On this 7th anniversary of September 11, 2001, I am so grateful to the people on board United Airlines Flight 93 that morning. The anniversaries have gotten easier for me over the years, but this year is harder than last. Probably because I visited the Newseum in Washington, DC earlier this summer, where there is a permanent exhibit dedicated to 9/11. It’s a powerful multimedia exhibit. And last weekend, I watched a program about 9/11 on the National Geographic channel. Every time I hear the timeline of the events that morning, I try to remember exactly where I was.
That morning turned into a blur. After the fact, I was able to piece together that I drove past the Pentagon roughly 20 minutes before the plane hit it. I was eating breakfast with my son at Union Station when it hit…or maybe it hit while I was walking him to day care a few blocks away. What I do remember is that when I got to work and asked my coworker/friend Sarah if she was ready to take me to the airport, she said, “You’re not going anywhere. All of the airports in the country are closed.” I had no idea what she was talking about. I thought she was kidding, but she wasn’t the only person acting strangely.
Moments later, we were in the board room, watching live coverage on a TV screen. I have no idea how long I stared at the screen. I was watching footage of the twin towers…and then the pentagon…and then heard a mention of a fourth plane…I unconsciously did the math…I realized the fourth plane was likely headed for the US Capitol, 3 blocks away. Sarah and I turned to eachother at the exact same time and said “We have to get Baby Bear.”
Although I had walked Baby Bear to day care, my car was parked in the parking lot adjacent to the building. I rushed to grab my keys, left my cell phone behind, and we rushed to my car. I drove, in a complete state of panic, to pick my son up from day care. I have never been so scared in my life. I was shaking so badly that my right leg was bouncing up and down every time I took my foot off the gas. I wondered if I should get out and run and let my Sarah drive, but the traffic wasn’t bad yet…people were just beginning to realize what was happening. I picked him up from day care less than an hour after dropping him off.
We decided to head to Sarah’s apartment, which was a good 15 blocks east of the Capitol. That seemed like a safe distance. Unfortunately, we got stuck in gridlock traffic just north of the Capitol. It was terrifying to be stuck in traffic next to the most likely target of the fourth plane. By the time we reached her place, the media had kicked into full gear. We discovered the fourth plane had crashed in Shanksville, PA. The immediate threat was over.
I am so grateful to the people on board that flight. They gave their own lives to save others. My heart goes out to their family and friends, who also made an unthinkable sacrifice that day.
Posted by Cindy Thomas 