story1599.xml
Title
story1599.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-08-30
911DA Story: Story
I telecommute several days each week because of the nature of my job and the heavy traffic in the Washington, D.C. area. When the first plane hit the World Trade Center tower, I was preparing to participate in a staff meeting via telephone. My wife was watching television news and I looked up at the TV when she reacted to the breaking news.
I watched in shock, mesmerized, and then mechanically dialed the conference room at my office in Washington, DC where my fellow employees were assembled. Each day we start our morning staff meeting by asking, "What is new? What's happening today?" The answers are usually routine, but I had the sad duty of telling the assembled group that it appeared a large aircraft had just crashed in New York City in the Wall Street area.
Transfixed, I saw the second plane approach the other Trade Tower. The resulting crash reminded me of rocket attacks in Vietnam over 30 years ago...and without thinking I told my fellow employees that we were under attack...either a terrorist attack or military action in New York City.
We immediately broke off the call so they could prepare to evacuate our offices which are across the street from the White House. My phone rang just moments before the third plane hit the Pentagon...it was the office. Before we could exchange any further news, the explosion at the Pentagon reverberated through the phone in an eerie stereo effect and I asked if a plane had crashed in the District. We decided that the Pentagon had been the target just as it was announced on TV.
The shock and horror of the attack will remain with me forever.
I watched in shock, mesmerized, and then mechanically dialed the conference room at my office in Washington, DC where my fellow employees were assembled. Each day we start our morning staff meeting by asking, "What is new? What's happening today?" The answers are usually routine, but I had the sad duty of telling the assembled group that it appeared a large aircraft had just crashed in New York City in the Wall Street area.
Transfixed, I saw the second plane approach the other Trade Tower. The resulting crash reminded me of rocket attacks in Vietnam over 30 years ago...and without thinking I told my fellow employees that we were under attack...either a terrorist attack or military action in New York City.
We immediately broke off the call so they could prepare to evacuate our offices which are across the street from the White House. My phone rang just moments before the third plane hit the Pentagon...it was the office. Before we could exchange any further news, the explosion at the Pentagon reverberated through the phone in an eerie stereo effect and I asked if a plane had crashed in the District. We decided that the Pentagon had been the target just as it was announced on TV.
The shock and horror of the attack will remain with me forever.
Collection
Citation
“story1599.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed December 27, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/18159.