Rob Combis

AJC (Child) changed my profile picture!

[Bob Ojeda @BobOjeda19]

This story has laid largely dormant in my mind for 25 years. Never gone, but very hard to think about the horror of that morning and I’d rather not. This is my morning of September 11, 2001.

At this point in my life, I am a pitching coach for The Brooklyn Cyclones, the Mets’ minor league baseball team. I have a sponsor’s softball game at our ballpark at 10 AM. My house in Jersey is about an hour drive away. I’m at my kitchen table having coffee, getting ready to head in at around nine. I put on the news. The traffic report mentions it’s a little heavy so I decide I’ll leave early. Just as I’m heading out the door the news breaks that a small plane appears to have hit one of the Twin Towers. I stopped to listen. The news reporter looks concerned and confused, but not panicked. It’s an unfolding moment and she’s keeping her cool. The look of disbelief was unstable; no answers, just confusion. She was trying her best, in her own way, to not create a mass panic. Whoever she was, she deserves a ton of credit, along with the other reporters who did the same thing.

I head to my car and put on 1010 WINS. I decide to head up Route 36. There is a bridge that crosses the Shrewsbury River that allows a direct view to the city. When I get there, I’m in disbelief. There is smoke coming from the top of one of the towers, yet still no panic on the radio, just reporting of what is currently known.

I call my daughter, who works in the city. I asked her where she is. She tells me she’s coming up the escalator from the bottom floors of the World Trade Center, exiting the subway. We stay on the phone. I hear the strain in her voice. Whatever has happened is not good and she is witnessing it firsthand. The radio does not betray the gravity of what happened. They are in disbelief along with all of us.

I step on the gas, and race up 36. By now I figure I’ll turn left, head into the city, pick up my daughter, and then drive on to the ballpark in Coney Island. We get cut off on the phone. The confusion on the radio continues and escalates. She calls me back a few minutes later. “Dad, I just came up the escalator and there are people jumping out of the windows, there’s people jumping out of the windows.” I ask her how high they are jumping from, trying to get a feel for what is happening. I am not ready for what she’s about to say. “80 floors.” A second plane hits the other tower. This is a nightmare, and I begin to feel panic coming up within me.

I take the Staten Island exit off of the parkway and approach the Outerbridge. I see cars stopped. Then the news comes over the radio. All bridges and tunnels are closed to the city. At the last possible moment, I turned off to the right and circled back down, heading back to my house. I’m doing over 100 miles an hour. I highly doubt a cop is going to stop me. I’m thinking, “What now?” I call my friend Lenny and say “I need your boat!” He asked me,“Where are you going?” I said, “To the city to get my daughter.” He’s well aware of what’s going on, and says, “I’m going with you.” I said, “No you’re not. I don’t know what I’m getting into. I don’t know what’s gonna happen. I don’t even know if I can get there but I have to try. I appreciate your offer, but I got it.” We plan to meet at his boat within 20 minutes. I pause going over the bridge on 36, take a look back, and it is beyond horrific. There’s people in those buildings and I hope one is not my daughter.

I call my daughter back, thank God I get a hold of her, and let her know the plans. I tell her to stay at her office. “Stay there until I get there. Stay put!” I swing by my house real quick. I have an idea I’m probably gonna need my father's flag. He was an army veteran who spent time in Iwo Jima. I plan on hanging it off the side of the little boat. Hopefully that will let the authorities know I’m on the home team. I run in the house and remove it from the triangle box in which I keep it and head down to the marina. My friend’s there and insists on going. We jump in and off we go.

Within minutes, a little comic relief. We need gas. Thankfully, there’s a fueling marina at Bahr’s Landing. We pull in. The young man working the pump was curious about where we are going. We fill up, he says good luck, and on our way. The radio is on. The news is still confusing but becoming clearer. Both towers have been hit. Both towers are on fire. We look at it. We see it in front of us, knowing we’re heading in.

