In Remembrance, 11 September 2001

[Bluerauder]

11 September 2006

This coming Monday is the 5th Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC) complex, the Pentagon, and on UA Flight #93 over Shanksville, PA. A total of 2,973 persons were killed that day. Another 24 remain missing.

I will be flying my flag proudly on Monday “In Remembrance” of the victims and their families. Hope that you will join me in doing the same. Never forget. I won’t.

On the morning of 11 September 2001, I was checking out of the hotel at the US Military Academy at West Point, NY following a conference. As I was passing through the main gate in a rental car toward Highland Falls and Newark International Airport, I heard the first announcement of a small plane striking one of the towers at the World Trade Center. Initially, this struck me as very odd. I thought to myself that a small plane would have to work hard to hit such an obvious building. Maybe the pilot had a medical emergency and lost control of the aircraft.

About 15 minutes later, the radio announcer revealed that the second tower had been hit by another plane. The sky was clear and it was a beautiful day, no way this was accidental. I knew immediately that this was a deliberate attack and that terrorists were responsible. I continued on my way south along the Palisades Parkway and then the Garden State Parkway. Several emergency responders with blue lights flashing and rolling pretty fast passed me along the way. As I got closer to the Tappan Zee Bridge, I saw signs that said “New York City was Closed”. No traffic other than emergency vehicles were permitted.

I continued on my way toward Newark airport. Just as I crossed into New Jersey on the Garden State Parkway, the radio announcer said that a 3rd plane had hit the Pentagon (my old office at 3C529 was obliterated in that instant). We were at war with someone. I needed to stop and collect my thoughts – what to do now? A rest stop with gas station was only about a mile ahead. I pulled in and stopped and just sat a few minutes. Get a coke and calm down some – what the heck is happening??? Is the airport even open now?? What about the rental car?? Try to call – fat chance – everything is busy. While debating with myself whether I should continue on to the airport, a northbound car pulled into the reststop. A guy staggered out of his car and sat down on the curb. I rushed over to see if I could assist. He just said that one of the World Trade Center towers just collapsed. I jumped back in my rental car and turned on the radio. I was stunned and in disbelief. The past hour had been surreal.

In that single minute, my decision was clear. I am driving back to Virginia. Screw the rental car, I need to get home. I turned around and headed back the way I came. Back to I-87, then I-287 to I-78 to I-83 and south. All day I listened to reports on the radio. Plane crashing in Pennsylvania. Just words, no pictures, no TV, no CNN news reports. Lots of speculation and the images forming in my head were difficult to accept. The road rolled on. Tried to call home several times – no luck at all. Easton, Harrisburg, and York, PA Baltimore, MD then Washington, DC and out to Dulles Airport. Had to drop off the rental and pick up my car.

As I approached the National Rental car gate, I noticed that it was closed. In fact, traffic at Dulles was nearly non-existent. Very unusual – a virtual ghost town. I stop at the gate and a guy came over and opened it. I told him that I was there to turn in the car. No charge for the car. No shuttles back to the parking lot. One of the National guys offered to drop me off in his personal car as he was departing. Got in my T-Bird and clicked on the radio. More talk and speculation. Four planes total. US airspace shut down completely.

The guy at the parking lot toll booth waved me through. No charge today. Home was still about 45 minutes away. More radio reports. Both WTC towers gone. Pentagon still burning. Many people dead and dying. Still can’t call home.

I pulled into my driveway at exactly 5 PM that night. My trip had been a full 8 hours from start to finish. My wife ran out to the car and just threw her arms around me. For a minute or maybe more we just stood there. Finally, she said “I know you too well …. I knew that you’d be driving back today”. If I said that I didn’t break down and cry briefly at that moment, I’d be lying. The rush of the past 8 hours completely enveloped me in that moment. In the car for so long I had not been able to share my building grief at all of the events of the day. Finally being at home with everyone safe and together, I lost control. There I said it.

I went into the house and clicked on the TV to see the video and images that most everyone else had be seeing all day. Several birthday presents sat on the dining room table. There would be no party tonight. It took more than a week to even bring myself to open any of them. It just didn't seem appropriate.

Over time, I would find out that 22 of the victims at the Pentagon were from Prince William County, VA were among the nearly 3,000 who died that day. One was an usher at our church. One of our VFD paramedics was in New York City on vacation. He died in the WTC collapse after he rushed from his nearby hotel to offer his help. Several other friends and acquaintences had close calls and near misses or just happened to be somewhere else when their offices were destroyed. I am still overwhelmed by the events of that day. Putting them down on paper like this kinda helps. Thanks for listening.