Posted on 09/11/2010 3:38:07 AM PDT by davidosborne
Where were you nine years ago today?
Mr. Spectre was still in bed because he had taught in the Flight Simulator into the early AM.
I climbed into the bed, clicked on the TV and we both watched in stunned horror as the second plane hit.
My phone started ringing.
May the world be blessed by heroes and peace makers. We will never forget this day. It was as if it was just yesterday.
I was in the Pentagon, room 1C730, just around the corner from the helipad. Bad day.
TC
I was on an aircraft carrier off the coast of India in the Arabian Sea conducting flight operations. Just finished breakfast in the forward wardroom, and stopped by my room for some smokes.
The TV was on, and looked just as the second plane hit.
The CO of the ship secured flight ops, and we high tailed it to just off the coast of Pakistan. (A carrier creating a huge rooster tail is an impressive sight.)
The Ordies worked their butts off, loaded everything we had on the deck and readied more down below.
After about a month, we got the order to attack Afghanistan (once the other carrier had arrived) and then America attacked for 24 hours each day with each ship taking one 12 hour period. Ours, the USS CARL VINSON, was the night checkers, we flew after sunset to noon.
I was assigned to VFA-22, and we personally delivered over 500,000 pounds of ordnance to Tora Bora and surrounding areas.
Obviously, the impact of what had happened to America took some time to sink in. We had 3-4 weeks to discuss it with the crew, and watch the sickening news videos.
There was not a dry eye nor a more motivated entire ships’ crew when we launched that first strike.
As time went on, we sometimes had to help the crew out of the Hornets, because they were so exhausted when they finally landed. (If I remember correctly, missions lasted up to 10-12 hours with them loitering over an area and then getting called in.) Lots of refueling involved.
Sorry, didn’t live up to my screen name. That is a lot to post at once.
I don’t believe that I have seen that picture before. Thanks for posting it. Never forget 9/11.
Thank you for your service to our country.
Thank you for your service to our country.
I had left the Pentagon 45 minutes earlier, to attend a conference on terrorism at the Army-Navy Club. Our first speaker, Dr. David Chu, arrived late, telling us that the op’s center had reported a ‘small plane’ had accidentally hit a building in New York.
Within 10 minutes we knew that wasn’t true, when the report of a second plane hitting the World Trade Center came in.
We stopped the conference.
Suddenly a Lieutenant Colonel ran into the room, grabbed a Brigadier General by the army and yelled, “Sir! You have to come with me NOW!” The general was the officer in charge of the military support to civilian authority response cell in the Pentagon watch. Later this general would recount that as he drove down the hill by the Navy Annex that he looked out his window, saw the wingtip of a plane pass within ten yards, and how he slammed on the brakes and watched the plane hit the Pentagon. He had to run past the inferno to the other side of the Pentagon to reach the watch and assume his duties.
We found out about the Pentagon hit when someone ran in from the tennis courts and said “something just blew up by the Pentagon.”
A TV was rolled into the conference, and we watched our war begin. As we saw the destruction of the Pentagon, a Navy flag officer next to me remarked “that hit my office; I wonder if anyone on my staff is still alive?”
Several retired under secretaries of defense remarked that they hoped someone had a tight hold on the nukes today. I wished that someone with balls and good intellligence had good targets for the nukes. Alas...
My office staff had moved from the stricken side of the Pentagon just six weeks earlier, as part of the reconstruction and renovation project. Our move had been delayed twice and we had been requested to delay another two months, but our admin officer insisted that our move plans to the swing space proceed on schedule. If you recall the pictures of the collapsed portion, my old office was the second floor on the left side, with the yellow curtains flapping in the breeze. Had we not moved, based on where everyone in our office was on 9-11, we would have lost 88 of 94 assigned.
One of our senior aides, once he got home at midnight, went out to his fiance’s car. She had been driving past the Pentagon when the plan flew over her car, clipping a light pole. A piece of the plane’s wing actuator assembly hS brokeN off as the plane clipped the pole; it went through the roof of her car, through the passenger seat and embedded halfway through the floorboard. My friend pried it out, took it the next day to the FAA investigators on scene and was told he could keep it — they had enough evidence already. (So I know two people who personally saw the plane hit the Pentagon, for any assholes who say otherwise.)
Three days later my boss was tapped to announce the partial mobilization of the reserve components. Our staff personally briefed President Bush the day prior on his mobiilization options.
