email40.xml
Title
email40.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
email
Date Entered
2002-03-05
September 11 Email: Body
Friends and family,
'just thought I'd let you know how things are going today from a DC perspective.
It's been terrible, but with so far a veil of unreality.
As we were getting started with the day's work, our secretary screamed and told us she'd just heard that a plane had hit the world trade center in NY. We rushed to the conference room where we are lucky enough to have a TV. We were walking back and forth making phone calls and trying to do some semblance of regular work, but spending most of the time watching the news. I was sitting in the conference room watching the TV when the second plane flew into the south tower.
It was one of those things where I just couldn't believe what my eyes had seen, I guess the news people couldn't either, since it took them a few seconds to realize what had happened. Before, we'd been trying to convince ourselves that it must have been some horrible accident, but at that moment we knew that it wasn't an accident at all.
Even though nothing in DC had happened yet and we didn't have any premonitions that it would, Doreen was already making plans to go home. But Mayra had a meeting across town. She didn't want to go but another colleague told her we shouldn't react to terrorism like that, but should keep on doing our jobs. So, they left by metro for Dupont Circle and their meeting. Only a few minutes later, we were watching the TV and they switched to footage of black smoke billowing from
near the White House (by the Old Exec. Office Building). Before I could even react from that, Doreen got a call that the Pentagon had been struck. It was maybe another 30 seconds before we heard confirmation of that on the TV. I was still watching when the south tower of the world trade center collapsed - again, it was impossible to believe what I saw. Right after that, I was ordered out of the building and informed that all Federal buildings were being evacuated.
Our boss was out at Goddard in Maryland, and she called back frantic when she heard about the world trade center. I haven't heard from her since, but assume that she wasn't able to get back in the city, since everything entering is closed down. I hope she went home.
Doreen left shortly after we heard about the Pentagon. She went home, or tried to. I haven't heard if she made it out yet. I stayed put waiting for Mayra until our building was evacuated and we were forced to leave. We had been told that the metro was closed, so I started to walk home. (even though it's about 10 miles) As I was walking I heard on someone's radio (all the cars were in the streets but nobody was going anywhere - too many out at once and a lot of the streets and bridges closed, so in effect nowhere for lots of people to go) that a bomb had gone off in front of the State Department. When I got near the memorial bridge, we were told the bridges were closed into Virginia. But the metro was running after all, so I got on and headed home. I had to walk from the metro, since there were no taxis running and no traffic moving even if they wanted to, and I had no idea whether there would be a bus anytime worth waiting for.
On the metro on the way home I sat next to a military person (Army? green uniform anyway) who had been in the Pentagon when the plane hit it. Actually, he had been pretty close. They were in a briefing and felt the shock. The room filled with smoke in a matter of 1 or 2 minutes, he said. They were
quickly organized into teams to make/bear litters and get the wounded out - since the people where he had been were right there but not injured. When they had done what they could and had to evacuate, he was among the ones sent home.
Most of what I've heard on the national news is about the 4 planes. In DC, it's been reported that there was a car bombing in front of the State Department, a man blew himself up on 15th street, and we still don't know what the big fire
near the White House was from. Congressman Moran was interviewed from where some of the Congress are sequestered near the Capitol and confirmed the first two - but I haven't heard anything else on the news about it. I guess we will get the details in the next day or two - some of these could be just rumors, but I saw the smoke from near the White House myself. You could see if from our office.
I found out that shortly after I went home on the metro (which goes right under the Pentagon) that they closed that leg and started busing people between Pentagon City and Arlington Cemetery. We did stop for awhile near the Pentagon, but the train continued through. I was really nervous about being possibly trapped on the Metro, but it was the only way out of the city.
Now I'm safe in Alexandria and am in shock listening to the news. I hope my neighbors understand, but I've been cleaning frantically to keep doing SOMETHING.
I heard from Mayra, she got home ok. 'still haven't heard from Kathie and Doreen, but I assume they are ok because Doreen got out before either Mayra or I did and Kathie was outside of the city headed back when things started happening in DC.
No idea what tomorrow will bring. 'take care.
Ann
'just thought I'd let you know how things are going today from a DC perspective.
