WAUKESHA, WI — A Waukesha woman who witnessed the September 11 attacks firsthand is reflecting on the day that changed the country, 25 years later.
Lila Schwenk was visiting her son in Brooklyn when the attacks unfolded on the morning of September 11, 2001.
"We went to see our son who lived in Brooklyn, we always enjoyed going to New York," Schwenk said. "We were supposed to fly home that day."
That flight never happened. While the family was getting ready, the first plane struck the North Tower.
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"We were like this has to be an accident, what a horrible thing," Schwenk said.
A second plane soon struck, and the hotel where the Schwenk family was staying was evacuated. In those moments, Schwenk said some of the worst thoughts entered her head.
"If we're going to die, I want to be with them, I want to be in eachother's arms," Schwenk said.
All four members of the family survived.
As recovery efforts began at Ground Zero, the family made their way to the East River, across from Manhattan. It is a sight Schwenk said she will never forget.
"When we walked down to the promenade, there were probably hundreds of people there but it was very quiet and the towers had been right across the bay from there and all you could see was smoke, never-ending just billowing out of there," Schwenk said.
Two days after the attacks, the family left New York, driving back to Wisconsin in a rental car. As they departed, Schwenk took one last look.
"When we left New York, I looked back out of the back window and looked at the statue of liberty and thought I hope she's there if we ever returned," Schwenk said.
Twenty-five years later, the Statue of Liberty still stands. While Schwenk said her experience was traumatic, she said it can never compare to the countless people who lost friends and family that day.
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