Blog Off-September 11

The blog off for this week is where were you on Sept. 11th. I know I will never forget the day...

It was a Tuesday morning and I had an early class. I went to the my first class and moved on to my next class, unaware that anything had happened. When I got into my class the professor had the TV on. Not totally out of the ordinary because it was a journalism class, we watched a little bit of the news footage and saw the 2nd plane fly into the 2nd tower. Our professor said, 'get out of here, go home, go back to your dorms!' I hightailed it to the Sigma house (our sorority house), still not totally sure what was happening. I ran into the chapter room and people were starting to gather around the TV. We all just sat there in shock. I bet we sat there that day for 12 hours straight...there was probably 30+ people gathered around the TV at all times that entire day. Every where you walked on campus, people were huddled around TV's, almost all classes we canceled for that day and night (all of mine were). Sept. 11 is my Dad's birthday, so as soon as I realized what was going on, I called Dad to make sure everyone we knew was safe and accounted for and to wish him a happy birthday. I called Mom and she was at work. She was working for Dr. Dan Eichenberger and his brother worked at the Pentagon, so everyone was praying to hear from him. And, a friend of ours was worried and couldn't contact her Dad, he was also at the Pentagon, so we were all praying for him...and for everyone! I still remember what I was wearing, where I was sitting in class that day, where I was standing when I called my Mom and Dad, the panic in everyone's voice that day, the sadness we all felt, how scared everyone was. I was pretty obsessed with it...I watched a TON of news coverage and read every article or story I could get my hands on.

I was still in college (and not dating Scott) but 9/11 was Scott's first anniversary with NGA. I can not even imagine what that place was like that day, and of course, he can't say much, but he has mentioned how scared everyone was. Here he was sitting in an intelligence agency!! Planes were targeting these places! He said they thought for sure that they would be hit next. He had to begin 12 hour shift work immediately after that.

I didn't know anyone that was directly linked to the deaths/terror that day until 6 years ago when I met my friend, Erin. Her brother in law, Matt, works for Cantor Fitzgerald. They lost more employees than any other organization in the attacks, 658 people (every employee that was at the offices that morning). You might remember Matt's story. He and 3 other employees were preparing for a fishing trip that morning and either didn't go in that day or had been there early and left before the attacks. Here is an article that mentions him, Matt Claus, and his story. He has been chosen to read all 658 names at memorials over the years!

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_37/b4000077.htm