story3504.xml

story3504.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

I WAS HOME ALONE WATCHING THE MORNING NEWS WHEN PETER JENNINGS ANNOUNCED A PLANE HAD HIT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. I CALLED MY SON,TODD,A MEMPHIS FIREFIGHTER/PARAMEDIC. I WAS THINKING OF THE FIREMEN RESPONDING AND HOW WOULD THEY FIGHT THAT FIRE AND RESCUE THE PEOPLE? I KNEW TODD WOULD WANT TO SEE IT. I CALLED MY OTHER SON, ROB THAT WORKS AT DISNEY WORLD, HE WASN'T HOME. I CALLED MY DAUGHTER, MARTI,SHE WORKS AT BAPTIST HOSPITAL. I TRIED TO CALL MY HUSBAND, FRANK, I KNEW HE WOULDN'T ANSWER HIS CELL PHONE ON A CONSTRUCTION JOB, BUT I HAD TO TRY. I CALLED MY MOTHER AND BROTHER AND TOLD THEM ALL TO TURN ON THE TV. MY SON, ROB CALLED AND THEY HAD CLOSED DISNEY WORLD,THEY FEARED IT COULD BE A TARGET. I WATCHED AS THE OTHER PLANE HIT AN KNEW THAT IT WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT AND WE WERE BEING ATTACKED. I CRIED FOR THE FIREMEN, POLICEMEN, RESCUE PEOPLE AND ALL THE VICTIMS. I SPENT THE DAY TALKING TO MY FAMILY AS THE HORROR UNFOLDED. MY HEART BROKE AS I WATCHED THE HORROR BUT I COULDN'T TURN AWAY. IN THE WEEKS AND MONTHS THAT PAST WE RAISE FUNDS FOR THE NEW YORK FIREFIGHTERS AND WATCHED MY SON GRADUATE FROM FIRE TRAINING SCHOOL IN SEPTEMER. BOTH MY SONS WERE VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS GROWING UP IN RURAL ARKANSAS. MY HUSBAND WAS A VOLUNTEER FOR OVER 37 YEARS. I PRAY FOR THE FAMILIES OF ALL THE VICTIMS ON THAT DAY 091101. THEY WILL ALWAYS BE IN MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS.