Story:I was aboard a Lingus Airlines airplane, en route from Istanbul to BWI, waiting in Shannon for takeoff. We never got a go-ahead.

Memory:My strongest memory is real-time sound and pictures on the TV in the Shannon airport waiting lounge. I was watching along with hundreds of stranded travelers, and it was very quiet except for the TV.

Then there is the long time I spent while trying to telephone my wife in Washington, DC, from the airport.

And finally, priests and private individuals opening their churches and homes for the travelers to stay.

Affects:I think these events made this country's core values even dearer to be held up and protected.

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