Diane Urban said what she thought, whether you wanted to hear it or not. The habit was so well known that a relative suggested at her memorial service that they all get T-shirts saying, "Diane Urban Told Me Off."-Legacy.Com
When doing my research into Diane Maria Urban for the 2996 Project I ran across that quote and couldn't help but think of my late grandmother. Diane, who perished at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, was described as a "pistol" who was sharp of tounge and "never backed down." That was my grandmother, to a T.
But beyond the personality traits Diane's memory is celebrated here today for the ultimate sacrifice she made on that horrible day 5 years ago. She worked for the New York State Department of Taxation in the South Tower of the WTC and was in the concourse area of the 78th floor when the second plane hit her building. Most of those in that lobby were killed when the plane's wing sliced through the concourse.
Diane's co-worker, Dianne Gladstone, was thrown away and broke her leg. "I'm going to help Dianne," Diane is reported to have said to co-workers on the stairs. But by the time she reached Gladstone, the concourse was full of paralyzing smoke and heat. As they attempted to get down the stairs, co-workers said they saw Diane and Gladstone huddling with two male colleagues - all of them shielding their faces with their hands.
It's a story we've heard many, many times - those who went back to help others. But today I pay tribute Diane Maria Urban, a true brave soul. She could have tried to save herself but chose instead to stay and help her injured friend. Her sister Terry Corio told New York Newsday that Diane's bravery that day proves the terrorists did not prevail. "You can kill some of us, but you cannot conquer us. The goodness in people will go on."
