A day to remember
Sep. 11th, 2008 10:43 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
isabelladangeloRather than go over what I was doing around this time 7 years ago, allow me to tell you a couple of stories from people I have worked with and friends.
One is an FBI agent. He had been working in his office which was part of the World Trade Center complex in NYC. The part of the story I've heard is how he ran as fast as he could as the plume of dust descended on him and so many others.
Another is a contractor. She worked in Crystal City (Arlington, VA for those not in the area. It's the other side of the Potomac River from DC). The building shook when the plane hit the Pentagon.
I've heard a lot of stories over the past three years now that I'm in the government. Most are all the same: Everyone was going on pure instinct and had little or no idea of what to do next. No one had ever had to feel that feeling of pure helplessness for so many before.
Today is Lady Ravenwolves’ birthday and tomorrow is my boss's birthday. There will be plenty of parties surrounding the mourning. However, there is also some excitement that I've seen surrounding today.
You see, I take the metro (subway) from my house (Greenbelt MD) to Crystal City station every single day. Today was the first day I saw an armed police officer on board. (He should have seen me yesterday carrying that 14.25 pound box...)
In order to get from my house to work, you need to go over the Potomac. This can be really totally cool sometimes because on one side you have National Airport so you have planes landing right above your head. On the other side of the train, going in, you have the Pentagon and the Air Force Memorial. On most days, that side is fairly boring. Today, however, there was a hushed silence when we got out of the tunnel, got on to the bridge, and you could see the Pentagon. Almost everyone looked out. Above the Pentagon, I could see two large flags raised. That's the first time I've ever seen that there.
Many people got out at the Pentagon stop (it's underground) to go join the festivities today...and they are festivities. It's the celebration of the newest part of the memorial there. It will be a time of sadness, yes, to remember those who died like Charles F. Burlingame III who was a Captain in the Navy and worked with my Dad at the Pentagon a few times, but it will also be a time to see that the rest of are still here, to celebrate the fact that we have been able to stop attacks like those that happened 7 years ago from happening again, so far.
So celebrate that Richard Reed was stopped, that the NYC pipeline bombers were stopped, that the Lackawanna Six were stopped, and that the Scuba diver terrorist plot was stopped. Celebrate that no more life has been taken in this country on such a massive scale in the past 7 years. Celebrate that we have life.
One is an FBI agent. He had been working in his office which was part of the World Trade Center complex in NYC. The part of the story I've heard is how he ran as fast as he could as the plume of dust descended on him and so many others.
Another is a contractor. She worked in Crystal City (Arlington, VA for those not in the area. It's the other side of the Potomac River from DC). The building shook when the plane hit the Pentagon.
I've heard a lot of stories over the past three years now that I'm in the government. Most are all the same: Everyone was going on pure instinct and had little or no idea of what to do next. No one had ever had to feel that feeling of pure helplessness for so many before.
Today is Lady Ravenwolves’ birthday and tomorrow is my boss's birthday. There will be plenty of parties surrounding the mourning. However, there is also some excitement that I've seen surrounding today.
You see, I take the metro (subway) from my house (Greenbelt MD) to Crystal City station every single day. Today was the first day I saw an armed police officer on board. (He should have seen me yesterday carrying that 14.25 pound box...)
In order to get from my house to work, you need to go over the Potomac. This can be really totally cool sometimes because on one side you have National Airport so you have planes landing right above your head. On the other side of the train, going in, you have the Pentagon and the Air Force Memorial. On most days, that side is fairly boring. Today, however, there was a hushed silence when we got out of the tunnel, got on to the bridge, and you could see the Pentagon. Almost everyone looked out. Above the Pentagon, I could see two large flags raised. That's the first time I've ever seen that there.
Many people got out at the Pentagon stop (it's underground) to go join the festivities today...and they are festivities. It's the celebration of the newest part of the memorial there. It will be a time of sadness, yes, to remember those who died like Charles F. Burlingame III who was a Captain in the Navy and worked with my Dad at the Pentagon a few times, but it will also be a time to see that the rest of are still here, to celebrate the fact that we have been able to stop attacks like those that happened 7 years ago from happening again, so far.
So celebrate that Richard Reed was stopped, that the NYC pipeline bombers were stopped, that the Lackawanna Six were stopped, and that the Scuba diver terrorist plot was stopped. Celebrate that no more life has been taken in this country on such a massive scale in the past 7 years. Celebrate that we have life.
