I watched World Trade Center tonight. I thought it was a very good movie, and told a side of the story you don't hear very often, the human side. As I was watching I kept thinking about my story of the events of 9/11/01. This story will follow, it is not as bad as the story I just watched on World Trade Center, nor last springs movie United 93, but it is my story.
We'll start back in 1994. I was a 25 year old Seargent in the US Army stationed at Ft Monmouth NJ. From my barracks it was a 1/4 mile walk and a $17 train ride in to Penn Station in Manhattan. I considered one of my jobs in the Army to be a "Professional Tourist" I was after all being paid to see the world. One of the things I liked to do when I visit a new city also is to go to the observation deck on the tallest building there. In 1994 I had already been to the top of Detroit's Rennasaince Center, Toronto's CN Tower, Boston's Hancock Tower and Chicago's Sears Tower. On one of my trips into NY I did actually stop at the World Trade Center to go to the observation level, but decided the line was to long, and the Trade Center will be here next time.........
Now it's fall approaching winter 2000/2001, I have moved a couple more times, and I'm now in Landstuhl Germany and getting ready to leave the Army after 12 years. I still have not been to the top of the Trade Center, but I've added the Space Neadle in Seattle, and the Eifel Tower in Paris to my list. I sign out on terminal leave in January 2001, and stay with my parents outside of Detroit MI while looking for a new job.
In March 2001 I start my new job in Petaluma, CA about 1 hour north of San Fransisco, and March and April are spent getting settled. In May 2001 I decide it's time to have some fun again and plan to meet a friend in Anaheim CA for the weekend. I call my parents before I leave and find that my mother is in the hospital with a blood clot in her leg. I promise to call her the next day when I get down to Anaheim. I call and find out now that she is scared. The doctors decided to try to find out why she had a blood clot and found cancer.... This was May 19 2001, my 32nd birthday. Happy Birthday, Mark.....
I know you want 9/11/2001 story, it's coming I promise.
I keep in touch throughout the summer, and they keep telling me not to spend my money traveling yet. Besides I can't take vacation until I have been at my new job 6 months, I have to wait until September...
I plan my vacation for September and will use all of it for one week starting September 4, 2001. I fly home visit with my family and friends for a week, my body is still on pacific time though and I sleep in later than everyone else. I've been in Detroit almost a week, it's Tuesday morning, I don't know what time I was half awake just being lazy. The phone rings, Mom answers, it's my youngest brother with news.
I hear my Mom's voice "Oh My God!!! Oh My God!!! The Pentagon!!! Oh My God!!!" Then my other brother comes running upstairs and turns on his TV. I walk in and we both stare at the news unfolding for the next few hours. I then realize I need to call my boss, I'm supposed to fly from Detroit to San Fransisco tomorrow (Sept 12) and that's not going to happen. Oh and by the way I'm out of vacation time...
No flights on September 12. The airlines don't know if there will be any on the 13th, but tell me to come to the airport anyway. I get to the airport, and it is really wierd. It's a Thrusday afternoon, and there are maybe 20 passengers in the whole airport. We're talking about the Detroit Metropolitian and Wayne County Airport, and it's empty. To add to that all the stores, including all the bars are closed, the only place open was Starbucks. I don't think I need coffee on this flight thanks.
The flight before mine is cancelled. Then another airline nearby announces they got the OK and are now boarding and will be the 1st flight out. My flight then boards as well, and I'm on the 2nd flight to leave Detroit after the attacks.
I layover for a while in St Louis, and finally find a Burger King open so I can eat something. I was hoping to eat at the airport in Detroit but noone was open. While in St Louis I find out that Northwest Airlines decided not to start flying yet, and had something to drink as well. Late that night I land at San Fransisco, and wait until 5:00 AM for the bus to take me home.
All in all I went 2 days over my vacation and filled my time card appropriately. Payroll called however and asked why I had unpaid days. My boss explained it to them, they elected to pay me for those 2 days anyway. (I'm guessing it might have something to do with our Corprate Headquarters being in midtown Manhattan.)
That pretty much sums up my experiance on 9/11. If you have anymore questions ask in the comments and I'll do my best to answer.
11:05:50 PM 
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