story217.xml

story217.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-03-11

I had recently returned to my hometown, Washington DC, to attend graduate school at the George Washington University. I was on the Foggy Bottom campus, working in an administrative office, on September 11th. I started my day, much as those in the two towers must have, by responding to some e-mails and getting some coffee. I happened to open the New York Times.com to quickly check the days' headlines and watched, in utter disbelief, the now famous video of the two planes hitting the World Trade Center towers. When the first plane hit the building, I comprehended it as a terrible accident. When the second plane hit, it became clear that there were intentions involved. It was like watching a movie and I remember my horrible realization that there were people in those planes and in the towers.

Quiet nervousness set into our office when we realized what was going on. One person's husband was flying on business that morning and she was upset that she couldn't locate him, though she kept trying to reason with herself that he was probably fine. Then, we received news that the Pentagon had been struck and we started to become more fearful. GW's campus is right downtown, blocks away from government and commerce buildings. What if the terrorists had wanted to attack a college campus, as well? At that point, no one knew the identity of the attackers or their motivations. What were later discovered to have been rumors started to spread about bombs exploding in the Capitol building, and a car bomb detonating in front of the State Department. The phone lines were dead and we couldn't communicate with anyone outside our office. I hoped my family was okay.

Finally, most people in our office decided to try and go home. The streets were jammed with pedestrians, ambulances, and cars. Everyone had a grave, worried look upon their faces. I reached home, relieved because all members of my family were accounted for. I thought we were safe. Then we received a phone call from my mother's sister. One of our aunts (the wife of my mother's younger brother), Anna Williams Allison, was on the American Airlines flight out of Logan Airport. She had been flying to California on business. I cried. I had thought we were all safe. When I had watched the video of those two planes hitting the World Trade Center, I had unknowingly witnessed my wonderful aunt's final moment of life.

I went back to work the next day, taking the Metro downtown. I will never forget the tone of the train operator's voice, as he announced each stop. It held so much sadness and despair. The other passengers in the car all had glazed, blank looks upon their faces. And there was an unusual stillness as people somberly walked about the stations on their way to work.