story2040.xml

story2040.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-10

I had just finished my last trip for the month the night before and had met my Mothers airplane at the gate. She was coming in from Las Vegas and was scheduled to fly a Boston turn the next morning out of Newark. She rode the employee bus to the parking lot with me and I remember us both commenting on how beautiful the City looked all lit up and how the Twin Towers looked liked "Guardian" figures over the City! I dropped her off at the hotel, gave her a kiss and a hug, told her I loved her and would see her tomorrow afternoon. She turned to me and told me she loved me and "be careful" which is something she always says but it seemed to have a more urgent tone in the way she said it.
I woke up the next morning to a man on the radio screaming that a plane had just hit the World Trade Center. The first thought that came to mind was a small stunt plane hit, so I ran downstairs, turned on the T.V. and stood there NOT believing what I was seeing! I immediately ran back upstairs, woke my roommate, we came back downstairs and just stood there rubbing our eyes to make sure we were really seeing this.
We were watching a local New York news channel and they were interviewing people as to what they had witnessed and I remember them interviewing a guy who had said he saw a Continental 757 hit Tower One. Then one of the reporters said that they were getting reports that the Continental plane was the fatal plane and it was enroute from Boston. I literally lost my breath and was gasping for air! I had JUST LOST MY MOM!
A million thoughts were racing through my head and all of a sudden we saw a huge fireball errupt on the Tower Two; I turned to my roommate and said "Oh my God! They've bombed the Tower!" Then the news station started showing the replays of the plane flying down at a steep angle, banking, and then striking the corner of the building. We just stood there listening to the reports and then my phone rang. I got through to voicemail and it was my Mom calling from Boston telling me she was alright and wanted to know how I was and where I was? I tried calling her back and kept getting a busy signal, couldn't even get through to her voicemail.
Then we started to hear reports that there was a fire at the Pentagon; those reports turned to confirmed reports that a plane had hit the building and my roommate and I both looked at each other and said "Bin Laden!" We couldn't believe the Pentagon had been hit.... THE PENTAGON! Now were were hearing that in fact American Airlines had in fact lost two airplanes and United had lost one airplane and still had another that was not accounted for. Then the news of a crash outside Pittsburgh, PA and I turned to my roommate and told him I hope I'm dreaming and this all a huge nightmare!
All of a sudden we see the South Tower start to fall on its side and the huge cloud of smoke falls over lower Manhatten; I started crying and my roommate turns and says that when the smoke clears the Tower will still be there. I told him that there wasn't going to be a Tower left standing. I decided to get in my car and drive to see what I could of the City. At the time we were living by the Outerbridge Crossing which led to Staten Island and when I would drive to the airport for a trip I would judge the day by the visibility of the Towers; if I could see them it was a good day to fly, if not, then I was going to be spending alot of time in the ballpark. As I drove up the on ramp I looked back over my shoulder towards the City and saw the one remaining Tower still standing with all the smoke surrounding it. It made me sick to my stomach and I almost had to pull over because I thought I was going to throw up.
As I drove back I heard over the radio that the North Tower had fallen and I started to cry. Anger overcame my emotions and then an emptiness fell in the pit of my stomach, a feeling of helplessness, not knowing what to do? As my roommate and I sat watching the news there was an eerie calm over us; we lived right in the landing pattern for EWR and for the next few days the only planes we heard were the military jets flying manuvers up and down the Hudson. We fell asleep on our pullout couch that night with the windows open and the T.V on in case somethinge else happened. I awoke the next morning hoping this was all a bad dream when in reality it did in fact happen. Words can't describe my thoughts.
Being a transplant New Yorker by job occupation I remember the first time I saw New York City. I was 20 years old, just completed flight attendant training, and was having to go to New Jersey against my will. I cried when I stood by a window at EWR airport and realized that I was here! so close to N.Y! How many 20 year olds get the opportunity to be a flight attendant and get to be so close to the City that never sleeps? After being in the N.Y. area for a year I went back home to Houston to fly but immediately realized it was a huge mistake; I missed being up on the East Coast. I came back as soon as possible and felt at home! When the Towers fell and in the days, weeks, and months that followed, I felt cheated and I felt as if a huge hole had been put in my heart. The City had a huge hole in the skyline, the hearts of N.Y. were gone and as I now tell people I didn't realize how in love I was with those two buildings until I woke up one day and they were gone!
I now think of my fallen crew members on a daily basis. They are MY heros! They were the FIRST ones who lost their lives in the line of duty and they're with me every day. We may not have flown for the same carriers but we all shared a love for the skies and I like to think of them as my guardian angels. We will never know what bravery occured that day on those aiplanes. All I know is that the crews on United Airlines flights #175 and #93 and American Airlines flights #11 and #77, their passengers, the numerous professionals in N.Y. (FDNY, NYPD, PAPD, EMS) and the countless civilians who perished that day be remembered for who they were and what they loved doing.