The Black Tag Lady of 9/11

On September 11, 2001, emergency medical specialist Ernest Armstead worked in the plaza between the Twin Towers. Surrounded by chaos, he moved from victim to victim, marking each with triage tags. Green meant minor injuries. Yellow meant serious but stable. Red meant critical. Black meant dead or soon to be.

He came across a woman who stood out. She was well dressed, her hair neat and makeup, as if she had been heading into a normal day at work. Armstead placed a black tag around her neck and prepared to move on.

Then she opened her eyes.

“I am not dead I am not dead”.

“They’re coming they’re coming” Ernest Armstead said.

“I am not dead I am not dead” Her.

Watch In this video to listen to Ernest Armstead interview At 19:43:

As many people have pointed out, there is no way she could have come from the plane. The impact would have eviscerated her completely and destroyed far more than just her lower body.

Images of the area around the Twin Towers show how devastating the scene is bodies parts and debris scattered across the streets and buildings.

Photos Taken By James Phillip Obrien

It is more likely she was hit by debris then.

Being on the plane or even being falling from the tower itself.

There is an image of a what appears to be a woman with her legs crashed but her upper body is still there which could match the description of the Black Tag Lady.

But the woman in question looks white and the black tag lady is a black women

nether the women in the photo or the black tag lady were identified.

To Ernest Armstead

“Ernest, you did everything you could on September 11. In the middle of chaos, you brought care and order where there was almost none. Triage is one of the hardest tasks in medicine. It means making decisions no person should ever have to face, yet you carried that weight with courage.

By moving from victim to victim and tagging each, you gave direction and gave survivors a chance. You also gave dignity to those who could not be saved. That is not failure. That is service at the highest level.

That is bravery. You did all you could, and more than most of us would ever be able to do. Thank you for your service.”

And to all first responders, thank you. On September 11, 2001,

To all first responders and citizens, thank you. On September 11, 2001, when fear and chaos swept through the streets. you showed courage. Firefighters, police officers, EMTs, paramedics, and medical staff rushed into danger to save lives. Ordinary people became extraordinary, helping strangers, guiding the injured, carrying each other through smoke and rubble.

Many gave everything that day. Many more have carried the memories and the pain ever since.

Your actions whether in uniform or as a citizen who chose to help showed the best of humanity in the worst of times.

We honor you. We remember you. We thank you.