Memories of Sept. 11, 2001

Jeff Vandevoorde
Cortez Fire Chief
He was a firefighter in Downers Grove, Ill., outside of Chicago at the time.
“I was just getting ready for training when we saw it on TV. It was unbelievable. We just stayed by the TV all day.
“Our first thought as firefighters was how are they going to get that fire out. We never thought that the towers were going to collapse.”
“We knew that there was no chance they could survive that. It was just a sick feeling.
“Being firefighters and knowing that so many firemen died, we wanted to do something, so we went out to some intersections with fire boots and starting collecting money for the New York Fire Department.”
He said in a little over three days following Sept. 11, their department collected more than $100,000.
“People were coming up to us crying, apologizing that they couldn't give more. It was just amazing.
“It will be something that I'll never forget — the day, the support of the people. It was pretty emotional.
“I don't think people will ever forget that day. I still get choked up today when I see replays of that day.” Photo by Sam Green

Linley Leonard
U.S. Navy veteran, salesman at Steve Keetch Motors
“I was having coffee and breakfast at the El Grande Cafe. My thoughts immediately went back to the day John F. Kennedy was shot.” Leonard was in elementary school then.
“Everybody remembers how they felt on Sept. 11. (My associate) and I immediately prayed for the survivors and the victims. I first went into prayer mode, then I went into the anger mode.” Photo by Sam Green

Dena Guttridge
Executive Director Cortez Area Chamber
of Commerce
“That day was so surreal. There was a quiet calm throughout town with everyone focused on the television. Things like that don’t happen to us. It was a day that really changed things.” Photo by Sam Green

Dan Porter
Cortez Mayor
He was principal at Beech Street kindergarten at the time.
“One of my big concerns was protecting kindergarten’s eyes from what was on the TV.
“It was kind of like a Pearl Harbor moment. Whoever messed with us was going to get it. I also wanted to make sure that we got the right people, we wanted to get the guilty people.
“Mostly, my heart went out to all those people and (my heart) still breaks today.” Photo by Sam Green

Patty Simmons
Owner Blondies Pub & Grub
“I was getting ready for work when I saw it on the TV and I was in total disbelief. I didn’t know how to filter what I was seeing. I didn’t even think it was real at first.” Photo by Sam Green

Russell Wasley
District Attorney for the 22nd Judicial District
“What I remember is the horrible loss of life. Tragedy and adversity brings out the best in Americans and this brought out tremendous heroism from the firefighters to the police to the passengers on Flight 93. I know I will always remember it. All the minor concerns of the work day disappeared when I thought of the horrible loss of life and what all those people had to go through.”

Scott Tipton
U.S. Congressman
“I was getting ready to go to work when the first tower was hit. I still remember how enormous those buildings were.Then I saw the second plane coming around and it hit.
“The most striking thing was that our girls were still in junior high and the concern they had for what was happening. I remembered talking to our girls and telling them that our world has just changed but we don’t know how much it’s changed.
“That change wasn’t for the better. That day really limited our freedom and changed so many things in our lives.”

Jamie Haukeness
Principal of Cortez Middle School
He was activities director at the school in 2001.
“I remember that day vividly. I was standing right outside my office when we found out something was going on in New York City.
“A parent called and said the World Trade Center was under attack and we should turn on the televisions. We turned on our office television and saw the north tower in flames and then the second airplane hit the south tower. 
“We already had student assemblies scheduled for that day, so we went ahead and met with the students. We discussed the attacks and what was taking place, along with the gravity of the situation. We told the kids to always remember this day.”

Larry Chandler
Owner Summit Shooting Center
“I was working at home. I remember getting very, very angry and felt that someone should be punished for that. I felt that someone just declared war against us.” Photo by Sam Green

Roy Lane
Cortez Police Chief
“I was home when I heard about it. I watched in disbelief that it was happening. Like a lot of people, there was a lot of anger. You go through all those stages of anger, disbelief and things like that.” Photo by Sam Green

Ken Soper
Dove Creek High School Hall of Fame football and baseball coach
“I was home watching TV of it happening. It reminded me of the Oklahoma City bombing. it was quite a shock and I still remember it.” Photo by Sam Green

Dennis Spruell
Montezuma County Sheriff
At the time he was the project director for the local drug task force.
“I saw it on TV and was pretty much riveted to it all day. I just thought about the police officers and firemen who ran in. I wasn’t thinking as much about the terrorists at that time as I was all those (emergency workers) and people who lost their lives.”

Shawn Collins
Executive Director Cortez Cultural Center
“I remember being so confused over what it all meant. Just the impact, the concept of people running planes into buildings was so strange. The hair stood up on the back on my neck for two or three weeks.
“When I was thinking about this being the 10-year anniversary I still have some of those feelings — the confusion and the astonishment.” Photo by Sam Green

Isaque “The Sandman” Martinez
Cortez Mixed Martial Arts fighter
“I hadn’t seen it until I showed up for work at the Rio Grande Southern Bed and Breakfast in Dolores and everybody was watching TV. Right when I got to work the second plane hit.
“We were in shock, the whole world was in shock. The first thing I could think about was all those families who had loved ones in those buildings and on the airplanes, I was just heartbroken for those people.”

Steve Chappell
Montezuma County Commissioner
“I remember the very place I was, I was out cutting beans with my brother and he stopped his tractor and answered his cell phone.
“He said a plane hit one of the twin towers and I said ‘what!’”
“It was a time when I couldn’t believe that we could be attacked in that manner. My first thought was the horror of those people on those planes. I get a sick feeling thinking about that.”