THE STORY OF MARCY BORDERS, THE DUST LADY OF 9/11

The Story Of Marcy Borders, The ‘Dust Lady’ Of 9/11

On September 11, 2001, Marcy Borders escaped her office in the World Trade Center just before the Twin Towers collapsed. Soon after, she was photographed covered in ash from head to toe and became known as the "Dust Lady."

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks destroyed New York City’s Twin Towers, countless heart-wrenching photos from the tragedy began to emerge. Among them was the iconic photo of the “Dust Lady,” a woman named Marcy Borders who was dressed in professional attire — and covered in concrete dust from head to toe.

Underneath the layer of soot, her expression clearly conveys the shock of what she’d just survived. But although she lived through 9/11, Marcy Borders would later endure a decade-long struggle with trauma before she succumbed to cancer in 2015. This is the haunting story of the “Dust Lady.”

How Marcy Borders Survived The Terror Attacks At The World Trade Center

At 8:46 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001, Marcy Borders and her Bank of America colleagues were at work in the North Tower of the World Trade Center when they suddenly felt the building shake violently. At first, they didn’t know what had caused the unnerving quakes.

As it turned out, an airplane that had been hijacked by al Qaeda on its way from Boston to Los Angeles had just crashed into the building. It struck the tower between the 93rd and 99th floors — just 12 stories above where Borders was sitting.

Borders, then 28, began to panic in front of her coworkers.

“They tried to calm me down, told me to relax, take deep breaths, but the way the building was shaking, I couldn’t sit there,” Borders recalled. Her nerves quickly gave way as she witnessed chairs, office supplies, and — most horrifyingly — people, crashing down outside past the windows. Borders headed for the stairs.

As she made her way down 81 floors, Marcy Borders saw even more disturbing things unfold.

“You just heard people screaming, stay away from the glass; stay away from the glass,” Borders said. “You saw injured — I saw people with objects in them, burnt skulls. It was crazy compared to what I just left.”

As terrified civilians ran down the narrow stairs, firefighters came running up in the opposite direction. They brushed past Borders, shouting, “Run, and don’t look back!”

These images would stay with Marcy Borders for the rest of her life, just as the iconic photo of her covered in dust would soon haunt the world from that day forward.

The Story Behind The “Dust Lady” Photo

Marcy Borders made it out of her building just as the South Tower collapsed. In less than two hours, both of New York’s iconic Twin Towers would fall, spewing massive clouds of debris and ash.

Amidst the chaos, a stranger pulled Borders to safety as she was followed by a cloud of dust from the collapsed South Tower.

“Every time I inhaled, my mouth just filled up with it. I was choking,” Borders said. “I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. I was just like, you know, saying to myself and saying out loud that I didn’t want to die; I didn’t want to die.”

By the time Borders and her rescuer made their way to a nearby lobby, the young clerical assistant was covered in soot that enveloped her whole body except parts of her face.

Freelance photographer Stan Honda, who was covering the chaos at Ground Zero for the AFP, was also sheltering inside the lobby.

“You could tell she was nicely dressed for work and for a second she stood in the lobby,” Honda recalled the moment he saw Borders. “I took one shot of her before the police officer started to direct people up a set of stairs, thinking it would be safer off the ground level.”

The image of Marcy Borders, covered in dust after she just barely escaped one of the most violent terrorist attacks in recent history, quickly became Honda’s most recognized photo from the day.

It was published in newspapers and magazines all over the world. After the photograph’s release, the AFP received a phone call identifying the “Dust Lady” as Marcy Borders.

The 9/11 terrorist attacks killed 2,977 people and caused an estimated 25,000 injuries. Others, like Marcy Borders, survived the incident but endured decades of physical and mental anguish.

The Tragic Toll That 9/11 Took On Marcy Borders, “The Dust Lady”

Marcy Borders counted herself among the lucky ones. Still, she suffered from unimaginable harm after the attack.

“She was scared. She told me she was afraid to go back into New York, that she was frightened of tall buildings and planes,” said Honda, who came to Bayonne, New Jersey, to interview Borders a couple weeks after the attacks.

The trauma she endured that day would lead to a decade-long battle with depression and substance abuse. Years after, she was still too terrified to venture into Manhattan and mostly stayed near her home in New Jersey.

In 2014, Marcy Borders was diagnosed with stomach cancer, just a few years after recovering from substance abuse and doing multiple stints in rehab. Before her death, she revealed that she was struggling to pay off $190,000 in medical bills.

Borders died on Aug. 24, 2015. She was 42.

It’s unclear whether her stomach cancer was directly caused by the toxic fumes she inhaled at Ground Zero. But as of August 2015, about 3,700 survivors and first responders who had been nearby the World Trade Center site had been diagnosed with cancers linked to the terrorist attack.

