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Geeze....are you ok now? I mean, how do you feel now? What a frightening ordeal to go thru?
Physically, I took some permanent damage to my lungs. I used to run a 6-minute mile, after the attack my best is an 8-minute mile. I now have an occasional, deep persistent cough that sounds like my lungs are falling out of my chest. It's my reminder that I'm still alive.
Psychologically, I am numb to the whole thing - not angry, not sad, etc... After the attack I was on medical leave to recuperate. I requested a transfer to an office that wasn't in the Pentagon; the request was promply granted. When the call went out for volunteers for Afghanistan, I was the first in line. For a long time I dreaded going back into the Pentagon; several years ago I was finally able to visit the office we were in. Every year around the anniversary I take leave and get the heck out of town. I have not visited the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial, however I have visited the Shanksville site and I'd like to visit NYC if I get the opportunity.
I was home at the time and lived about a mile from I-395, and about 4 miles south of the Pentagon. I didn't have a TV or radio on. I was in the living room when a huge boom rattled my windows. Within a few minutes, I started hearing sirens, then more, and more - more sirens than I'd ever heard at one time. I assumed there must have been a serious crash on the highway, like an exploding gasoline tanker or something.
After a while, with the sirens still not stopping, I suggested to my wife that we drive over to the highway to see. There's an overpass close to where I lived; I thought I'd drive over and look down on the highway. When we got to the highway, I saw that the northbound lanes into DC were blocked from entering, and traffic was going south on the north lanes! That prompted me to turn on the car radio, and I started hearing about the Pentagon being attacked, and reports of bombs going off at the Capitol and other government buildings. I could see smoke in the distance from where the Pentagon is. I actually don't recall if I heard then about the WTC.
I decided to drive to the Pentagon to get a look. I got to Columbia Pike and traffic was really bad. I turned into a neighborhood that borders 395 and saw, on the other side of a chainlink fence, lots of people out of their cars standing on the highway, and lots of police. I parked and talked with them, and kept the radio on.
I heard from the radio about the WTC attacks, and at one point they announced the first building falling. It seemed very surreal to me. At the time, the US had been having confrontations with Iraq over the no-fly zones, so I concluded that whether or not the attack was the work of Sadaam Hussein, we would take him out now.
The people I spoke with who were on the highway said they'd seen the plane going down, or flying low over them. Bear in mind that the area has many planes flying low nearby due to National Airport, and they knew this one was different. Every now and then a fighter jet would fly overhead. Suddenly everyone on the highway began running, and shouting "another plane is coming!" - because we'd heard another plane was hijacked and possibly heading for the White House or Capitol.
After awhile we decided to drive to highrise apartments in Arlington that are very near the Pentagon, because I knew they had open roofs where people were allowed to go, and had a great view of the Pentagon. We went up there and saw the gash in the Pentagon and all the smoke and destruction.
It took a really long time to get home. Roads were jam-packed, even all the alternate routes, a lot of people were walking home.
When I heard about the WTC falling, it really didn't sink in, it was so unreal. Later, I watched the newscasts and video far too much and fell into a bit of a depression, I think. Really horrifying, even just as a distant observer. I was like a zombie, watching TV almost non-stop.
Another thing that sticks in my mind is one night, after Bush had declared we were going into Afghanistan, I went out to my car and noticed that air cargo transports were lumbering overhead, one after the next, after the next - like a long freight train. Really hit home that we were off to war.
I had just pulled into the parking lot of the V.A. hospital in Hampton Virginia . I am a handicapped vet, and the injury I sustained while on active duty, had caused me to fall and injure my knee, tear the cartilage. I was listening to my radio, and had just parked, and was about to shut off the engine when I heard it. I was absolutely stunned.
Physically, I took some permanent damage to my lungs. I used to run a 6-minute mile, after the attack my best is an 8-minute mile. I now have an occasional, deep persistent cough that sounds like my lungs are falling out of my chest. It's my reminder that I'm still alive.
