story5846.xml

story5846.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-12

My fiancee was in Denver visiting with friends enjoying dirt bike riding while there and his flight was due back on September 11th. While at home getting ready for work I heard them talking on the radio about the first then second plane and could not believe what I was hearing so I turned on the television. About that time my fiancee called from Denver International Airport to let me know that he was there and that his flight was on time. I asked him if he had heard what had happened and after saying he had not I proceeded to tell him about it. He suddenly said they are telling him to board and he would see me that evening. On my way to work I heard them talking about the Pentagon and then they announced that they were closing the airports - between that moment and when he called me was the longest period of time that I could remember as I did not know if he was in the air or what. Finally, to my relief my cell phone rang and he was sitting in the plane not knowing what all the rest of the world knew was going on. He then had to go because the plane was making an announcement. Next call from him was from the inside of the airport where everyone was told to get out immediatly and he commented that it was just very chaotic because most people weren't sure what to do or where to go or what exactly was happening. He was lucky enough to have people to stay with - others weren't. September 11, 2001 was on a Tuesday and he finally made it home on Friday evening because all aviation was grounded. l will never forget this day and how lucky I was to have him home with me when others weren't so lucky. One of the passengers on the first plane that hit the World Trade Center was the daughter of a woman that I worked with at my previous job which I had left on September 5th - I was lucky, her family was not.