9/11: The long morning after

I frequently misplace my car keys, leave my cell phone a forget more and more stuff more often. But like lots of you, Sept. 11, 2001 is seared into my brain forever. Which is sad, but probably a good thing.

My boss and her brand-new-husband were in Hawaii on their honeymoon. She said it was surreal being stuck in paradise. You’re on one of the most important and happy days of your life and — after the initial shock wore off — you are touring the Pearl Harbor memorial when a 21st-century Pearl Harbor had just taken place a few miles from her Virginia home. Which, being a newshound, is where she wanted to be.

I recall talking to a senior air traffic control supervisor/manager about her 9/11 day. She had just dropped off her kids to school (I think in the Atlanta area) and arrived at work. In her tour of duty briefing she was told Washington had been hit, New York had been hit, Air Force One had left Florida with two “unknowns” trailing it. Oh, and that there were more than 100 unidentified aircraft heading toward Washington, D.C.

One of the incredible things to come out of 9/11 — aside from the obvious heroism of so many people — was that the government didn’t break. People fought to come into their jobs, not run away.

Pentagon workers in a key intelligence center were told they could leave. But they stayed. Some people saved lives, others just did their jobs. Sometimes a big deal, sometime just-the-facts-ma’am.

John Fox said:

“I was on the IRS customer service toll free line assisting taxpayers when the first tower was hit. I was on the IRS customer service toll free line assisting taxpayers when the second tower was hit. By the time the Pentagon was hit, I had to tell a taxpayer that I had to discontinue the call, because we were being evacuated. Remember 9/11! “

The stories that follow range from the just-doing-my-job type to insights into government — on its worst day — and why training, dedication and good old fashioned patriotism kick in. You might want to pass some of these stories on to kids or grandchildren who only know it as a once-a-year special on TV. Thanks to all.

Read more first-person 9/11 perspectives from federal employees on our “Remembering 9/11” page. And you can submit your own memories to web editor Jory Heckman at jheckman@federalnewsradio.com.

Nearly Useless Factoid

By Jory Heckman

The 52 bones in your feet make up about 25 percent of all the bones in your body.

Source: ArcaMax.com

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