Similar to where one might have been when the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred, or when JFK was shot, I vividly recall the events of 9/11. I was in Chicago for a trade association convention. A coworker and I were finishing up cobbling together our booth and setting out the various wares and tares. Shortly after 9AM, word was spreading that a plane had hit one of the Trade Center Towers in New York City. A few minutes later people were saying that a 2nd plane had hit the other Trade Center Tower. My supervisor went back to the hotel to get some coffee and treats to be available at our booth. She was gone for much longer than I had expected. The doors to the convention opened at 10AM and there was virtually no one milling about. The few folks walking by would ask, “Have you seen the news on TV? Then came word that two other planes were involved in “the attack”. This was the first time that I recognized our nation was under attack. A third plane struck the Pentagon, and a fourth plane crashed in a field in PA.
A decision had been made to close the convention hall by 11am. Other vendors were beginning to pack up their wares and tares. And security people began asking people to leave the convention hall. I met up with my supervisor who said that the convention hall is under a lock-down order and that the convention was cancelled. Every television in the lobby was turned to one of the news networks, and I got my first glimpse of the attack. I was stunned. I was utterly shocked that planes would intentionally be used as ‘weapons of war’ and flown directly into buildings. The plume of dust, smoke and debris was massive in New York City, and it was clear that the death toll was likely to be in the thousands if not tens of thousands.
Around noon every plane flying anywhere within the United States was ordered to immediately land at the nearest airport. My supervisor suggested that I try to rent a car to get out of Chicago as soon as possible. I called a car rental agency. They never picked up the phone. It was apparent that getting from Chicago to Minneapolis was going to be a challenge. On a whim I called a truck rental agency. Yes, they had a truck available for rent. I collected my personal belongings, said goodbye to my supervisor and checked out of the hotel. My supervisor had family in the Chicago area, and she planned to take some vacation days and ‘play it by ear’ to get back home in Springfield MO. Most others traveling throughout the United States weren’t so lucky. People were stranded in airports for days until the FAA began allowing commercial airlines to resume flying.
For the next week – if not longer, conversations revolved around the attack. There was a palpable sense of national unity. The political divide of conservatives and liberals seemed almost negligent. There was a stronger sense of American pride amongst the populace. And it didn’t take long to determine who was responsible for this attack. President Bush led a rally cry as when he made the following speech at the site of the World Trade Center:
I want you all to know that America today is on bended knees in prayer for the people whose lives were lost here, for the workers who work here, for the families who mourn. This nation stands with the good people of New York City and New Jersey and Connecticut as we mourn the loss of thousands of our citizens. I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.
There’s a particular image from that day – that of ‘the falling man.’
I find this image to be such a disturbing reality for what took place that day. I can’t imagine the fear and the realization that he knew he had only moments/seconds to live before landing on the ground below. Not only that, but preceding his jump, when he likely was deciding whether to burn or jump. He knew that he wasn’t getting out of this situation alive. And this same decision was certainly made by scores of people.
I hope I never forget this day. It’s inevitable considering that st recent college graduates have no first-hand knowledge of these events. The same could be said about me wherein I was nine when John F. Kennedy was assassinated. About all I remember from that time was that I couldn’t watch my favorite TV programs. Someone would announce, “We interrupt this regularly scheduled program to bring you this important message.”
May we never forget that there are those willing to attack this nation and the freedoms that it stands for. I am grateful for those who have ever taken the oath to defend this nation throughout its history. My father served in the Marine Corps between 1946-1948. I served in the Coast Guard from 1974-1978. My son served in the Marines from 2001-2006. And my grandson will graduate from Marine Corps boot camp in Sept 2026. May he carry well the values which define this nation as he defends the Constitution and the laws of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
May we never forget. Semper Fi. Semper Paratus.
Martin's Mercurial Musings 