I was in Atlanta working and was supposed to fly back that evening.
My pager went off with a alert that a “small plane hit the tower” and we chuckled.
How did someone not see it??
A bit later- a second alert went off that it was a passenger plane and 2nd tower was hit.
I ran across the street to a Hooters. The manager opened the doors and let everyone come in to watch the TV. It wasn’t open but strangers all came to watch.
I was watching live when the tower fell. I will never forget that Sam Donaldson wasn’t watching but talking to someone on the ground.
The person started screaming “The tower has collepased!” And Sam asked “do you mean some of it is burning?”. And the reported on the ground, shaken and anger screamed “No! It’s gone! It’s completely gone!!”
Took me about 30 mins to get thru to my wife at the time and check in on her and my 4 month old son. Scared. Jets were flying overhead. The Navy academy was surrounded by Troops.
“Can you get home?”
The next day a company wide email went out from our CEO “If you are on the road, you may spend whatever you need to in order to return home any way you can. We got you. If you can’t come home stay where ever you can for as long as you need. We got you”
I drove home on the 12th. American flags were at every overpass. The radio the entire time was stories of horror, of survival, of inspiration, and tragedy.
Everywhere I stopped everyone had a story. Everyone shared. Everyone felt together.
I drove by the Pentagon only mins after the road was reopened. It was still burning. Flood lights were everywhere, it was around midnight but still full of activity. I cried.
There was no debate, no argument, us Vs them was Americans vs whoever did this. That was it.
ALL Americans felt attacked and we took solace in that we were in it together.
I have a proposal.
For 1 day, we stop fighting. It’s not libs vs Trumpers. The campign will be here tomorrow. The debates can continue tomorrow.
The passion, the argument, the name calling, the hyperbole will all be here tomorrow.
How about today you tell your story of that day and we remember we are all Americans and this hit all of us in one way or another.