Today We Remember 24-year-old Robert Martinez, Security Guard at the World Trade Center.
On the morning of Sept. 11th, Robert Martinez was running late to work. When he arrived, his regular assignment in a loading dock on the northern part of the complex, had been given to someone else.
He was sent by his supervisor to the south tower’s 78th floors sky lobby for his shift.
Martinez had never worked on the 78th floor previous to Sept. 11th. He had only begun working at the WTC as a security guard a few months earlier after leaving his job at McDonalds, finding a pay hike in the $11.61 an-hour salary.
At 9:03am Flight 175 slammed into the south tower, creating an impact hole from the 78th to 84th floors.
The 78th floor sky lobby is where numbers of office workers had been waiting for express elevators to evacuate due to the first plane hitting the north tower. The tip of the jet’s left wing grazed the lobby, instantly killing most of a group estimated between 50 and 200 people.
Only a dozen ultimately escaped from the building.
About 50 minutes after the plane hit, Firemen, Chief Orio Palmer and Fire Marshal Bucca, finally reached the impact zone on the 78th floor.
The floor was covered with the bodies of those who perished on impact, and the immobilized living. Many were trapped under marble that was blown off the wall.
But they discovered that these civilians had not been left alone.
Security guard Robert Martinez, who had survived the impact of Flight 175 had not left the people alone. He had not left his $11.61 an-hour post, on the 78th floor, but rather chose to stay with the injured and immobile civilians.
At 9:57am, the voice of Robert Martinez bursts onto the airwaves of the communication system. His voice rang with desperation, but also with exhilaration and hope because the two firemen had shown up.
An entire elevator car full of people had been trapped on the 78th floor, for nearly an hour, and the firemen were attempting to rescue them.
“Central, please be advised, I need EMS at 78 sky lobby, 2 World Trade Center. I’ve got people coming out of elevator banks. Listen, I’ve got eighteen passengers stuck on the 78th sky lobby elevator. We need EMS over here! The Firefighters are here and they are trying to get them out! They’re trying!”
Suddenly his words were drowned out by crashing noises and then silence.
The South Tower collapsed.
We Will Never Forget Robert Martinez and all of the Heroes of Sept. 11th!
Robert you are my hero. your family must be very proud of you but given the choice they would rather have you here on earth with them. Always remember and never forget that day.
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