2008 Woodie Awards
WTC 9/11 survivor tells story at Webster
By: Stephanie Covington
Issue date: 3/3/05 Section: News
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John spoke on Feb. 24 in the UC Sunnen Lounge. Before he shared his story with the intimate audience of about 25 people, he played a short video presentation from Sept. 11. The video showed scenes of people running in the dust-filled streets, firemen searching through the rubble from the World Trade Center and walls littered with photographs of the missing, lined with lit candles.
John said that he was sending a fax to Philadelphia from his office when the first plane hit. Before he realized what was happening, the walls were caving in and people around him were rushing toward the stairwell.
"We saw the engine of that plane lying in the plaza," John said.
After instructions from firefighters to take the escalator, the group made it safely to the lowest level. John said the ground was littered with debris and the sprinkler system was on. All John kept thinking about was getting to his wife in the South Tower.
"I started walking toward her tower, hoping to see her there," John said.
To John's disbelief, he saw the second plane hit. Soot, ash and pieces of the building began to fall everywhere. John said that he could barely see in front of himself for the debris had engulfed everything. Trying to find his way out, John saw several people dead around him.
"Their bodies were smashed and crushed," John said.
While trying to find his way out, John encountered an FBI agent who was convinced that they would never find their way out. Miraculously, a crushed ambulance truck ahead still had its flashing lights on. John followed the lights, but the FBI agent went back into the tower to try and save more people. The tower fell soon after the FBI agent re-entered the building, the man that John would later know as Leonard W. Hatton was killed.
John said that he made it across the street to a shop, where a woman helped him get glass and debris out of his hair. She took his cellular phone and told him to call his wife. John was sure that there would be no service, but his phone began to ring and the caller Id displayed his wife's cellular number.
"I thought, someone else has gotten a hold of her phone and called to tell me that she was dead," John said.
His wife asked him when he answered the phone, "Baby, are you alive?"
John said even though he had answered the phone, his wife was still in a state of disbelief. It wasn't until about 4 p.m. that afternoon that John reunited with his wife. John said that the whole experience changed his priorities and ambitions.
"The first thing I did was call my parents in India," John said.
A week after Sept. 11, John said that his church asked him to come speak to the congregation. John said he later sent a detailed email about his experience to friends and somehow the local media got hold of it. Later, the 700 Club became interested in John's story and asked him to be on the show.
Now, John spreads a message of religious devotion and hope to people all over the world. John has spoken to thousands in North America, Europe and Asia. Today, Sujo John Ministries reaches out to schools, universities, churches, religious crusades and various other institutions.
Ruth Bohlin, sophomore advertising/marketing major, is a member of Campus Crusade for Christ and helped put the event together. Bohlin said that the idea this year has been to get more people in the campus community involved.
"Last year the only thing we did was have a weekly meeting and Bible study. [Sujo John] was just one of the programs that we had the opportunity to take advantage of," Bohlin said.
Bohlin said that it is very easy for students to form cliques and make good friends within Campus Crusades and discourage students not familiar with the group. Bohlin said that the idea is to become a group that all students feel invited with.
"Campus Crusades is a tough nut to crack. We have to try really hard to find our niche on campus. For me, it's my community...where I feel comfortable on campus," Bohlin said.
Rebecca Blume, junior management major, decided to attend the event after receiving a flyer. Blume said that she found John interesting and was glad that she decided to attend.
"I never talked to anyone personally who was [at the World Trade Center]", Blume said.
No matter what background or religion, Bohlin said, "Everybody generally has a cloud of spirituality."
John is originally from Calcutta, India, considered one of the poorest urban cities in the world. He now lives in Dallas with his wife Mary and son Jeremy.