It's been terrible, but with so far a veil of unreality.
As we were getting started with the day's work, our secretary screamed and told us she'd just heard that a plane had hit the world trade center in NY. We rushed to the conference room where we are lucky enough to have a TV. We were walking back and forth making phone calls and trying to do some semblance of regular work, but spending most of the time watching the news. I was sitting in the conference room watching the TV when the second plane flew into the south tower.
It was one of those things where I just couldn't believe what my eyes had seen, I guess the news people couldn't either, since it took them a few seconds to realize what had happened. Before, we'd been trying to convince ourselves that it must have been some horrible accident, but at that moment we knew that it wasn't an accident at all.
Even though nothing in DC had happened yet and we didn't have any premonitions that it would, Doreen was already making plans to go home. But Mayra had a meeting across town. She didn't want to go but another colleague told her we shouldn't react to terrorism like that, but should keep on doing our jobs. So, they left by metro for Dupont Circle and their meeting. Only a few minutes later, we were watching the TV and they switched to footage of black smoke billowing from
near the White House (by the Old Exec. Office Building). Before I could even react from that, Doreen got a call that the Pentagon had been struck. It was maybe another 30 seconds before we heard confirmation of that on the TV. I was still watching when the south tower of the world trade center collapsed - again, it was impossible to believe what I saw. Right after that, I was ordered out of the building and informed that all Federal buildings were being evacuated.
Our boss was out at Goddard in Maryland, and she called back frantic when she heard about the world trade center. I haven't heard from her since, but assume that she wasn't able to get back in the city, since everything entering is closed down. I hope she went home.
Doreen left shortly after we heard about the Pentagon. She went home, or tried to. I haven't heard if she made it out yet. I stayed put waiting for Mayra until our building was evacuated and we were forced to leave. We had been told that the metro was closed, so I started to walk home. (even though it's about 10 miles) As I was walking I heard on someone's radio (all the cars were in the streets but nobody was going anywhere - too many out at once and a lot of the streets and bridges closed, so in effect nowhere for lots of people to go) that a bomb had gone off in front of the State Department. When I got near the memorial bridge, we were told the bridges were closed into Virginia. But the metro was running after all, so I got on and headed home. I had to walk from the metro, since there were no taxis running and no traffic moving even if they wanted to, and I had no idea whether there would be a bus anytime worth waiting for.
On the metro on the way home I sat next to a military person (Army? green uniform anyway) who had been in the Pentagon when the plane hit it. Actually, he had been pretty close. They were in a briefing and felt the shock. The room filled with smoke in a matter of 1 or 2 minutes, he said. They were
quickly organized into teams to make/bear litters and get the wounded out - since the people where he had been were right there but not injured. When they had done what they could and had to evacuate, he was among the ones sent home.
Most of what I've heard on the national news is about the 4 planes. In DC, it's been reported that there was a car bombing in front of the State Department, a man blew himself up on 15th street, and we still don't know what the big fire
near the White House was from. Congressman Moran was interviewed from where some of the Congress are sequestered near the Capitol and confirmed the first two - but I haven't heard anything else on the news about it. I guess we will get the details in the next day or two - some of these could be just rumors, but I saw the smoke from near the White House myself. You could see if from our office.
I found out that shortly after I went home on the metro (which goes right under the Pentagon) that they closed that leg and started busing people between Pentagon City and Arlington Cemetery. We did stop for awhile near the Pentagon, but the train continued through. I was really nervous about being possibly trapped on the Metro, but it was the only way out of the city.
Now I'm safe in Alexandria and am in shock listening to the news. I hope my neighbors understand, but I've been cleaning frantically to keep doing SOMETHING.
I heard from Mayra, she got home ok. 'still haven't heard from Kathie and Doreen, but I assume they are ok because Doreen got out before either Mayra or I did and Kathie was outside of the city headed back when things started happening in DC.
No idea what tomorrow will bring. 'take care.
Ann
September 11 Email: Date
03:21 PM, 9/11/2001
September 11 Email: Subject
In DC today
Collection
Citation
“email40.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed October 6, 2024, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/37899.