A great event on the historic ex-Coast Guard Cutter Lilac at Pier 25 in Manhattan on Thursday, September 8th at 6PM. James M. Kendra and Tricia Wachtendorf will discuss and sign copies of their new book, American Dunkirk: The Waterborne Evacuation of Manhattan on 9/11. A panel discussion will follow.
From the Lilac Preservation Project press release: One of the great untold stories of 9/11 is the impromptu response by mariners that resulted in the biggest evacuation by water in history.
The new book American Dunkirk: The Waterborne Evacuation of Manhattan on 9/11 examines what lessons can be learned from the mobilization of boats and ships that rescued countless people following the attacks. The authors Tricia Wachtendorf and James Kendra will present a summary of their research and discuss it as part of a panel also featuring Jessica DuLong, chief engineer on the fireboat John J. Harvey and author of the forthcoming book Calling All Boats: Untold Stories from the Maritime Evacuation of September 11th, and Eddie Rosenstein, Executive Producer/Director at Eyepop Productions, producer of the film Boatlift. Captain Patrick Harris, owner and operator of the sailing yacht Ventura, a mariner who participated in the evacuation, will moderate the discussion.
A reception and book signing follows. Paperback copies of American Dunkirk will be available at a discounted price of $20.00. Cash only.
Boatlift will be screened and audio recordings of mariners’ reminiscences, courtesy of PortSide NewYork, will be available for listening during the reception.
Admission is free but space is limited. Please register.
Dunkirk….really? How ignorant of history can you be? Thats like calling the Staten Island ferry crash the American Titanic.
Yes, Dunkirk where they evacuated 300,000 or so in eight days, whereas in Manhattan they evacuated 300,000 — 500,000 in ten hours. To my knowledge Adm. James Loy, the commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, was one of the first to make the comparison.
Coast Guard Led 9-11 Water Evacuation Was ‘Bigger Than Dunkirk’
There were no Messerschermitts bombing the American flotilla, no artillery shells ripping through the embarking Manhattan office workers, no coast guard sailors gave their lives securing the “beaches” of Manhattan. The distance of the American evacuation is a fraction of that from Dunkirk to Britain. Just because the American evacuation is bigger than Dunkirk doesn’t make it an American Dunkirk. Just as an Orange is bigger than an Apple doesn’t make it an American Apple.
Boy someones cage is easily rattled !! Seems one cannot say anything these days without some people going off the deep end. Having had relatives at Dunkirk it is a reasonable comparison. Relax Carter and enjoy this good blog.
Good Watch
Yes, the circumstances were different, but as comparisons it is apt. Both were huge evacuations under difficult conditions. We will obviously have to agree to disagree.