story5929.xml
Title
story5929.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-09-12
911DA Story: Story
I was snug in my bed in San Jose, California, thousands of miles from the site of the unfolding tragedy. I grabbed for the ringing phone, my boyfriend's voice came through the line, yelling, "Turn on the TV, turn on the TV." My response coming from an unawakened mind, was, "Stop yelling, I was asleep. What's wrong with you?" I turned on the TV but the pictures didn't make sense and I didn't want to comprehend what my favorite news announcer was saying.
My boyfriend's brother, Don, was a commerical airline pilot living in Maryland. His route on Sept. 11 was to begin in Washington, D.C. His wife didn't know if he was still in transit to D.C. as a passenger or if he had already left D.C. as a pilot. Cell phones became necessaties that day. My boyfriend called one of his five siblings on his cell, I called another on my cell, while he and I were connected on our land lines. We contacted all the possible sources of information, which at that point yielded nothing. Don didn't always remember to turn on his cell phone; we prayed that was the case this day.
Hoping for an update from his sister in Pennsylvania I called her again. Just as we began our conversation the Pennyslvania crash was announced. I said, "Oh, Kathy, something's happening near you." Having heard a loud noise she ran outside. The sky was beginning to fill with black smoke. She assured me she was okay.
It was after 2:00, my time, before we had news on our pilot. He was in flight to South Carolina when he was ordered to put down immediately. Don was safe.
As my 12 and 16 year old daughter's left for school that day they expressed their confusion at my fear and tears. Unfortunately, by the time they came home that afternoon they understood, and felt the same as I.
By God's grace, I didn't personally know anyone who was injured or killed that day; my heart still aches for those who did.
My boyfriend's brother, Don, was a commerical airline pilot living in Maryland. His route on Sept. 11 was to begin in Washington, D.C. His wife didn't know if he was still in transit to D.C. as a passenger or if he had already left D.C. as a pilot. Cell phones became necessaties that day. My boyfriend called one of his five siblings on his cell, I called another on my cell, while he and I were connected on our land lines. We contacted all the possible sources of information, which at that point yielded nothing. Don didn't always remember to turn on his cell phone; we prayed that was the case this day.
Hoping for an update from his sister in Pennsylvania I called her again. Just as we began our conversation the Pennyslvania crash was announced. I said, "Oh, Kathy, something's happening near you." Having heard a loud noise she ran outside. The sky was beginning to fill with black smoke. She assured me she was okay.
It was after 2:00, my time, before we had news on our pilot. He was in flight to South Carolina when he was ordered to put down immediately. Don was safe.
As my 12 and 16 year old daughter's left for school that day they expressed their confusion at my fear and tears. Unfortunately, by the time they came home that afternoon they understood, and felt the same as I.
By God's grace, I didn't personally know anyone who was injured or killed that day; my heart still aches for those who did.
Collection
Citation
“story5929.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed January 1, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/3706.