story2202.xml
Title
story2202.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-09-11
911DA Story: Story
September 10, 2002 - - - My name is Marc Safley. I work for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture, at its headquarters office in Washington, D.C. My office is in the South Agriculture Building at the corner of Independence Avenue and 12th Street S.W.
The days leading to September 11, 2001, had been exceptionally wonderful --- clear, blue skies with warm dry air. The days were almost too bright. September 11 was to be the day of our picnic lunch at work. Everyone of us had brought something to share and we were excited to be able to have a bit of food and fun together during the midday meal. Everyone was feeling lighthearted.
That morning, I was working at my desk when I heard the first report on the radio of a plane striking the World Trade Center. My first thoughts were remembering stories of a plane striking the Empire State Building decades ago. I thought this must be the same sort of thing. I clicked to CNN on the web and already there were photos posted of the tower on fire and the fact that observers reported it was an airliner not a small plane. Details were sketchy at that time, but as this was so unusual so I walked across the hall to an office with a television to find out more?.just in time to see pictures of the second plane hitting the other tower. I remember a hollow feeling. I also remember a sense of surrealism?I wanted to doubt what I was seeing but it was too, too real. Persons walking down the hall saw me and stopped to ask what was going on. A small crowd soon gathered. We watched in silent horror as first one building fell then the other. We knew it to be terrorism. Someone asked if what we were feeling was what our parents felt when they learned of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Someone noted that the date was appropriate, after all, didn?t one dial 911 when an emergency or disaster happened? We wondered what we should do?
I went back to my desk. It was then that I heard the booming echo that we later knew to be the sound of Flight 77 striking the Pentagon just across the Potomac River!
Events were a blur after that. Word was received that non-essential employees were to go home. Many left immediately, others (including me) lingered because our past experience told us that traffic jams that would happen as everyone was released at once. The phone was useless as circuits were flooded by call volume. I was able to get email messages out to my home, to our daughter in Florida, and to my wife?s school address before the flood of communications made that means impossible, too. On toward noon we decided to have what lunch we could from the picnic items people had left behind. As we spread the food on the table in our Division Director?s office, we found that our new Under Secretary and his staff had come to our agency Chief?s office to set up a makeshift command center. Word of our food spread and we found that we had a crowd of 35 or so who gathered for lunch. We had enough salad, condiments, hot dogs and buns, and soft drinks for all.
By the time our carpool left at 1:30PM traffic was nonexistent. As we passed by the Pentagon on I395 we could see the firefighters directing water onto the flames. It was too real, too close.
I said the first of many prayers that day for those who died and those who were trying to help. It was so good to see my wife and son that afternoon!! We hugged and hugged! Our church was full that night. It seemed the right thing to do. We gathered to find support and strength. It was a profoundly sad day. I felt burning grief that I had not felt since the death of my mother in 1992. That feeling was not to go away for several weeks. It still comes back when I think of the day?such as now as I type this recollection. Over the past year I have also realized that I feel a profound sadness for the mindless passion that was manipulated with evil and malicious intent to wreak this upon our country. I have asked myself if I am angry. I admit that I am angry at times. I am also filled with resolve to carry on.
The days leading to September 11, 2001, had been exceptionally wonderful --- clear, blue skies with warm dry air. The days were almost too bright. September 11 was to be the day of our picnic lunch at work. Everyone of us had brought something to share and we were excited to be able to have a bit of food and fun together during the midday meal. Everyone was feeling lighthearted.
That morning, I was working at my desk when I heard the first report on the radio of a plane striking the World Trade Center. My first thoughts were remembering stories of a plane striking the Empire State Building decades ago. I thought this must be the same sort of thing. I clicked to CNN on the web and already there were photos posted of the tower on fire and the fact that observers reported it was an airliner not a small plane. Details were sketchy at that time, but as this was so unusual so I walked across the hall to an office with a television to find out more?.just in time to see pictures of the second plane hitting the other tower. I remember a hollow feeling. I also remember a sense of surrealism?I wanted to doubt what I was seeing but it was too, too real. Persons walking down the hall saw me and stopped to ask what was going on. A small crowd soon gathered. We watched in silent horror as first one building fell then the other. We knew it to be terrorism. Someone asked if what we were feeling was what our parents felt when they learned of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Someone noted that the date was appropriate, after all, didn?t one dial 911 when an emergency or disaster happened? We wondered what we should do?
I went back to my desk. It was then that I heard the booming echo that we later knew to be the sound of Flight 77 striking the Pentagon just across the Potomac River!
Events were a blur after that. Word was received that non-essential employees were to go home. Many left immediately, others (including me) lingered because our past experience told us that traffic jams that would happen as everyone was released at once. The phone was useless as circuits were flooded by call volume. I was able to get email messages out to my home, to our daughter in Florida, and to my wife?s school address before the flood of communications made that means impossible, too. On toward noon we decided to have what lunch we could from the picnic items people had left behind. As we spread the food on the table in our Division Director?s office, we found that our new Under Secretary and his staff had come to our agency Chief?s office to set up a makeshift command center. Word of our food spread and we found that we had a crowd of 35 or so who gathered for lunch. We had enough salad, condiments, hot dogs and buns, and soft drinks for all.
By the time our carpool left at 1:30PM traffic was nonexistent. As we passed by the Pentagon on I395 we could see the firefighters directing water onto the flames. It was too real, too close.
I said the first of many prayers that day for those who died and those who were trying to help. It was so good to see my wife and son that afternoon!! We hugged and hugged! Our church was full that night. It seemed the right thing to do. We gathered to find support and strength. It was a profoundly sad day. I felt burning grief that I had not felt since the death of my mother in 1992. That feeling was not to go away for several weeks. It still comes back when I think of the day?such as now as I type this recollection. Over the past year I have also realized that I feel a profound sadness for the mindless passion that was manipulated with evil and malicious intent to wreak this upon our country. I have asked myself if I am angry. I admit that I am angry at times. I am also filled with resolve to carry on.
Collection
Citation
“story2202.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed December 15, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/13020.