On September 11 and the days that followed, Philippe Reilhac took photos of New York. From the unreal atmosphere in the city, men in uniform everywhere in the streets, these crossed faces furtively marked by the drama. But he never wanted to bring dandruff to develop once he returned to France. The former left-wing mayor of Limoges, member of the Java des Gaspards had taken off in the direction of New York with three friends from Limoges a few days earlier.
Housed by an acquaintance in the heart of the city, in Manhattan, they intended to enjoy the special New York atmosphere that had rocked their childhood, these skyscrapers seen in so many films and TV series, these restaurants open to more. hour. The 4 friends who had left for sightseeing had collected the keys from Pierre, then director at Coface in New York and integrated his accommodation in advance.
War story
On September 10, their host, returning from a trip to France, joined them. “I will not see you tomorrow morning, I must leave early,” says the one whose offices are located in one of the towers. But the evening ends later than expected and they meet the first-named Pierre the next day … who finally leaves his accommodation late. On the road, he sees in the distance one of the towers in the grip of a fire and alerts the Limougeauds. Philippe Reilhac remembers turning on the radio. “We had the impression of hearing a story of war, like a soap opera with the tone of direct. But it seemed unreal. Hearing it, I didn’t believe it. It was only then that we took to the streets. There were TVs everywhere. That day, I collided with the force of the image. We stayed glued to the TVs, in cafes, restaurants. “
The four friends begin to wander the streets of the city and instinctively head south, “towards the scene of the attack as everyone ascends.” Then we tried to warn the family, but the networks were cut. Only one of us had a phone and managed to get the information out to reassure our loved ones. “
September 21, a new explosion
Philippe Reilhac perfectly remembers the days that followed. “The city was under siege, it was striking. Everything the United States could count of uniforms was on every corner. We could leave Manhattan but once outside, we were forbidden to enter … So we stayed. One day, we went towards Ground Zero without really knowing why. We were shocked. Thousands of photos of the missing were hung on all the railings. We passed people in tears, holding the photos towards us. ”
At the moment, everyone is talking about the start of a third world war, about the risk of another attack. “Maybe I was fatalistic, I don’t know. But unlike my friends, and without passing judgment, I wasn’t panicking. The 4 friends finally succeed in obtaining a plane ticket to France. In the train, on September 21, “we finally breathe, we breathe better, we decompress,” he recalls. Until the moment when, on the way back, they hear about a gigantic explosion in Toulouse. The specter of September 11 pursues them. The fear of a new attack freezes their blood … It is the AZF factory which has just exploded. They will then learn that it was an accident.
If he did not panic on the spot, Philippe Reilhac will suffer, unlike his friends, a serious backlash afterwards. “Once home, it was much more complicated,” he said modestly. A strange sensation clings to him, he who, with his friends, had lunched the day before the attack in a restaurant in the Twin Towers district. “When I got back to Limoges, I had trouble sleeping. I saw these people crying again, the photo of their loved one in hand. I was very marked by that, just like by this cloud of dust which, on September 20, was still stagnating above New York. It traumatized me a posteriori. “
For 20 years, Philippe Reilhac and his three friends, forever linked by these memories, have never returned to New York. “Since then, I have been to the United States 4 times, but never there. I really didn’t want to. But today why not? I’m starting to have this desire to come back ”. It took 20 years. 20 years for the scar to finally begin to fade. Without disappearing for all that.
Franck Lagier
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