September 11, 2001 started out to be a bright beautiful morning. It was a crystal clear day. The sun was shining, and big puffy clouds floated lazily in the deep blue sky. It was the kind of morning that had you mentally making plans to get away for that last summer vacation before the leaves started to change and the cold temperatures of fall set in. I was at my desk when the DHL driver came in with a package....and some news. "Did you hear"? she said, "A plane flew right into the World Trade Center." I turned on the television I keep in my office to track snow storms. And there it was. A huge hole in the World Trade Center building with thick black smoke & fire billowing up to the sky. People on the floors above and below the point of impact were hanging out of windows frantically waving their arms and screaming for help. As we stood there watching and wondering what could have caused it and how they were going to get the people out, Another plane slammed into the tower next to the one with the hole in it. We looked at each other dumbfounded. "What the hell was that!" I said. Before she could answer The news reported that a plane had flown into the Pentagon building in Arlington Virginia. In that instant we both knew that our country was under attack, and that our world, and our way of life as we knew it would be forever changed.
Time seemed to stop. We stood there feeling helpless staring at the TV. "Now what" she said. "What do we do now"? "I don't know" I answered "But someone needs to have their ass kicked behind this". She started to cry. I hugged her and we watched for a while longer. White faced, confused, sick in the stomach, and yes, afraid. She wiped the tears away as she walked out the door. I was left alone in my office not knowing just what to do, what to think, or what to feel. I was numb. It was about that time the phone rang. A campus wide phone message telling everyone the college was closing. "Due to this mornings events, the college will be closing in twenty minutes". "Go home and hug your families, and God bless America" was all the information it offered. I started closing everything down. It took me all of one hour to get from my office to the building where I had to go to clock out. It wasn't that far away but traffic was gridlocked with everyone trying to leave at once. It was hot; I had the windows rolled down. On the radio was a report of yet another plane that was unaccounted for. All along the way I saw the same shocked expressions on every ones faces. People holding onto each other crying. Students huddled together with cell phones desperately trying to call family, and friends. I saw one girl sitting on the ground surrounded by friends who were trying to console her as she cried hysterically because her father had been on a scheduled flight that morning, and could not be reached. It was a gut wrenching scene. That's when it hit me. The numbness wore off, and the tears came. I cried all the way home.
In the days that followed the world was glued to their televisions as news stations reported around the clock coverage. Regularly scheduled programs and commericals were canceled to report instead on the events that were unfolding in the aftermath of the attack. New York mayor Rudy Giuliani held the nation together in the absence of our President who was overhead in a plane assessing the situation to determine the best course of action to take. I have said it many times before and will repeat it now, no matter what actions Mr. Bush may have taken before, or after 911 he did a magnificent job that day considering the situation he suddenly found himself in, and I was grateful to have him there. It was a horrific sight to see. So many lives lost, so many unaccounted for. 200 people jumped to their deaths from the tower that day, and many more perished when the buildings collapsed. Emergency workers raced to the scene from all over the country and many vanished in the rubble as the towers fell. People came from everywhere to help in any way they could. The people on flight 93 tried to take back control of their plane from the hijackers, and struck the first blow against terrorism saving many lives on the ground and the Capitol building which is thought to be the target of that flight. Casualties at the World Trade Center included nationals of over ninety different countries. On September 11th, we were all Americans no matter where we lived and the whole world felt the pain of that terrible day. In the UK during the ceremonial changing of the guards, the Coldstream Guards Band opened with The Stars And Stripes Forever, followed by The Star Spangled Banner, and When Jonny Comes Marching Home. I watched that on the television and I'm not ashamed to say I cried. I will be eternally grateful to who's ever idea that was.
No matter where you were on September 11, 2001, the feelings were the same.
