nmah4395.xml

nmah4395.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-12

I work in Old Town Alexandria, VA which is about 2 miles from the Pentagon in Arlington, VA. On Monday September 10, 2001 we found out that our office had been broken into over the weekend and several pieces of computer equipment had been stolen and on Monday September 10, 2001 that was the most important issue to us. On Tuesday September 11, 2001 it became a very trivial thing and was all but forgotten. When we heard about the first WTC tower being hit by an airplane, terrorism never occurred to us. When we found out about the second tower it was the first thought that occurred to us. After hearing about the Pentagon we went outside and could see the smoke ball in the sky. A few hours later we walked outside to grab lunch and there was a horrible stench in the air. I found it hard to breath. It smelled like burning plastic and I will never forget that smell as long as I live. We're in the flight path of Reagan National Airport so we were all used to constant planes flying closely overhead. Later that day the sky became eerily quiet. On our way back from lunch we encountered some garbagemen picking up trash. Normally we wouldn't have said a word to them and they wouldn't have said a word to us but on this day we smiled at them and they told us to "Take care of yourselves ladies." We responded back by telling them to be safe.

Obviously the lives that were lost and the property damage that occurred in several senseless acts of violence. But in addition the patriotism that had been long surpressed resurfaced throughout the entire country.

Yes, when we were finally able to find a flag to buy, we have flown it proudly since.