Psychologically, I am numb to the whole thing - not angry, not sad, etc... After the attack I was on medical leave to recuperate. I requested a transfer to an office that wasn't in the Pentagon; the request was promply granted. When the call went out for volunteers for Afghanistan, I was the first in line. For a long time I dreaded going back into the Pentagon; several years ago I was finally able to visit the office we were in. Every year around the anniversary I take leave and get the heck out of town. I have not visited the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial, however I have visited the Shanksville site and I'd like to visit NYC if I get the opportunity.
I can't give you another rep, you know the story, however, please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you. My son was in Afghanistan...with Dyn for 1 1/2 years. Your a very outstanding person...thank you for all you've done...
I was home at the time and lived about a mile from I-395, and about 4 miles south of the Pentagon. I didn't have a TV or radio on. I was in the living room when a huge boom rattled my windows. Within a few minutes, I started hearing sirens, then more, and more - more sirens than I'd ever heard at one time. I assumed there must have been a serious crash on the highway, like an exploding gasoline tanker or something.
After a while, with the sirens still not stopping, I suggested to my wife that we drive over to the highway to see. There's an overpass close to where I lived; I thought I'd drive over and look down on the highway. When we got to the highway, I saw that the northbound lanes into DC were blocked from entering, and traffic was going south on the north lanes! That prompted me to turn on the car radio, and I started hearing about the Pentagon being attacked, and reports of bombs going off at the Capitol and other government buildings. I could see smoke in the distance from where the Pentagon is. I actually don't recall if I heard then about the WTC.
I decided to drive to the Pentagon to get a look. I got to Columbia Pike and traffic was really bad. I turned into a neighborhood that borders 395 and saw, on the other side of a chainlink fence, lots of people out of their cars standing on the highway, and lots of police. I parked and talked with them, and kept the radio on.
I heard from the radio about the WTC attacks, and at one point they announced the first building falling. It seemed very surreal to me. At the time, the US had been having confrontations with Iraq over the no-fly zones, so I concluded that whether or not the attack was the work of Sadaam Hussein, we would take him out now.
The people I spoke with who were on the highway said they'd seen the plane going down, or flying low over them. Bear in mind that the area has many planes flying low nearby due to National Airport, and they knew this one was different. Every now and then a fighter jet would fly overhead. Suddenly everyone on the highway began running, and shouting "another plane is coming!" - because we'd heard another plane was hijacked and possibly heading for the White House or Capitol.
After awhile we decided to drive to highrise apartments in Arlington that are very near the Pentagon, because I knew they had open roofs where people were allowed to go, and had a great view of the Pentagon. We went up there and saw the gash in the Pentagon and all the smoke and destruction.
It took a really long time to get home. Roads were jam-packed, even all the alternate routes, a lot of people were walking home.
When I heard about the WTC falling, it really didn't sink in, it was so unreal. Later, I watched the newscasts and video far too much and fell into a bit of a depression, I think. Really horrifying, even just as a distant observer. I was like a zombie, watching TV almost non-stop.
Another thing that sticks in my mind is one night, after Bush had declared we were going into Afghanistan, I went out to my car and noticed that air cargo transports were lumbering overhead, one after the next, after the next - like a long freight train. Really hit home that we were off to war.
so were the reports correct, were there bombs going off at the Capital?
I cannot imagine seeing all those cargo transports...yes, it must have been terrifying...
I had just pulled into the parking lot of the V.A. hospital in Hampton Virginia . I am a handicapped vet, and the injury I sustained while on active duty, had caused me to fall and injure my knee, tear the cartilage. I was listening to my radio, and had just parked, and was about to shut off the engine when I heard it. I was absolutely stunned.
yes, did you kind of freeze up? Yanno, I just cannot explain the feelings my mind went thru...I can only say, it was mentally surreal...like I was having an out of body experience? Never had one, however, perhaps that is what it's like...sort of like watching a movie that was fiction..but being in it?
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Thanks for pointing out that grammatical errror. 
