When the 9/11 attacks unfolded 25 years ago, millions of Americans recall precisely where they were as hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Marian Fontana was in Brooklyn, planning to celebrate her eighth wedding anniversary with her husband, Dave Fontana, a New York City firefighter who remained past his shift and rushed to Lower Manhattan when the first plane hit. Fontana had just dropped off their five-year-old son, Aidan, for his second day of kindergarten. In the aftermath, professional photographer Frank Schramm documented the scenes across the city before the era of smartphones, while residents nationwide watched the tragedy unfold on television. Mindy Notheis, who was preparing for work in St. Louis, Missouri, when the towers fell, recently visited the 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan with her niece to honor the victims. While public ceremonies continue to draw crowds, many families mark the anniversary privately. Marian Fontana and her son Aidan, now 30, traditionally visit the beach to honor Dave. Reflecting on a quarter-century of grief and raising her son, Marian Fontana is now turning her focus toward the future, returning to writing, comedy, and theater, while launching a podcast titled Firehouse Files to share firsthand stories from first responders.
Source: abcnews.com