I call my daughter. I tell her I should be there within a half hour, if we lose contact, I tell her to make her way down to the ferries evacuating people off the island. “Get to the top deck and look out to the open water. I’ll be in a small boat with grandpa‘s flag hanging off the side. Get to the top deck and wave and wave. If I see you, I’ll turn around and follow the boat back. If not, I’ll keep going.”

We’re a few miles out from the Verrazano Bridge. At this point, I think it’s going to be a dead end. I can’t imagine there won’t be police and Coast Guard closing off from that point. Suddenly, a small biplane with wings painted red and white appears. It is flying towards us but very erratically. I have no idea what that was about.

I have my daughter back on the phone. She finally arrived at her office on Wall Street. I tell her our ETA and then she feels something. The building shakes. “Dad, what was that?” I hear on the radio, which has made this whole scenario surreal. The radio has one report, my daughter has the live report, and we’re in the middle, trying to make sense of the whole thing…it’s impossible. You cannot make sense of this moment. I hear on the radio that the building collapsed, but I tell my daughter not to worry about it. It’s probably just all the trucks and everything rumbling around. I make up some nonsensical answer, and she was not in the mood to analyze anything. She was terrified.

Still no Coast Guard or police boats. We keep going under the bridge. Smoke billowing in front of us. The smell is unimaginable. It just smells like burning everything. It’s an acidic, rancid smell. Heartbreaking. Because I know what it is. We’re beginning to approach Governors Island. I tell Lenny to stay to the right, we’ll go around and then go straight towards Pier 11. So far, everything is going according to plan, a plan that is being made up as I go.

I’m looking at the smoke, the haze and everything and I’m in disbelief. My mind makes up that the tower is still there. “I can see the tower Lenny, can you see the tower?” “I can’t see it.” “It’s right there.” But it wasn’t there. It was gone. It was a pile of rubble. Confirmed by the papers, worksheets and everything flying through the air over our heads. Literally, pieces of paper. Pieces of paper that somebody sitting at their desk was working on an hour ago are now floating through the air, as well as the poor soul who was doing the work.

We’re around Governors Island and then, the inevitable. A small Coast Guard boat, that looks like a red inflatable boat, makes a B-line right for us. Machine gun mounted on the bow. I stand up on our bow and I’m frantically waving my father's flag that I’ve tied to the side of the boat. They come racing up in a no nonsense mood, helmets, guns, everything pointing right at us. They come right up next to our boat. “Where are you going?” “I’m going to pick up my daughter.” They turn, have a short conversation, I don’t know what’s gonna happen, then they turn back to me and say “Go ahead.” I could’ve fallen over.

I call my daughter again and thankfully get through and tell her head to the water. I’m coming up to Wall Street now. We head for the pier and pull up. lt’s kind of bouncy because of all the tugboats loading people on and getting them off the island. It was organized chaos but it was organized. I have so much respect for the men and women who handled that without panic. We pull up next to the pier. It’s about a 5- or 6-foot reach to the railing. I grab it. I’m holding on, ready to let go, throw my leg over the railing, and Lenny yells, “Don’t let go!” “Why? What’s the matter?” The engine died. This is great, I’m this close and I’m gonna fall in the water. I’m holding on with one hand on the boat and the other on the railing, being stretched like I’m in a torture device. Between the current and the bouncing, I don’t know how I stayed up. The longest 30 seconds of my life when he goes, “OK, OK. I got it.” I let go of the boat and climb over the side. I tell him to circle around right here. I’ll be back.

I begin to run up Wall Street. Unbelievably the first police officer I see on shore is from my hometown. He is directing people to the massive tugboats and the ferry boats getting people off of the island. He sees me and asks what I’m doing there. I explained to him that I’m going to get my daughter. He says good luck, I’ll see you at home.

Seconds later, strangely, an older lady comes up to me and says, “Excuse me, aren’t you Bobby O?” “Yes I am.” “Oh, I just love you. You are so fun to watch.” Then her son, who understood the gravity of the situation, says, “OK mom, come on, we gotta go.” I thanked her and her son and went on my way. Can’t make that stuff up.

