Newtown Resident Shares First-Hand Account

Of 9/11 With Eighth Graders

By Laurie Borst

The eight grade reading students of Cathy Cincogrono and Patty Bowles have been studying symbolism. The teachers used the photographs of Jonathan Hyman to help explain that concept. One of Mr Hyman’s photographs is of the flag painted on the maple trees at the entrance to Howard Lasher’s home on Route 302 in Dodgingtown.

“We talked about 9/11 and how the pictures represented and communicated the feelings of people all across the country,” Mrs Cincogrono said. “We discussed the symbolism in the pictures and how authors also use symbolism to communicate ideas in their books.

“We are always trying to make connections to life. Mr Lasher’s flags are symbolic. They tell a story. The students were eager to hear the story behind the flag,” she added.

Mr Lasher shared his story with approximately 40 students in the middle school’s media center on the morning of September 22.

In some ways, Mr Lasher’s life is far removed from his humble beginnings on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. His father died at the age of 31. His mother worked in the Garment District six and a half days a week to support her family.

Mr Lasher grew up and went to work at the New York Stock Exchange. He spent 41 years as a floor broker. He was a senior exchange official. He formed his own brokerage house, The Lasher Group. His offices were a block and a half from the World Trade Center. He owns a home in Newtown and maintains an apartment in Upper Manhattan. In his heart, he said, he has always been a New Yorker.

On a beautiful September morning in 2001, nine of his close friends from Wall Street were having breakfast at Windows on the World, the famed restaurant on the top floor of the World Trade Center. At about quarter to nine, as Mr Lasher put on his jacket to head to the Stock Exchange, an explosion shook his office building. Peopled wondered aloud about what may have happened. A few moments later, a co-worker called him to his office.

The TV was on. Mr Lasher and his colleagues watched in disbelief as a plane flew into the World Trade Center. When the tremendous horror of what was happening sunk in, they headed outside. As the lights flickered and glass, brick, and metal rained down, Mr Lasher helped evacuate his building.

“Outside, I saw people running, people bleeding. You wanted to look back, but you didn’t want to look back,” he said. “It was an awesome sight. All the empty shoes. People panicked and literally ran out of their shoes. It’s a sight I’ve relived thousands of times. It seems like it was yesterday. It was so surreal.”

Later that day, as Mr Lasher, covered in dust, walked up the FDR Drive toward his Manhattan apartment, people stopped him, offering him water and any help they could give.

In the weeks that followed, Mr Lasher wanted to honor the friends he and so many others lost that day. He put together a memorial service at St Patrick’s Cathedral. Cardinal Egan, who has blessed the St Rose carnival, presided. Twenty-six hundred people attended the memorial.

Mr Lasher spoke, delivering a eulogy in honor of his friends. The son of one of the victims presented his high school’s colors. It was then that Mr Lasher realized he wanted to do something with the flag, a lasting tribute in memory of what they perished for.

“The flag represents what this country stands for,” he said. “This was the most tragic event that has ever occurred in this nation.”

Through his friend, Scudder Smith, publisher of The Newtown Bee, he met David Merrill, the local artist who produced the beautiful murals at Edmond Town Hall. Mr Lasher invited the artist to his home, and the two men spent some time walking around the property before Mr Merrill decided that six maple trees that stand at the entrance to Mr Lasher’s home were the right place for the tribute.

His tribute has touched the hearts of many people. Every Memorial Day, Fourth of July, September 11, Mr Lasher finds flowers, cards, and ribbons left by the trees. This year, the fifth anniversary, found dozens of roses and more cards and ribbons.

“The trees represent something to people. We don’t ever want to forget our friends. We don’t want to forget that horrific day,” Mr Lasher said.

“Kids dying in Iraq today were in junior high and high school five years ago,” he continued. “We’re a nation that has overcome many obstacles. We don’t want to forget the people who perished that day in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. We don’t want them to have died in vain.”

Mr Lasher said, “It’s good that the kids know about [9/11], that they are aware of it. We’re so sheltered here in Newtown. I am honored to speak to them.”

When Mr Lasher finished, he asked if anyone had questions. There were surprisingly few.

One young lady asked how long it took to paint the trees. “Six weeks. And just this past June they got a touch up,” he responded.

Another student queried, “If you could go back in time, would you do anything different?”

“If I knew what was going to happen, I’d have warned the country. I’d hope I could have stopped it.”

“Would you say 9/11 changed your life?” a student wondered.

“Absolutely. It changed the lives of many people.”

At the end of the talk, Mr Lasher presented the school with a photograph of his trees taken by Jonathan Hyman. Mr Hyman has photographed more than 15,000 tributes and personal memorials done to honor to the victims of 9/11. Sixty-three of those images are currently on display at 7 World Trade Center in an exhibition being presented by the World Trade Center Memorial.

The exhibit — timed to coincide with the fifth anniversary of 9/11 — opened earlier this month with a fundraiser. The photo of Mr Lasher’s trees graced the invitation that was sent to 700 people asking them to attend the gala.

For information on the World Trade Center Memorial, visit buildthememorial.org.