Day 1 in New York: 9/11 Memorial

NEW YORK -- He wore a green jacket and tucked away a pocketknife. On an overcast day at the 9/11 Memorial, it's like wearing a blinking "Frisk Me" sign.

Gazette photographer Brian Ray and I landed in New York mid-afternoon Sunday as part of our week covering the Iowa men's basketball team at the NIT Final Four. With no team activities scheduled for Sunday, Brian and I took in a few of the sights that only New York offers. Like the 9/11 Memorial.

Brian brought cameras. I took a notebook. We both hopped on the A-C-E train from Times Square toward the World Trade Center. For an Easter Sunday, the mood on the train was silent and most faces ranged from expressionless to monotone. The melting pot was in full bloom as nearly every ethnic group in New York City was represented in one section of our car. I heard German and Spanish within a few feet of our seats.

When Brian and I stepped off the train and found our way to the site, the scene was striking. The new towers are under construction and are radiant in both their beauty and their symbolism. We first picked up our tickets for a small donation and walked toward the security booth.

We met a security officer, who motioned us toward him. He then asked us to proceed to the fourth lane and handed Brian a large pocketknife. The security guard told us he was testing the security scanner on that lane. Brian and I looked at each other and moved toward the lane.

After small talk, we pushed our gear through the X-ray scanner. The pocketknife was lodged in a pocket inside Brian's green jacket. The X-ray detected the knife, as did the security scanner. The original security guard walked over and the security scanner said, "Damn man I'm good at my job. You can't sneak nothin past me."

We were free to go.

Swamp white oak trees scatter throughout the memorial site. Many still have brown leaves left over from fall. There is one Callery pear tree, known as the "Survivor Tree." There was a bouquet of flowers at the base of the Survivor Tree." The new museum is almost built with two steel columns from the north tower's original facade.

Two pools now set where the original towers once stood. Each victim's name is inscribed in bronze along the perimeter of each pool. It's humbling to remember that nearly 3,000 people died in that terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001.

Despite a steady rain, we walked about a mile to Battery Park overlooking New York Harbor. The fog dissipated throughout the day, and we could see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

There are plenty of sights in the city for those attending this week's NIT. Iowa's game against Maryland is slated for 8 p.m. Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. It's located just a few blocks from Times Square.

Enjoy your trip.