I continued making my way up Wall Street. Incredibly, there’s my daughter coming down. It’s like a miracle. It’s a miracle in front of my eyes. I grab and hug her. We head back down to the water. We get to the water’s edge where the railing is, she looks down. Lenny has pulled up by then and she looks down and I said “Look, you gotta jump. There’s no other way, you’ve gotta jump.” It’s probably at least a 5-foot jump down to the deck to a bouncing boat with a wet bow being pushed around by the current and choppy water. She looks at me one last time, looks at the boat, and jumps. She lands and rolls but she is fine. I look around one last time at the surreal scene of I don’t even know what to call it. I jump down, hug my daughter again, sitting in our seats. We turn and head back down home. No one deserves this to happen to them.

This weekend, I am reminded of and send nothing but respect to the individuals, first responders, ferry and tug boat captains beside me, who organized amongst the chaos to help one another on a horrific day.

[Massimo @Rainmaker1973]

Possibly the greatest single male athletic performance of all time

[Rob Combis @bobbyCinCT]

If only we had a power forward who could deflect pucks in front on the PP, skates like the wind, who also could play the PK...

[Jim Cerny @JimCerny]

What the #NYR wouldn't do for those days when the PP saved them time & again

Not the case these days, though

And that's the crux of my Daily this morning -- plus there's plenty of #NHL news & nuggets, too

Check it out ⤵️

https://t.co/qQBTmfWg5F

[Rob Combis @bobbyCinCT]

@RickCarpiniello I see what you are doing here... Retirement has brought out the antagonist in you! LOL Hope all is well....

[The HighWire @HighWireTalk]

💉📉 RFK Jr. Destroys the ‘Saved Millions of Lives’ vaccine Dogma

RFK Jr. just dismantled the dogma that vaccines alone ended infectious disease and “saved millions of lives.” Data shows mortality plummeted before vaccines, thanks to nutrition, sanitation & infrastructure. Science, not slogans.

[Rob Combis @bobbyCinCT]

@MdBreathe @POTUS Me too. Thanks for staying strong, Mary!

[Robert W Malone, MD @RWMaloneMD]

Well, well. This is certainly interesting.

[Calley Means @calleymeans]

Distrust in the CDC is not because of Secretary Kennedy or President Trump. It is because the CDC allowed teacher unions to write public health guidance to close schools - unleashing developmental delays and mental health problems that will take a generation to rectify.

The CDC’s job is to control disease. They receive an F on that mission. America is now the sickest country in the developed world, and had the highest rates of per capita COVID deaths because our health institutions have so woefully failed in keeping Americans healthy.

Americans have lost faith in the CDC because the organization spent $900 million on an ad campaign saying the COVID vaccine prevented transmission.

Americans have lost faith in the CDC because recent disclosures show the organization knowingly withheld information about myocarditis risk from the COVID vaccines.

Americans have lost faith in the CDC because the organization still lists forcing kids to drink fluoride and families having less children as the most important public achievements in modern history.

This doesn’t take away from the dedicated employees still at the CDC and important mission of the organization, but the media and public health “experts” need to grow up and show some humility. Rome is burning when it comes to American health.

President Trump and Secretary Kennedy aren’t responsible for our public health crisis. They are responsible for identifying it and channeling the overwhelming (and correct) cry from Americans for reform.

If CDC employees want to defend the status quo and aren’t aligned with a reform, they should resign.

[Dr. Simone Gold @drsimonegold]

RFK Jr just exposed that 36,000+ doctors had their Medicare payments manipulated to push childhood vaccines.

This isn’t medicine — it’s bribery.

Big Pharma & government turned doctors into sales reps.

The corruption is staggering.

