Thursday, October 12, 2023

America's Dinkirk

No training.  This was just what people did that day.

- One of the captains that evacuated Manhattan on 9/11 

It's not quite fair to call this "America's Dunkirk", since the English Channel is a lot wider than the Hudson River.  And the Luftwaffe had something to say in 1940, that they didn't have in 2001.

But this is a great story, well told by Tom Hanks.  About the time that the Coast Guard sent out a radio message to all boats that can help evacuate Manhattan.  This is the story of the boats who responded, and evacuated a Million people in a day.

I've posted about this before.  But this seems somehow apropos.  And click through to that post to see the comment from Friend Of The Blog Paul, Dammit! who knows a bunch of the people interviewed in this.  It's worth your time.  

And you do read his blog every day, don't you?  Thought so.

2 comments:

juvat said...

America's Dinkirk?

Other than that, good video.

Gerry said...

I think the evacuation was well underway by the time the Coasties got involved. A good friend ran a Boston Whaler down from White Plains, to get his wife and coworkers back home.

Kudos for the USCG for getting things organized.