story7449.xml

story7449.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-15

I was at work and we were just about to go on our first break at 8:00 AM(PDT) when the management of the contractor that I work for called everyone out onto the West loading dock to tell us about what had just happened...that someone in INS had just come over to the front office and reported it and that security had just ordered the building evacuated.We then were instructed by the management to quickly and calmly get everything cleaned up,get our things and go home.So we did and what was really remarkable was that all of us were driving in a safe manner but we weren't really paying much attention to the speed limit...but the police around didn't go after any of us.It was obvious they knew...so they just let us all go.It was clear to everyone including the police that at that time no one knew what location in the country might be next so everyone was trying to get away from the building as fast as possible in case it did go up.We wanted to be out of range of any possible flying debris if it did.Anyway,I got home,I live in the city of San Juan Capistrano,California and turned on the TV and like so many others found myself in a state of unbridled horrified shock.It was a very frightening experience and to this day what I felt emotionally has never left me.I doubt that it will ever will leave me...and I sincerely hope that it doesn't because I don't ever want to forget.A fan's sign during a baseball game in NYC at Yankee Stadium that I just saw on TV on Wednesday(9-11-02) night said it best I think.It read simply "We are ALL Yankees!" Go America!