story1212.xml

story1212.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-08-19

I was late to work and as I was settling in a co-worker walked in late as well, announcing a plane had hit the WTC. Details were sketchy at that point, until we got a call that another one had hit the other building. Then I heard the Pentagon was on fire. At that point I became scared, as I am from DC, my family still lives there. I realized my cousin's husband was recently transferred to the Pentagon with the Air Force & called his wife at home to see if she'd heard from him. She did not sound alarmed when I called & had women coming over for a morning prayer group - Pentagon wives. I asked if Mike was okay & she told me he was in England. "Thank God!" I said. As it turned out she hadn't heard about the Pentagon yet, so she relayed the information to the women there. Then I let her go so they could find out whatever they needed to. I said a prayer for all the women there.
Then I called my sister-in-law who works for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. She told me from her office she could see the smoke. I felt sick and vulnerable at that thought. She said they would most likely be going home shortly. I felt better, but not until all were home safe & sound. She mentioned her brother who just took a leave of absence from the Marines for a one-year intern job on Wall Street, was safe and going home and that her brother-in-law was on the street in NY talking on the phone to her mother as the second plane hit. He had been saying he was okay and tell all not to worry, when he said "oh my God, there's another plan!" He was safe, but had soot & debris covering him as he tried to move away from the area.
My other sister-in-law works for the National Institute of Health & when called, she said they were going home, too. I felt better that they at least would be away from governmental buildings.
Later I called when all were home and talked with my nieces who were telling me the planes flying overhead were frightening. I felt better having talked to them, they were still kids at heart in this matter, trying to have fun, but talking about it going on around them. I just wanted to put my arms around them and around my brothers. I recalled thinking about fears of Washington as a target during the Cold War years that were part of my youth, but that fear had gone away with the end of the Cold War. And now, here I live some 900 miles away, safe, but so vulnerable. I wanted to be there. I didn't want to be a sole survivor in a worst case scenario. However, it was comforting that I could offer a safe haven if my family needed a place to go.
Family has always been important to me and today it's even moreso.