The following is my memory of that fateful day:
On September 11th, 2001, I was living and working in Northern Virginia. As with every work day back then, I would enter my office, turn on my computer, launch my e-mail and internet explorer programs, and then head up front to open up the main office. Just before 9am, I returned to my desk to start scrolling through my e-mails when I noticed at the top of the MSNBC website that a commuter plane had hit the World Trade Center. No data was provided with the scrolling headline, so I was imagining a small private jet or twin engine plane hit the building.
When I refreshed the page to see if there was additional information, the headline changed to “Two planes collide, hit World Trade Center.” This made more sense to me, since I couldn’t see how planes would be flying that close to Southern Manhattan like that to where they would accidentally hit the WTC (since I lived in NY for a few years). In my mind, I imagined two planes flying overhead, one clipping the other, and one of the planes falling uncontrollably into one of the buildings. But again, with the scrolling headline, I wasn’t able to get any information about the incident.
After calling my assistant into the office to show her what was going on, we lost our internet activity. It was then that someone said that the radio was reporting two different planes hit the Twin Towers and that they were calling it a terrorist attack. With it still being early in the work day, we continued to get the morning started as was our routine. About 15 minutes later, one of the ladies from the other side of the building came down and informed us that a third plane crashed, this time into the Pentagon (just a few miles North from our office). It was at that point where all work for the day essentially came to an end.
Talking with my counterpart in the front office, we decided to keep the office open but to limit operations the day. She was unable to contact our corporate office for further instructions at that time. We encouraged our employees to remain in the office, but if they needed to go home, they could. For the next two hours, everyone was listening to the radio reports while passively trying to get work done.
Shortly after 10am, we heard on the radio that one of the Twin Towers had collapsed, and that the city was engulfed in a cloud of smoke. Without have a TV available in the office, we were wondering if it fell straight down, or if it toppled over on its side and fell on top of neighboring buildings. Shortly after that, there was a report of a fourth plane still in the air, heading for Washington, DC, but it was later reported that it had crashed in Pennsylvania.
Around 11am, I was looking out my office window and mentioning to my assistant how empty the roads looked when I noticed the day care center across the street opening their doors and all the kids marching single file towards the main road. In their hands they held numerous hand-made signs and flags, waving them around at the few people who were out walking the streets or driving by at the time. It was very surreal.
By this point, half of my staff had left for the day, and I told the rest that they could go home if they wished. Two employees stated that they would stay in the office, so I and one of my coworkers decided to go out for an early lunch. The restaurant (sports bar) across the street was full of TVs, so we new they would be covering the reports of the day.
When we entered, the big screen was set to one of the news channels (FOX News if I recall), and they were showing the collapse of the two towers. This was the first time either of us saw the devastation in the city. We were both awe-struck by how in a blink of the eye both towers collapsed, starting with the top-sections falling down into the destroyed levels, and then the force of those falling floors causing all the levels underneath them to sandwich down on themselves. The camera angles from across the river showed the clouds pressing out from the crowded streets and over the docks, until on the tops of the taller buildings were visible. Then the TV switched over to the damage at the Pentagon, with the smoke still billowing up from the collapsed ruins in the wall.
We sat there for about 90 minutes when it dawned on us how late it was. We rushed back to the office by around 1pm, which at that point the orders came down from the corporate office to release everyone to go home. One of my two remaining employees had departed, with the last one remaining at his desk, just listening to the reports. We told him of what we saw, and he decided that he wanted to go to lunch to watch the news as well. Not knowing if any of our customers were going to show up, I decided to stay behind at the building until 5pm (the time when my evening security guard came on duty). For the three remaining hours in that afternoon, I worked at filing all my loose documentation in their folders while listening to the radio. Since the phone lines were jammed, I received only a handful of calls during those hours.
After 5pm, I turned things over to my security guard and went home for the evening. The road trip was quick and quiet, with everyone being indoors watching the news coverage. As I had done earlier in the day, I remarked to myself how empty the sky looked with no planes flying overheard. With my proximity to Reagan National and Dulles airports, the skies were always crowded with planes … but not today.
When I got home, I quickly tried calling my best friend in New York to check on him and his father; both who work in and around the city. After a few tries, I was able to get in touch with him, and he said that everyone was home safely. With knowing that, I hung up the phone and spent the rest of the evening watching the news coverage. It will be a day that I will never forget.
What is the rest of the blogging community saying? The following is but just a sample of what they have to say:
Disillusioned Words – “Remember”
We should all pause from politics today to remember those who died on 9-11. The best list of the victims that I know of is this one on CNN.com. It includes information on each victim and quotes from the victims’ friends and families. You may not be able to read them all, but you should surely read a few and remember that 9-11 was not just an event in history, but a tragedy that effects many people to this day.
Republican Ranting – “A September 11th Tribute: 7 Years, Never Forget”
Today marks the 7 year anniversary of the September 11th Attacks. Today is a day that affected many Americans, if not all Americans. I can still, to this day tell you exactly where I was when I first heard about it, down to the very spot of the room. And thinking back now brings tears to my eyes, thinking about how many people we lost that day, so many innocent and helpless people.
The Fireside Post – “911 – The Shadow of Death”
What does the 23rd Psalm mean to you?
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil, for you are with me,
your rod and your staff they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.
You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
The BoBo Files – “My Post 9/11 Post”
This is a horrible tragedy and a direct attack on our country and our people. EVERYONE needs to be reminded of this day and remember what it felt like 7 years ago. Those images need to be played over and over again. Perhaps if the people remember how they felt, we might be able to get things accomplished. Perhaps the memorials might actually get built. Perhaps the towers would be replaced if we are motivated to prove to those bastards they didn’t win. Perhaps those deniers wouldn’t be so quick to jump on that idiotic bandwagon if they saw the actual footage rather than some cropped, slowed down, and manipulated images. Perhaps Washington might actually get behind our troops and give them the full support they need and let the generals run the show.
A Disgruntled Republican – “Where were you when the world stopped turning”
I remember how everyone at work and everyone I talked to was effected by the event. I went to my boss, Cathie Dodd, and said we ought to do something. She agreed. We busied ourselves the next day putting together a program and emailing and calling people to tell them about it. With little advance notice, we had a full house. Co-workers and friends and people from the community joined in a memorial service at work. We prayed and sang songs and were comforted. All rancor and petty conflicts were put aside as we held hands in prayer and hugged and comforted each other. It was a healing process.
Kayloo – “September 11th”
Just remember what this day is all about, and let us reunite again to fix this troubling country, and this troubling world, and let us all feel the freedoms in which we fill here in America, and let’s all become one, and let’s all never forget those who parished on this faithful day.
