story11461.xml
Title
story11461.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2005-06-12
911DA Story: Story
On the morning of Sept 11, 2001 I was a Midshipman 1st Class (Senior) at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. I had just finished a robotics lab in the Rickover Labs and was proceeding through the 'tunnel' to Luce Hall for my next class.
My path brought me past a midshipman lounge which was packed with 30 or 40 mids, instead of the normally present 5 or 10. I asked another midshipman what was happening, and he stated the facts as he knew them, both World Trade Centers had been hit by airplanes. I took a second to digest this, and my first thought was, "This has to be terrorism."
I went to my second hour class in Luce Hall, a leadership course ironically entitled "Code of the Warrior" in which we discussed the codes that various warrior classes lived by- a timely subject.
In my Luce classroom I found several classmates trying to get onto a computer and rig a television so that we could get much needed information. Our instructor, a civilian, invited us to the instructor lounge to witness the events.
It was there, in a room with several midshipmen, a few naval officers, and a civilian instructor I witnessed the first tower collapse. There wasnt a word spoken in the room...I felt in the pit of my stomache a combination of extreme sorrow for those inside and intense anger at those responsible.
Shortly, I left the lounge for my deck of the dormatory, Bancroft Hall. On my walk from Luce to 8-1, I felt amazingly alone and aware of my surroundings. It was a remarkably beautiful day on the East Coast (as many have noted). Midshipmen, normally a jovial group, walked purposefully to their decks without speaking.
I arrived on deck an immediately reported to the Company Mate of the Deck, a plebe (freshman), who was taking a muster of the company. The company held a formation to account for everyone, and we remained in formation following the muster awaiting further instruction from the upper echelons. We rolled a TV into the passageway so that we could feed our need for information.
Our Battalion Chaplain visited the deck and offered counsel, however I dont think anyone required it just yet. We began to have midshipmen account for relatives they knew in areas of the attacks, several family members lived and worked in the areas, one classmates father was an Admiral who worked in the Pentagon.
Following an announcement from the Commandant, we dismissed from formation and I went to my room and tried to call home. I got in touch with my mom, and tried not to show any emotion, so as to not upset her. How do you convince someone that where you are isnt a target or is safe after today?
As I sat my window, I noticed again the solitude even in this large place.
Shortly, a cruiser could be seen in the Chesapeake Bay, presumealby providing air defence for the approaches to the DC Area. USCG craft were patroling the waters of the Severn River along the Academy and the atheletic field lights were lit, and burned throughout the night for months to come. Marines emplaced bunkers at all the gates, machine gun nests were also present. Meals were eaten in shifts to prevent massing the Brigade in one spot. Liberty was canceled for the week.
The events of Sept 11, 2001 reminded me that evil exists in the world, and was a day I'll never forget.
My path brought me past a midshipman lounge which was packed with 30 or 40 mids, instead of the normally present 5 or 10. I asked another midshipman what was happening, and he stated the facts as he knew them, both World Trade Centers had been hit by airplanes. I took a second to digest this, and my first thought was, "This has to be terrorism."
I went to my second hour class in Luce Hall, a leadership course ironically entitled "Code of the Warrior" in which we discussed the codes that various warrior classes lived by- a timely subject.
In my Luce classroom I found several classmates trying to get onto a computer and rig a television so that we could get much needed information. Our instructor, a civilian, invited us to the instructor lounge to witness the events.
It was there, in a room with several midshipmen, a few naval officers, and a civilian instructor I witnessed the first tower collapse. There wasnt a word spoken in the room...I felt in the pit of my stomache a combination of extreme sorrow for those inside and intense anger at those responsible.
Shortly, I left the lounge for my deck of the dormatory, Bancroft Hall. On my walk from Luce to 8-1, I felt amazingly alone and aware of my surroundings. It was a remarkably beautiful day on the East Coast (as many have noted). Midshipmen, normally a jovial group, walked purposefully to their decks without speaking.
I arrived on deck an immediately reported to the Company Mate of the Deck, a plebe (freshman), who was taking a muster of the company. The company held a formation to account for everyone, and we remained in formation following the muster awaiting further instruction from the upper echelons. We rolled a TV into the passageway so that we could feed our need for information.
Our Battalion Chaplain visited the deck and offered counsel, however I dont think anyone required it just yet. We began to have midshipmen account for relatives they knew in areas of the attacks, several family members lived and worked in the areas, one classmates father was an Admiral who worked in the Pentagon.
Following an announcement from the Commandant, we dismissed from formation and I went to my room and tried to call home. I got in touch with my mom, and tried not to show any emotion, so as to not upset her. How do you convince someone that where you are isnt a target or is safe after today?
As I sat my window, I noticed again the solitude even in this large place.
Shortly, a cruiser could be seen in the Chesapeake Bay, presumealby providing air defence for the approaches to the DC Area. USCG craft were patroling the waters of the Severn River along the Academy and the atheletic field lights were lit, and burned throughout the night for months to come. Marines emplaced bunkers at all the gates, machine gun nests were also present. Meals were eaten in shifts to prevent massing the Brigade in one spot. Liberty was canceled for the week.
The events of Sept 11, 2001 reminded me that evil exists in the world, and was a day I'll never forget.
Collection
Citation
“story11461.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed December 6, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/5529.