[Mary S. Holland, Esq. @maryhollandnyc]

@charliekirk11 California, New York, Maine and Connecticut all repealed their religious exemptions for children since 2015. It’s been an abomination. Tens of thousands of families of faith have had to move or risk injury to their children. It’s time for this to stop. If the first amendment means anything, it must mean free exercise of religion, including the right to refuse unwanted medical interventions. The state of Idaho is on the right track – no medical mandates!

[Rob Combis @bobbyCinCT]

@elonmusk ..such a smooth criminal...

[Aaron Siri @AaronSiriSG]

Paul @DrPaulOffit, your tweet makes clear you cannot prevail on the merits. That is plain by the fact that, despite the fact vaccines are available for free to virtually anyone and promoted by almost the entire medical establishment and mainstream media, you still need to fearmonger and call for censorship and mandates of those products. What you cannot accept is that the real issue is not with those who choose to think for themselves; the issue is with you and your vaccines.

Instead of constantly whining on twitter, prove me wrong. For the third time, I am publicly offering you the opportunity to debate: Sunday, July 27 at 10 a.m. at a location convenient for you. We go back and forth, 10 minutes each. First hour clinical trials, second hour autism, and third hour post-licensure vaccine safety literature. Your mentor, Dr. Plotkin, could not defend these products when I deposed him (and that was when I just started learning about vaccines), so I am handing you second chance. Debate or stop complaining.

[Camus @newstart_2024]

Attorney Aaron Siri delivers a blistering testimony exposing the broken vaccine system. At the largest vaccine practice in the world, Siri’s team relies on hard data, not credentials, to litigate cases.

He dismantles claims like “COVID vaccines saved 3M lives,” citing a Commonwealth Fund blog—not peer-reviewed science—but a mathematical model. “In court, I’d be laughed out relying on a blog,” he says. Yet, such weak evidence fuels vaccine promotion.

Siri reveals all-cause mortality rose in 2021 vs. 2020, despite claims of vaccine success. “You can’t argue with binary data: you’re dead or alive.” Why no answers from health officials?

He exposes the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act, which gave manufacturers immunity from design defect lawsuits—unlike any other product. This led to a surge from 3 to 29 childhood vaccine injections, developed without liability. Trials? Often no placebo, weeks of safety review, underpowered.

“Pharma has no incentive to ensure safety,” Siri warns.
Worse, the FDA and HHS are “hopelessly conflicted,” tasked with promoting vaccines and ensuring safety. “They act like pharma partners,” Siri says, citing 2,000+ FOIA requests. COVID vaccine trials? “Anemic” compared to drugs, with regulators covering up harms.

This is a call to reform a system shielding pharma while risking lives.

[Townhall.com @townhallcom]

Wow 🔥

Stephen Miller gives an unbelievable testimony to the importance of MAHA.

Did anyone know he cared so deeply about this issue?

[🇬🇧 Papillon Chatnoir 🐝 💙 🐝 @Papi_Chatnoir]

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) introduced a bill codifying President Trump’s executive order to lower drug prices in the U.S., and he’s prepared to team up with the White House and House Republicans to pass the legislation.
https://t.co/Y6sgOP3VTp

[Rob Combis @bobbyCinCT]

@RoKhanna @realDonaldTrump Thank you, Ro. Appreciate you reaching across the aisle. Has to start somewhere.

[Secretary Kennedy @SecKennedy]

Welcome @US_FDA Commissioner Dr. Martin Makary and @NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. Let’s restore @HHSgov health agencies to their rich tradition of gold-standard, evidence-based science to tackle the chronic disease epidemic and Make America Healthy Again. The revolution begins today!

[Rob Combis @bobbyCinCT]

@TuckerCarlson May your father rest in peace. Thanks for sharing his life story.🙏❤️

[Secretary Kennedy @SecKennedy]

No stone will be left unturned in our effort to end chronic disease. The health of our children is a higher calling for all of us. Watch my message to America and join me in this effort to Make America Healthy Again.

[House Judiciary GOP 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 @JudiciaryGOP]

“Great moments are born from great opportunity.”

GO @USAHOCKEY! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

#BeatCanada