How could we have known when we turned on our television around 6:15 PST, September 11, 2001, for morning news and commute information that our lives would never be the same?
My husband, Bill, increduously said, "Jerri. The World Trade Center has been bombed!" It was just minutes after the first airplane hit and nobody knew what had happened yet. Then we watched as a news broadcast showed a plane hitting the second tower. We then heard it was not a bomb but another plane that hit the first tower. We were numb.
I called our daughter, a Federal worker who flies east a lot, to be sure she was home safe. She was. We were thankful for that. It was about 6:30 a.m. at that time.
Bill stepped in the shower, going through the routine of going to work; I watched as they then showed the damage to the Pentagon. My heart sank into my stomach. It didn't sink in for a moment as I sat in disbelief that this had actually happened. Finally, I was able to let Bill know what had happened. "The Pentagon. The Pentagon has been hit by another plane!" We then heard later of the Pennsylvania crash - more terrorists.
Was this war? We soon stood together in front of the TV and hugged each other. How could this happen?
A few minutes ago we were going through our morning routine on a normal Tuesday. Now our lives were shattered and changed forever. We listened to the news and found Bill would still be going to work as a civilian engineer with the Corps of Engineers. He arrived late and could not work much due to his distress at the happenings in our country. His office was going through the motions but it seemed as hearts were elsewhere.
The next day he couldn't even get to work with cars stopped on the freeway due to heightened security at the entry gate. He turned around and came home. It was that day we noticed how quiet the sky was. No planes.
That evening we hear a jet as we lay in bed; we figure it was the plane from McChord Air Force Base (near Ft. Lewis) taking emergency folks to help back East; the news had broadcast that would be happening. Then we hear on the news there are military planes flying our airspace to ensure our safety, along with military ships in Puget Sound. We have a fitful night and don't sleep well.
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