Remembering 9/11

Today is a day of remembrance.

Nearly every person in this country can tell you where they were and what they were doing the morning that changed this nation forever.

September 11, 2001

Here is my story.

In 2001, my husband (this was pre-divorce era) and I were working around the Washington, D.C. area for a telecommunications company. We installed telephone equipment in Windstream central offices and sometimes in government buildings that have their own switchboards. On this particular morning we had just climbed into bed in our apartment in Manassas, VA after working the night shift.  We were both exhausted because we had worked later than usual, so we didn't bother with turning on the television. We just turned the lights out and crashed.

Before I could even doze off, his cell began to ring. He cursed loudly and hit the ignore button, because we were used to people not caring forgetting we worked nights and slept days. A moment later, my cell began to ring.  I picked it up, looked at the caller ID, saw it was his Mother and tossed him the phone. 

"You might as well answer now," I said "rather than later."

He grabbed the phone and grunted out "hello" into the speaker.

As soon as he answered the phone, I could hear his Mother screaming on the other end.

"We're under attack! They've flown a plane into the World Trade Center! We're being attacked!"

We both shot straight up out of bed, and I grabbed the t.v. remote. 

Sure enough, as soon as I turned it on, there on the screen, was live coverage of one of the towers burning.  As we stood there in shocked silence watching , a second plane came into view and struck the second tower.

I'm sure you are wondering, as I myself have on several occasions, if only one plane had hit the WTC when his mother called, how did she know it was an attack?

It's possible that it was just her pure panicky, pessimistic, dooms-day personality. More likely it was because she already knew, because the government already knew.  (No, I don't want to get into the government knew what- when debate.)

My Father-in-Law was a Job Superintendent for a railroad construction company. They were doing some track work in Fort Bragg, NC at the time.  When the first plane hit the tower, the base was put on lock down. No one could go in and no one could leave.  As the man in charge of the railroad work, I believe that my FIL was told of what the "possible" scenario was, who in turn told his wife. 

I cannot begin to put into words the fear that I was experiencing that day.  As the events unfolded throughout the day, I was sure that it was just going to continue to worsen.  I was desperately pleading with my husband to go home.

I wanted to face whatever was coming (which in my mind was Armageddon) from the safety of my eastern Kentucky hills.  With my family.  I wanted to be home, NOT 30 minutes from the Capital. Not in a town where I knew no one, other than my husband and a few co-workers.

After the attack on the Pentagon, we received a call from our supervisor that all of the buildings that we worked in were under a lockout for the remainder of the week.  All employees would have to be re-screened for security clearance, so that meant we could go home.

It was the longest and quietest 6 1/2 hour drive we ever made together.

Finally, when we made it home, all I wanted to do was to just hug my family and count my blessing that we were all safe. Together.

Today, my prayers will be with everyone affected by those terrible events 10 years ago. For those who were lost and for those who lost.  For the heroes and those they saved. For the volunteers who went to help and those who make it their job everyday.

I will always remember.