On September 11, 2001, while chaos spread across lower Manhattan, one South Carolinian had a perspective unlike any other.
Former NASA Astronaut Frank L. Culbertson Jr. – born in Charleston in 1949 – was traveling 250 miles above Earth in the International Space Station (ISS) along with two of his Russian counterparts. With each pass the ISS took across the city, Culbertson captured images of a city on fire.
Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)
Living just 13 miles from Boston Logan International Airport, where American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 originated, I was washing dishes and listening to the radio. I heard the news out of the city, while my three children – aged three and under – played nearby.
During the initial attack and for days afterward the sound of jet fighters from Otis Air Force Base tore through the sky and reverberated through the walls of my top-floor apartment. Even now, living so close to Joint Base Charleston, I have to admit it can be a bit unnerving at times, living under the flight path.
We all had our perspectives that day. Those of us of a certain age, each have our answer to Alan Jackson’s question; where were we when we heard the news? And, we all have our stories.
The Survivor Tree Comes to Charleston
Yes, there were many stories that day — mostly anguish, despair, and disbelief. But, there were also several stories of survival, and hope in the chaos. One that many may not be aware of is the glimmer of life that sprouted from the ashes of a smoldering city: The Survivor Tree.
In October 2001, recovery workers found a Callery Pear tree buried in the rubble of Ground Zero. Its roots were gone, its branches scorched, but a few green leaves remained. The tree was alive.
The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation took ownership of the flowering pear tree and replanted it in the Bronx in November, where it remained and flourished. In December 2010, the Survivor Tree was replanted as part of the 9/11 Memorial, where it stands as a message of hope.
The Survivor Tree seedling program began on September 11, 2013. Each year, seedlings from the tree are given to three communities that have endured recent tragedies, so they too can plant the tree as a symbol of hope.
That inaugural year, Boston was one of the three cities to receive a seedling; in this instance to commemorate the lives lost in the April 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. It stands at the Garden of Remembrance in the Boston Public Garden.
In subsequent years, communities like Gulfport, Mississippi, Oso Washington, Newtown, Connecticut, Uvalde, Texas, and far too many others, received seedlings from the Survivor Tree to memorialize those lost in hurricanes, mudslides, school shootings, and other tragedies.
Charleston, South Carolina too, will receive a seedling from the Survivor Tree in the spring of 2025. “The tree will be one of the last installations at the memorial next year,” explained Deona Smith, Director of Development for the Mother Emanuel Memorial Foundation.
For a full list of past recipients visit the 9/11 Memorial site.
A Small Caveat?
The Callery Pear Tree, also known as the Bradford Pear tree, is an invasive species that serves no purpose in our Lowcountry ecosystem. As of October 1, 2024, much like other states, it will be illegal to buy or sell this tree in South Carolina.
In the context of a memorial, and because the tree is being donated vs. sold or bought, is it a non-issue? That, I don’t know; to be continued.
What I do know—and more importantly—is that the true meaning behind this tree is one of hope for the future.
But, as I write this, news is slowly trickling in about the recent school shooting that occurred just under five hours from us, in Winder, Georgia. And I have to ask, are thoughts, prayers, and memorial trees enough, anymore?
