story1942.xml

story1942.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-09

I was in my office at work. I had a radio on and the DJ broke in during a song. He reported that they have just received a prelimary report about a plane crashing into one of the WTC towers. I relayed this report to several of my coworkers. At the time, we just thought it was tragic accident. We didn't have any TV available to us, at the time. My wife called from her place of work to tell me about the plane crashing into the WTC. The second time she called me, was to tell me that a second plane crashed into the second tower. She was crying. I was stunned. You knew it was no accident. Americans were dying right before your eyes on national television. This news ran through work like a brush fire. Finally tv's were set up in our conference rooms and lunchroom. We were collectively dazed and upset, anger would come later. Productive work was impossible. I started telling my staff, if they needed to be home, to go there. When the first tower collapsed, those viewing let a little scream, followed by silence. This was repeated with the collapse of the second tower. Getting connected to one of the news internet sites was impossible. Later my son called from home to let me know that firemen were missing. My two sons and I are volunteer firemen. Greg was near tears. It now had gotten personel, I went home.
In the early evening we had an emergency meeting of the Oaklyn Fire Department. We reviewed the days events, the current rumors and resolved as a group to do whatever was asked of us in the coming days. It felt good to be a part of team. Leaving the station, with my son Greg, Chief Fred Bartling and me, we heard the sound of a jet plane. Normally, the Borough of Oaklyn is alined with the flight patterns for Philadelphia International Airport. You grow up with the sounds of jet planes flying overhead. In fact the lack of this background sound was distinctly noticed by all. We searched the night sky. Together we all spied the jet fighter plane. It gave us a good feeling for the first time that day. We weren't defenseless. Our government was responding. We would go on.

Jim Grudzinski