Over at the blog Perseverando, there's a powerful, first-hand account and also a wrenching video of that horrible day, September 11, 2001. I strongly recommend Perseverando's account, succintly titled, "5 Years Ago..."
My personal story was that I was working, as usual, at the Department of Energy Headquarters near the Smithsonian Metro stop that day. I heard news that a plane had hit one of the World Trade Center towers, but I was very busy with work that day and just assumed it was some sort of accident, probably with a small commuter plane or something. Little did I know...
Within an hour or so, I remember sitting in our Administrator's conference room watching, horrified, with dozens of co-workers as the World Trade Center towers burned. We were stunned and horrified, but also worried; how many other planes were out there, and what were they intending to hit? Finally, we heard the news that a plane had smashed into the Pentagon, located right across the Potomac River from DOE headquarters where I sat. We also heard that other planes - God knows how many - might be on the way, to the White House or Capitol Hill or who-knows-where. We were ordered to evacuate.
I'll never forget that silent Metro ride home to Arlington, with passengers staring straight ahead, in shock and concern. I'll never forget worrying about my wife, who worked just a few blocks from the White House. It turns out that she got into work late that day, and was surprised to see a stream of people leaving the building. She asked a security guard what she was supposed to do, and he said, "it's up to you, it's your life!" Wisely, my wife turned around and headed back to the Metro.
Meanwhile, the city where I was born, New York City, was in mayhem. My mother in Hartford, Connecticut was actually on the phone with people who worked (in the insurance industry) across from the World Trade Center towers. Not surprsingly, they were all very worried, very upset, and very scared at what was happening. Many of them knew people in the World Trade Center towers. Ugh.
Five years later, what continues to amaze me about 9/11 is how such a crystal clear, beautiful late summer blue day can turn in a matter of minutes into hell on earth. Now, five years later, I wonder and worry where we are as a nation.
But this 5-year anniversary of 9/11 should not be a time for politics, for blame, or for TV miniseries. Instead, it should be a time of solemn reflection and remembrance, thinking about what a bunch of terrorist thugs did to our nation on that terrible day, pondering the incredible heroism of first-responders in New York City and Arlington, of passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania, of the people trapped in the burning World Trade Center towers, and of the untold acts of heroism and kindness demonstrated on that day. On 9/11, we were all patriotic Americans. Today, we are still all patriotic Americans, and nobody should ever claim otherwise.
Lowell Feld is Netroots Coordinator for the Jim Webb for US Senate Campaign. The ideas expressed here belong to Lowell Feld alone, and do not necessarily represent those of Jim Webb, his advisors, staff, or supporters.
The cars in the streets were packed bumper to bumper trying to get out of town. Took forever to get on a Metro car. Because it was mid-day, there was no bus for me to get home, and the wife was out of touch. Cell phones, pay phones - useless. Finally got a taxi and got home two hours later, called the parents, told everyone I was okay.
Five year later. Still have the mental scars, and I don't really want to watch any news broadcasts of the event, let alone the damnable ABC propaganda event.