Never forget?

I am a “never forget” person. The attack on 9/11/2001 changed me as it changed our country. We have enemies we must constantly be on guard against, and they are foreign and domestic. The domestic failure showed an enemy of complacency and inattention in the FBI and federal govt, of political and bureaucratic silliness and self promotion leading to gross incompetence. The foreign ones proved evil, effective, determined. I can’t forget this juxtaposition as I review the world 17 years later. Our governments are corrupt; we are corrupt in our acceptance of corruption, weak of mind and body and spirit. Only a vast and terrible event will ever turn our silly flatulent complacency, while a lean, desperate and vengeful enemy awaits to exploit our every weakness. Our moral turpitude inspires the enemies certainty of their cause.

It was a Tuesday just like today is. In Washington, it was a beautiful day--the sky was perfect.

Word started to spread as people started reading online or turning to the televisions in some leadership offices to figure out what was going on in New York. Then the Pentagon. No phones worked. Families were panicking.

Our building was evacuated. So where do you go when you live right by the Pentagon?

The fear and the rumors. Smoke from the Pentagon moved across the Potomac to the Mall. You heard people saying another plane was bound for the Capitol and another for the White House.

"This means war". I remember two officers saying while in the metro trying to figure where to go. No way home or so I thought. The orange bound train for that heads southwest from the city inexplicably crossed the Potomac going through the Pentagon and letting me out at the nearby shopping mall.

I have no idea why as the train was not bound for there but it helped me get home. My wife was on the same train.

We went to the rooftop and I saw the Pentagon on fire wondering if folks at Pearl Harbor had felt what I felt that day.

Phones at home didn't work either. A few items had fallen from the boom of the blast when the plane hit. Nothing broke but it was like a strong breeze came by to move objects.

Everyone helped one another get home. People just piled into cars.

We watched; we waited and worried. What next? Fire alarm around 8 pm. Firemen who had been at the Pentagon stopped what they were doing to handle a false alarm. The look in their eyes, fatigue and commitment, resonated with me.

The next day there were no words to describe the smell of burning jet fuel and whatever other charred things were in the air. Again smoke was in the air. Breathing was a little rough for the walk towards the metro.

People, other than tourists or loud kids, don't talk a lot on the trains. The silence as we passed the Pentagon was moving. It was like everyone knew the gravity of what transpired and were showing their respects.

17 years have passed. Feels like yesterday.

Great first hand report, thank you.

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Originally Posted by bigsky

Great first hand report, thank you.

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Ditto

Yes it was.

I remember exactly where I was and what was happening. It changed all our lives instantly.

Also, although secondary and paling in comparison to the loss many endured, our long time family's business, which relied on Fort Knox and the retirees in the area went into an immediate and terminal decline the likes of which confound me to this day.
That took the wind out of my Dads sails and contributed to his rapid physical decline. On 9/11 when the towers fell, Dad went into a bit of denial acting like it hadn't really happened. And I remember he was in a panic to take care of business and forget the days events. Even before the second tower fell he was demanding we leave and not acknowledging what was happening.
Very, very unlike my Father. Sometimes I think he had one of the many small strokes he subsequently dealt with, when that first tower fell. He was standing in the doorway waiting for me to come with him and adamant that was most important.

We rode around making estimates and such which we were under no pressure to make at the moment and I couldn't understand why in light of what was happening. We never went without plenty of contracts secured.
But Dad must have sensed the secondary impact would be life changing also. We eventually lost everything, while trying to salvage a family trade that had served us well since the sixties. And then he just gave out.
i would wager that 50% if successful businesses in this area suffered similar fates. And it was all due to 9/11 in one way or the other.

Strangely it did not appear to sink in for many people that folks were trapped in those buildings and that our nation had been attacked. The people we visited that day did not perceive the magnitude of what had happened and were trying to go on life as usual

But through it all our family had each other to lean on, and didn't suffer the kind of loss many did that fateful day. We only lost our homes and livelihood, and still considered ourselves blessed

The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 enabled the bank(s) (while under federal "conservatorship" as they called it) to blatantly steal my fathers home and yet receive bailout funds intended to prevent foreclosure, to benefit themselves. Had their cake and ate it too.
I had tangible proof of what was done but our state leaders refused to get involved citing that 'we dont get involved in those matters'
And legal action was not an option given the social climate at the time

But one day they'll see my Dad standing with the Lord and will be reminded.