story5930.xml

story5930.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-12

I am a Southern California native, but on the morning of September 11, 2001 I was in Henderson, Nevada on a business trip. Lucky for me I was staying with my Mother and Father in law with my 3 month old son. I was just getting ready to get up for work when the phone rang. It was my husband, "Are you watching the T.V.?" he asked. I hardly ever turn the T.V. on in the morning because I get too distracted and always run late. He told me that planes had hit the World Trade Center in New York and one also hit the Pentagon. Of course like many other Americans, I was in shock. The first person I thought of was my Uncle who works on Wall Street. I have only been in Manhattan once, so I just couldn't picture where exactly his office was, but praying that it wasn't the WTC. After several frantic attempts on calling him, there was nothing when the call would go through. It was just an eerie silence or sometimes a busy signal. Miracously my husband had his pager number which was an 800 number, so it wasn't dialing directly into Manhattan. I paged him, waiting anxiously, he called back within 2 minutes. I couldn't even speak when I heard his voice, finally I said, "I have never been so happy to talk to you!!" He cried. He said he could see the smoke and the top of the WTC towers from his building. They were told to stay put. He said he would call back when he could. I called all my family to tell them I had spoken with him and they were just as relieved as myself. He called back about an hour later and said that they were evacuating, he wouldn't know when he could talk to me next, but that he would be okay.
When my son woke up I hugged him so close. It truly made me realize how special he is and how lucky I was to have flown in the night before. I missed my husband desperately that day, we must have talked a hundred times. Since the airports were closed we decided he would drive to Henderson to pick us up and we would drive home on the weekend. I was lucky to have picked up a rental car the night before because by Tuesday afternoon they were all gone!
About 5 hours later my Uncle called me back and said he just got home. He walked home from Wall Street to Brooklyn. He said it was an eerie long walk. Not many people talking just staring and sobbing in disbelief.

All I can say is that a year later it still seems like it happened yesterday. I pray that it never happens again and that our country always stay as united as we are now. WE ARE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!