9-11-01: My memories

(A check of www.buzz.mn this morning - via James Lileks "bleat" site - and I was challenged to recall where I was when I heard that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. Here's a slightly edited (corrected) version of what I posted there.)

My car radio was tuned to one of the local classic rock stations, as I was driving to work. A song ended, and the DJ said that “a plane has just crashed into the World Trade Center”. For those of you who might know Kansas City, I was making my way through the “Grandview triangle” interchange, so I was kind of paying attention, but mostly focused on the traffic. I didn’t know what to make of it, whether this was just some morning shift radio skit that would develop, but like many I assumed the plane was a small plane. If it was really happening, my thought was with the pilot and his family. What a tough way to go. Moments later the radio switched to a live network feed, and it became clear that it was a commercial jet and a big tragedy. Then the second plane hit.

By the time I arrived at work, it was clear to all that this was an attack. We tried for a few minutes to get some work done, but from time to time we just had to stand up and talk about this evil news. We were alternately stunned and angry (one comment I recall: “Nuke them till they glow”). There was a TV on in our supervisor's office, so we stood and watched the replay of one plane hitting one tower, then the second…fire and smoke, clouds of debris, people running in the street. The owner of the company walked in and said that since none of us would be able to give our work the concentration it needed, we should go home for the day.

I got home just before my wife returned from driving our youngest kids to school. I turned on our TV, and then waved my wife in when she came in the house. I could tell she hadn’t heard, so I brought her up to speed as fast as I could. We watched the second tower fall.

Later, there was a rumor that supplies of gasoline might be cut off, so I drove a couple of miles and found a station which was up to only $2.99 (a couple of other stations were at $4.00 or higher). My low gas indicator light was on, so I got in the long line and started inching forward. I was concerned that they might run out, and then that my tank might run dry before I got to another station; but finally I got my gas.

Back at work, one day flyers were passed out all through the office park inviting everyone to a memorial service. About half of us from our company went, and I estimated there were 700 people in total from all the buildings. The speeches were patriotic and spiritual in nature. With that many people there were bound to be different beliefs represented. Not only did no one object to the prayers, everyone seemed eager to hear what each speaker had to say. I remember one lady who handed out simple bows that she’d made of red white and blue ribbons; I pinned mine to my shirt and wore it the rest of the day. I still have it, right next to my computer monitor as I type this.

(I'd also mentioned in my post to buzz.mn that later, back at work, we all looked out our windows and watched a jet make a 180 degree turn. The atmosphere was such that the bright, white contrail was very obvious, looking like a giant U on it's side. It lasted for a long time, seemingly hours. Reading some of the other comments, and on further reflection, the air shutdown was probably on 9-11, and we saw that before we all drove to our homes. Whether I remember the exact time or not, it was dramatic. While the truly horrible events were the attack on the WTC and the Pentagon, being an eyewitness to nationwide air travel being disrupted - right here, we could look up and see it - brought it home somehow.)

I’m thankful that there hasn’t been another attack here to the magnitude of 9-11. But, the world is a dangerous place, and we can’t afford to forget.