These Stories (Tribute to 9/11)

Vocal Minority ^ | 9/11/09 | EricTheRed_VocalMinority

[EricTheRed_VocalMinority]

The latest installment by reader and occasional contributor Loud Lion:

We huddled and hugged in that office that day. We learned of 2801 who died on that day. But how can we forget the stories not told. The story of the husband on a plane, or the son getting coffee. Of the stock exchange manager who can not talk of what he saw that day. Or the story of the friend stuck in a tunnel as horrors played above her. Or the law school friend whose hand was on the door to tower one when the first plane hit. The college friend who went back in to help and became the only civilian below the 90th floor to die that day.

[Bulwinkle]

Subj: FW: A Marine’s First Hand Account -PentagonDate: Friday, September 14, 2001 5:59:43 AMFrom: xxxxxxxx@navair.navy.mil[

I am very pleased to be able to write you theselines. I know you are all anxious for information. First and foremost, Iam happy to report that our people were all able to get out. It was a VERYnear thing. We will be operating out of the Annex for a while; I’ll fillyou in as I get contact information. Please send to my HQMC account andcopy this account in the near term. Many of you have asked for information about our experience; I will risk theinaccuracies of a memory fueled by terror and briefly share these bullets. Maj Baker and Peter were meeting in Peter’s ofc; I was in and out watchingnews reports of the attack on the WTC. After the second plane attacked, Ihad Cpl G check on the security status of the PNT. He reported back thatit was “threatcon normal.” He and I discussed the bldg’s vulnerability, andthe fact that it was increased since all eyes were glued to TV, and allthoughts were on NYC. I went to discuss the situation with Peter. Theexplosion occurred as I got to his door. We were thrown into the air; thefloor buckled and separated along the expansionjoint that separated Peter’s office from mine; the ceiling began to fall in;the lights came down. We could see the fireball rolling up past the windows. Weall made for the door but it was stuck shut. Cpl G wrenched it open. When wegot into the hallway it was already filling with smoke. We met Kath A. inthe hall, accounting for all our people. We made toward the North end. Thesmoke was thicker and blacker that way, and someone came through the doorwayyelling that there was fire in that end. We turned and headed south in thicksmoke now, holding onto each other like blind mice. When we came to the exp.joint, we could feel the heat from the fire and see flames through thefloor. We doubled back, stopped to choose which risk to take, then heard someoneshouting from the North end to follow the sound of his voice, that there wasa way out. We followed his voice-a young naval ofcr and my new hero, whoeverhe is-and made our way to the interior and on to the South parking lot.Many, many people were already helping.You’ve seen to the photos of the Pentagon. The clean break along the leftside of the gaping hole marks the line of the expansion joint. You can see directlyinto Peter’s office. My office is on the ground along with Maj Lyon’s. I think we all left feeling shaken but extraordinarily lucky. I recommendyou all go home, hold your loved ones close, and say a prayer for those whowill never get a chance to do so again.