story2198.xml

story2198.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

Just another day in English class, i wasnt paying any attention whatsoever. Instead, i had brought my favorite Tom Clancy book from home, and i was reading Debt of Honor. In that book, a Japanese airline pilot flies his 747 into the Capitol Building during the State of the Union address. When the PA clicked on, and the voice of our principal, Mr. Healey, came over the speakers, it was pretty obvious to everyone that there was something very wrong.
Slowly, Mr. Healey explained to us what tragedy had befallen our great nation, and when he was finished, all of us were in utter shock. i leaned back against the wall (sitting in the back DOES have some advantages), and just took a second to come to terms w/ what was happening. Needless to say, no more learning was attempted the rest of the day. the time we learned of the attack was 10:04.
The PA scratched and buzzed again, as our principal reminded us that because of our close proximity to Washington, many of our students' parents may have been injured in the Pentagon attack, and he was allowing anyone w/ relatives near the Pentagon to call their family down in the main office. My Dad works at the Defense Information Service Agency, DISA, which is a few streets away from the Pentagon. I got permission from my teacher and left class.
When i got to the office, you would think that a war had started. Hell, i guess that a war HAD started, but that wasnt on my mind as i made my way through the crowds, to a spare telephone. i called my mom, and made sure that my dad was okay, and then, only then, did i think about the consequences of this. Something big had gone down, and i wanted to know what it was.
My 3rd period class consisted of my teacher recieving updates over the phone from his wife, and telling us the news. World Trade Center had been hit, 6000 missing or dead. The Pentagon was still on fire, hundreds gone there too. I saw several of my friends who were volunteer firefighters leaving school to go help fight the fires at the Pentagon, and it was a real learning experience. i think that i grew up more that day than in the past 2 years. I looked at my friend, Sean, who was on his way to DC, and no words were exchanged. He knew what he had to do, and nothing else mattered except fulfilling his duty. He flashed me a thumbs up then ran out to the parking lot.
Lunch time came, and went, w/ me in the library researching everything i could on what was happening, and why. A carrier battle group was on its way to New York, various surface ships had made port around DC, all civilian air flights were grounded until further notice, the Air Force was holding a continuous patrol pattern... our country was preparing for war.
I had to work that day, back when i was still working at Subway, and that night anyone in uniform got free food. My dad stopped in after he had gotten off work, around 9, and... heh, we shook hands. No real emotional display. The time for all emotions except anger had passed. I got off of work at 1130, and got home to find out that my dad had gone back to work around 1030.
I went downstairs to my room, but no sleep was coming for me. I reflected on the day, on September 11th, and knew that i would never be the same.
Mike Harman, Class of 2003.