I have other stories, but they can wait. As my tag line says, winners write the history books. I very much fear that 50 years from now that 9-11 will be celebrated around the world, while my descendants live in subjugation. And my history will be forgotten.
In 70 A.D., the Romans got tired of a little religious outpost in Jerusalem, and were God-inspired (not that they themselves were righteous) to change forever the face of that religion. They eventually tore down the Temple “brick from brick” and ended the animal sacrifice system forever, just as Jesus and the prophets predicted.
We need a 70 A.D. option for Islam. Moderate Muslims, get your zealots under control, or the only nation on earth that has nuked two cities might do it again, and forever change your religion. It’s hard to face a smoking sea of glass and pray to it five times a day and still think your ‘god’ is in control.
Alas Babylon, alas!
The phone operators were very nice. They would connect family phone calls through. I just had to tell them who I was. They were my heros. It must have been a tough day for them to decide whether they should connect people or not.
Turns out that when the first plane hit, my uncle was going towards the elevators, he immediately went for the staircase and walked down and just kept on walking. We didn't hear from him till 4pm. He survived, too many didn't.
I never told grandma about that day.
No, it's not a day anyone could possibly forget.
Hand it to the President, he delivered a good speech today at the Pentagon. Almost presidential.
C-SPAN is showing the memorial service in PA. Laura Bush and Michelle O there - hope Laura will speak.
I think the show you’re speaking of will be airing at 10:am (Eastern) on the History Channel. It’s called “Grounded on 9/11”.
I read a book about the Newfies and how well they treated all their unexpected guests. Amazing how a people can just “do the right thing” without a nanny gov telling them what form to fill out!
I'm chilled thinking about it
There the little ones huddled under my out stretch arms. My entire body had little hands attached as we watched the second plane fly into the second building. Wasn't too aware of their presence until I tried to move and realized there were kids hugging my legs. My poor babies.
I scrambled upstairs to HR, told them we are under attack. I then sent an email out to our training team, and called the lead trainer who was hosting the NYC crew. At this point, everyone was learning about the attacks and we were frantically trying to find a TV. The HR manager and I ran to the health club across the street to watch the news. The TV was surrounded. We were there when the plane hit the Pentagon. I'll never forget Jim Mikasheski's live report from there. One of the things I remember clearly was my amazement at the people who continued to workout. It was so surreal.
We ran back to the office, where they found an old TV we propped up and used tin foil to get NBC. Everyone was huddled around this tiny TV. I was going back and forth from my desk, getting the latest from FR. I broke the news to everyone about the crash in Pennsylvania, at least 10min. before NBC reported. FR was a Godsend...
The entire office was witness to the towers falling. When the first one fell, everyone gasped, cried out, and every other possible emotion possible. As for me, I went straight to anger, grabbed a conservative coworker of mine and said, 'these f_ckers are gonna pay for this'. When the second tower fell, it was more of a stunned silence than anything. It was as if everyone was just starting to grasp the reality- and eventual consequences of it all.
I walked slowly back to my office, pulled my door closed, put my head on my desk... and cried.
A co-worker came in some minutes later and we hugged it out. Most everyone was crying. She later sent an email out to everyone to go fill up their gas tanks at lunch because the news was reporting the prices would be over $3 by the end of the day. IIRC, gas was around $1.18 then. I'm glad I did fill up because when I left work, gas was indeed over $3.
That drive home was so memorable... the sky was crystal clear, yet the normally bright blue sky seemed dull. Not a single jet trail to be seen. Everyone seemed to be driving slower, as if the events of the day had transformed everyone into a catatonic state of disbelief. Colors were less intense, and not even the birds were chirping.
The world had changed forever. And we were all witnesses.
Our Loses
The group from NYC had offices around 7 blocks from WTC. They could see the towers outside their front door. On 9-11, word is they had a crew in the building installing furniture. I don't recall if they perished or not. But every person who was here from NYC knew someone who died in the attacks. One of our Global Sales Managers lost his best friend, who worked at Cantor Fitzgerald. The GSM saw the towers collapse from a bridge he was stuck on. He literally saw his best friend die.
We also had an install crew at the Pentagon that morning. But the project leader called the team together for a meeting before heading into the building. She saved their lives. The were working in the section of the Pentagon that got hit.
KMA, Wright.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.