I was in the armada of private vessels that helped make OpSail 76 in NYC the success it was. Though I did not get to see the many celebrations that were broadcast from around the nation, every time a get to see a clip from one of those events I get the chills and my monitor gets blurry.
I was there with my mom and dad - traveled half-way across the country trailering our little run-about. We puttered around the many tall ships in the river.
On Independence Day we were half-way up one of the WTC buildings at a REAL fancy party put on by Pan-Am. My uncle was a big-wig with them. That was quite the event watching all of the ships, and then of course the fireworks afterwards. Mom, dad, uncle, and the Towers are all gone now.
We saw the “Tall Ships” in ‘76 on the banks of the St. Lawrence River at Quebec City. It was an awe-inspiring sight, and drew a huge crowd. I can only imagine the setting in New York with the WTC backdrop.