Ten years ago

I was at work when a coworker said an airplane had crashed into the World Trade Center. After it became apparent that this was something serious, I went home and brought in a small portable TV to set up in the lunch room.

I don’t know how much work actually got done that day; I spent much of it watching what was happening. There’s a saying that goes like this: Once is happenstance, and twice is coincidence, but three times is enemy action. When the second plane struck the towers, I said immediately that this was war. The Pentagon was the third strike, but there was no way that what was happening was anything but a result of deliberate actions.

The Pentagon was also my closest brush to a direct connection to the attacks; my father, although retired from both the Air Force and the civil service, had worked in the Pentagon before retirement and still went almost daily to take advantage of their fitness facilities. It was four days before I could verify that he hadn’t been anywhere near the Pentagon at the time of the attack.

I could fill this post with links to the words of those who have said things with which I agree in much better ways than I can or have, but what’s the point? I would either be preaching to the choir or convincing you that I’m deranged and dangerous. I will suggest that you read Blackfive’s post about Rick Rescorla, and sign the petition he links to, if you’re so inclined.

Comments are closed.