The Day the World Came to Town by Defede, Jim | Paperback | History

About this book For the better part of a week nearly every man woman and child in Gander and the surrounding smaller towns stopped what they were doing so they could help They placed their lives on hold for a group of strangers and asked for nothing in return They affirmed the basic goodness of man at a time when it was easy to doubt such humanity still existed When thirty eight jetliners bound for the United States were forced to land in Gander Newfoundland on September 11 2001 due to the closing of United States airspace the citizens of this small community were called upon to come to the aid of more than six thousand displaced travelers Roxanne and Clarke Loper were excited to be on their way home from a lengthy and exhausting trip to Kazakhstan where they had adopted a daughter when their plane suddenly changed course and they found themselves in Newfoundland Hannah and Dennis O Rourke who had been on vacation in Ireland were forced to receive updates by telephone on the search for their son Kevin who was among the firefighters missing at the World Trade Center George Vitale a New York state trooper and head of the governor s security detail in New York City who was returning from a trip to Dublin struggled to locate his sister Patty who worked in the Twin Towers A family of Russian immigrants on their way to the Seattle area to begin a new life dealt with the uncertainty of conditions in their future home The people of Gander were asked to aid and care for these distraught travelers as well as for thousands more and their response was truly extraordinary Oz Fudge the town constable searched all over Gander for a flight crew member so that he could give her a hug as a favor to her sister a fellow law enforcement officer who managed to reach him by phone Eithne Smith an elementary school teacher helped the passengers staying at her school put together letters to family members all over the world which she then faxed Bonnie Harris Vi Tucker Key highlights - The Day the World Came to Town By Defede Jim Related topics history, day, world, came, town, 9, 11, gander.