To the world, Marcy Borders became known as the “Dust Lady” of 9/11 through her famous photograph. But to her family and friends, she was more than a victim of 9/11; she was Marcy.

“Not only is she the Dust Lady, but she is my hero,” her daughter Noelle said. “And the dust has settled, and she is free now.”

Comments

The Heroic Story Of Lieutenant Colonel Jay Zeamer, Jr. of Carlisle, Honoring Him For His Extraordinary Actions During WWII.

The Heroic Story Of Lieutenant Colonel Jay Zeamer, Jr. of Carlisle, Honoring Him For His Extraordinary Actions During WWII. U.S. Army Air Forces Lieutenant Colonel Jay Zeamer, Jr. of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary actions on June 16, 1943, over Buka area, Solomon Islands. In October 1939, Zeamer applied for the Army Air Corps flight training program and was accepted in December. His entrance to the program was deferred until after graduating from M.I.T. in June 1940 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering, specializing in Structural Engineering. Zeamer began elementary flight school training as a flying cadet in the Chicago School of Aeronautics, Glenview, Illinois, where his leadership skills earned him the position of Captain of Cadets of Class 41-B. In March 1941, he received his wings and a commission in the U.S. Army Air Corps after graduating from basic and advanced flight school at Maxwell Field, Alabama. On June 16...

The Japanese WWII Soldier Who Refused to Surrender for 27 Years

Unable to bear the shame of being captured as a prisoner of war, Shoichi Yokoi hid in the jungles of Guam until January 1972 When Japanese sergeant Shoichi Yokoi returned to his home country after almost three decades in hiding, his initial reaction was one of contrition: “It is with much embarrassment that I return.” Then 56, Yokoi had spent the past 27 years eking out a meager existence in the jungles of Guam, where he’d fled to evade capture following American forces’ seizure of the island in August 1944. According to historian Robert Rogers, Yokoi was one of around 5,000 Japanese soldiers who refused to surrender to the Allies after the Battle of Guam, preferring life on the lam to the shame of being detained as a prisoner of war. Though the Allies captured or killed the majority of these holdouts within a few months, some 130 remained in hiding by the end of World War II in September 1945. Yokoi, who only rejoined society after being overpowered by two local fishermen in Janu...

HONORING EDITH CAVELL FOR HER WONDERFUL SERVING WWI, REST IN PEACE BRITISH WAR HEROINE.

Edith Cavell - a British war heroine. Edith Louisa Cavell was born on the 4th of December 1865 at Swardeston, near Norwich, the daughter of a local vicar. Edith trained as a nurse and would become the matron of The Berkendael Medical Institute in Belgium in 1907. She was also active in nurse training there. The first World War broke out in 1914 and at the time Edith was on holiday, visiting her mother in Norfolk. Her family begged her to stay in England but she returned to her job in Brussels. The city would fall to the Germans on the 20th of August 1914. Edith was allowed to remain at her post when the hospital was taken over by The Red Cross. Edith began rescuing and treating injured British and French soldiers and getting them across the border into neutral Holland from where they could return to Britain. She also assisted Belgian civilians. These activities constituted a crime under German Military Law. Paragraph 58 of the ...

Why Anna Maria Von Stockhausen’s corpse, strapped to keep her coming back from the dead.

Why Anna Maria Von Stockhausen’s corpse, strapped to keep her coming back from the dead. This is the corpse of Anna Maria von Stockhausen. After death she was strapped down to keep her in her grave. According to folklore, Stockhausen was a witch who resurrected herself 5 times. She was accused of being a witch during the Middle ages and Black Plague. This folklore about Anna was that she was killed about 6 times. She was first hanged and later clawed herself out of the grave. The town people captured her in a nearby town and quickly drowned her in a lake, by tying her to a plank. The townspeople said they checked her several times after dragging her lifeless body out of the water. View more graphics content below View more below:

Honoring Gene Autry "Cowboy Entertainer" For His Services During WWII .

🇺🇲WWII uncovered: Gene Autry: Cowboy, Entertainer and Proud World War II Veteran "When World War II broke out, Gene Autry was determined to join the armed forces and do his part. On July 26, 1942, during a live broadcast of his radio show Melody Ranch and at the Pentagon's request, he was inducted into the Army Air Forces as a Technical Sergeant. Already a private pilot, Gene set out to earn his wings as a Flight Officer. After basic training at the Santa Ana Air Force Base, and serving at Luke Field, Thunderbird Field, and Phoenix Airport, he was eventually accepted for flight training at Love Field in Dallas." "A week after Gene was sworn into the military, the Gene Autry Melody Ranch radio show became the Sergeant Gene Autry radio show on August 2, 1942. The program was part of Gene’s regular duties in the Army Air Forces and still had his music, comedy, and action in a dramatic story but now with a military theme. The songs were patriotic, the comedy based on...

