story20334.xml

story20334.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2006-09-09

I woke up early (7am) and decided to skip school and go back to bed. The next thing I know, I am waking up to someone crying on the radio. (I sleep with my radio on). I had just sent my best friend (a pilot for United at the time) on a plane back to NYC from IAD. My phone started ringing sometime around 8ish. It was my mom asking me about my best friend Mark, and which flight he had taken that morning. She then explained that a plane had hit the WTC. I turned on the news and watched the coverage of the WTC and all the smoke, etc. People were crying and I was still half awake. While watching the news coverage, I watched the 2nd plane hit the other tower. Moments later there were reports of planes headed for the white house and pentagon. Then the news of a hit on the pentagon became real. I received a page from my fire department putting us all on alert and to get to our fire departments ASAP. I put my gear in my car and sped to the FD. Next thing I know, I am being deployed to Station 11, in Manassas, Prince William County to be deployed to the Pentagon.
The whole time, I continued to call my best friend, unable to get through, as all the phone lines were busy. Finally, I reached his mother, who had been trying to call me all morning. He was OK.
For the next 4 days, we spent every waking moment thinking about all the fire and EMS personnel that we had lost, not knowing if anyone had survived.

To this day, it still chills me to the bone that we lost so many of our brothers and sisters due to ignorant terrorists. I believe in our fight over seas, even if some do not. The grief still hits me every year, as I am sure it will continue for years to come. I compare my feelings of this tragedy to being involved in a war.

I was one of the fortunate ones who did not lose someone I love, but my heart still goes out to those who did lose their loved ones.

God Bless America and everyone who stands for freedom.