story1890.xml
Title
story1890.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-09-08
911DA Story: Story
On the half hour drive to my office from Anderson to Muncie, I heard a brief report on National Public Radio, NPR, that an airplane had struck one of the World Trade Center towers. I assumed it was a small private plane and was interested but not alarmed.
When I reached the office, I turned on the radio and more was coming in about the event. When they said it was an airliner and not a small plane that had hit the tower, I knew I had to get a television on. The only one available was a 19 inch TV next to my conference table. We used it for videos so it had no antenna attached. I found a small rabbit-ear type antenna in the cabinet and hooked it up, hanging it upside down so the signal came in at least marginally.
I called to some of my staff to come in and see the images on the TV. Smoke was pouring out of the tower and streaming black soot was streaking down the sides.
I called my wife to turn on her TV as well. Slowly, the gravity of what was occurring dawned on us. Staff gradually trickled off to resume work in their offices and I continued to work at my desk and keep an eye on the TV imagegs.
Suddenly, another airliner struck the other tower. I shouted to my secretary and staff to come in and we gasped at what we were seeing. The awareness that this was a planned event struck each of us.
When the first tower collapsed, we sat silent for a moment and then went to call our families. As the day wore on with the Pentagon involved and the plane crash in Pennsylvania, I think we all felt numb. That night, my wie and I watched all evening and held each other tight.
When I reached the office, I turned on the radio and more was coming in about the event. When they said it was an airliner and not a small plane that had hit the tower, I knew I had to get a television on. The only one available was a 19 inch TV next to my conference table. We used it for videos so it had no antenna attached. I found a small rabbit-ear type antenna in the cabinet and hooked it up, hanging it upside down so the signal came in at least marginally.
I called to some of my staff to come in and see the images on the TV. Smoke was pouring out of the tower and streaming black soot was streaking down the sides.
I called my wife to turn on her TV as well. Slowly, the gravity of what was occurring dawned on us. Staff gradually trickled off to resume work in their offices and I continued to work at my desk and keep an eye on the TV imagegs.
Suddenly, another airliner struck the other tower. I shouted to my secretary and staff to come in and we gasped at what we were seeing. The awareness that this was a planned event struck each of us.
When the first tower collapsed, we sat silent for a moment and then went to call our families. As the day wore on with the Pentagon involved and the plane crash in Pennsylvania, I think we all felt numb. That night, my wie and I watched all evening and held each other tight.
Collection
Citation
“story1890.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed January 10, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/4008.