The Most Horrifying Forms of 3 Executions in History

What was the unusual execution method used in history? Stoning, also known as lapidation, is a method of execution that involves pelting the condemned individual with stones until death occurs. It has been practiced in various societies throughout history and is often associated with religious or cultural beliefs. Stoning as a form of punishment is primarily intended to instill fear and act as a deterrent. In stoning, the condemned person is typically buried up to their chest or neck in a pit or shallow hole to restrict movement. The crowd or a group of executioners then proceeds to throw stones at the individual until they are killed. The stones used in stoning are typically of a specific size and weight, ensuring that the punishment is prolonged and painful rather than immediately lethal. The severity and execution of stoning can vary between different cultures and regions. It is important to note that stoning is often linked to moral or religious offenses, such as adultery or bla...

The Painful Death Of Sergeant John D. Kelly of Venango Township. And His Medal Of Honor For Action WWII.

The Painful Death Of Sergeant John D. Kelly of Venango Township. And His Medal Of Honor For Action WWII. U.S. Army Technical Sergeant John D. Kelly of Venango Township, Pennsylvania, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions on June 25, 1944, near Fort du Roule, France. Kelly joined the Army in June 1942, and by June 25th, 1944, was serving as a Corporal in Company E, 314th Infantry Regiment, 79th Infantry Division. On that day, at Fort du Roule, Cherbourg, France, Kelly repeatedly exposed himself to hostile fire to destroy an enemy emplacement and capture its occupants. He was killed in action five months after being promoted to technical sergeant. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on this day. Kelly is buried at the Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial in Epinal, France.

🇦🇺WWII uncovered: Private Edward Kenna Honored with Victoria Cross for Bravery at Wewak New Guinea.

🇦🇺WWII uncovered: Private Edward Kenna Honored with Victoria Cross for Bravery at Wewak New Guinea "Edward (Ted) Kenna was born at Hamilton, Victoria, on 6 July 1919. He completed his education in his home town before becoming a plumber. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in August 1940 and served in the 23/21st Battalion in Victoria and later in the Darwin area. In June 1943 his unit returned to Victoria before being sent to Queensland. At this point the unit was disbanded and its members allotted as reinforcements to other units. Kenna was assigned to the 2/4th Battalion and embarked for New Guinea in October 1944." (AWM 096203) On 15 May 1945, Kenna was involved in an action near Wewak, New Guinea, during which he exposed himself to heavy fire, killing a Japanese machine gun crew and making it possible for his company's attack to succeed. For this he was awarded the Victoria Cross. ⭐ Private Kenna's Victoria Cross Citation reads as follows: War...

JOHN MARTIN SCRIPPS THE TOURIST FROM HELL, HANGED IN SINGAPORE FOR MURDER

John Martin Scripps - "The tourist from hell". John Martin Scripps became the first Westerner to be hanged in Singapore for murder and only the second for any offence. (Dutch born Johannes van Damme was executed for drug trafficking in 1994). He is the last British murderer to be hanged since Britain abolished the death penalty. Dubbed the "tourist from hell" by the British tabloids he may well have murdered three people in all. Scripps was convicted of the murder of Gerrard George Lowe after a trial that began on October the 2nd, 1995. It was to be Singapore's most sensational murder case since that of Adrian Lim, who with his wife and girlfriend, were convicted in May 1983 of the murder of two children in 1981. Forty six old Lim, a self-styled spirit medium and the two women, Hoe Kah Hong and Tan Mui Choo who were both in their early 30’s, were hanged together in Changi prison in November 1988. September 18th, 1995. In the Singaporean equivalent of Comm...

RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS, COURTESY AND HONOR IN THE WORST OF TIMES!

LITTLE KNOWN MILITARY HISTORY! RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS, COURTESY AND HONOR IN THE WORST OF TIMES! In 1943, Second Lieutenant Charlie Brown was piloting his B-17 Flying Fortress, Ye Olde Pub, back to England after bombing industrial centers in Bremen, Germany. During its run, the nose was torn apart by flak fire, causing the plane to drop out of formation and come under attack from fifteen enemy fighter planes. The plane lost sixty percent of its electric capacity, lost its oxygen, and half its rudder. Of the ten crewmen on board, the tail gunner had been killed, the rest wounded. 2Lt Brown himself was hit in his right shoulder. He then passed out from oxygen deprivation and woke up to find the bomber in a 4,000-foot dive. He pulled the plane up and headed home, having been left for dead by the pursuit fighters. On the way back to England, Germans on the ground spotted the bomber. The Luftwaffe dispatched ace fighter pilot Oberleutnant (Lt)...

Search This Blog