong," Paul said. "It was a sticky-sweet smell"
Paul said the whole entire city seemed to be burning. And she said that happened for months.
"The billow of smoke was present for a long time," Paul said. "And then the rubble, which was there for years."
Paul said she finally went to the museum built at the site, just a few years ago.
"I can't believe the time has passed, and I can't believe it happened," Paul said.
