9/11 A Personal Memory and Warning
On September 11, 2001 early morning I was riding on a commercial flight about to land at the Ronald Reagan airport in Washington, D.C. as the first leg of a trip that would take me on a consulting tour to China and Australia. As our plane was descending all of the sudden many people got excited in telephone conversations they were having with friends and family on the ground. Our plane suddenly angled its descent more. The pilot came over the speaker and said he was turning on the video screens with live feeds from New York City. Suddenly there was an image of the World Trade Center surrounded by black smoke.
A few moments later we had a hard landing and it seemed the jet rushed to the gateway. There was not the usual sometimes annoying delay between stopping at the gate and waiting to exit. Instead the door was immediately opened and airline representative hastened for us to depart calmly but quickly. As we walked hurriedly into the airport the scene was absolutely silent as everyone was fixed on the World Trade Center images on the televisions over the bar. Suddenly there was a large crash sound and a tremor felt throughout the airport. A middle-aged African-American police officer who probably normally seemed like the grandmotherly type rapidly approached the crowd with the most serious and determined face I have ever seen. She said there was danger and that we immediately had to depart the airport. There was no debate or discussion, silently we all immediately packed in behind her as she lead us out the door into the street with thousands of other bewildered and shocked passengers.
We heard rumors that the Pentagon had been hit by something and could see smoke coming from its direction. Police were telling us that we had to get moving in the other direction. I had no map or idea of where I was. People began moving down the street away from the airport en mass. All the traffic was stopped and cars were just laying still in the street reminding of the movie, “The Day the Earth Stood Still”. No one was really leading the exodus we just knew we had to get away. As we moved we would momentarily stop by a stranded taxi driver or commuter listening to the radio. There were reports that other attacks might still come to the nation’s capitol so all traffic, buses, and subways were stopped.
Gradually we made our way into Georgetown. There were many women with small children and elderly people in the crowd. Absolute strangers where helping carry them and offering assistance. Where ever there was a hotel or restaurant it immediately became packed with people seeking shelter and news. Almost every one of the hotels we passed for about the first five hours immediately became full and asked that the swollen mass of people continue on because they could not provide food and shelter for all.
This was the nation’s capitol and it was in absolute chaos. After about 12 hours I was able to find lodging by agreeing to share a room with a visiting official from South America. A lot of folks made new friends that day because the only way to accomodate everyone was to share hotel rooms.
Today I was listening to Zbigniew Brzezinski, renowned foreign policy expert from the Carter adminstration, talking about how it is a new world and how the United States has to accept that its role in this world will be limited. I thought about how timid the United States became in world affairs in the years after World War I. Even though very threatening great powers developed in Japan and Germany, many in the United States recommended an isolationist and minimalist foreign policy. Our timidity was repaid by the United States having to fight for its very survival.
Our country continues to face significant challenges. Everyone else in the world does not necessarily agree with our form of government or our core values. History has repeatedly demonstrated that good intentions do not mean good results. As a former officer in the United States Army I know that even though some talk of the importance of alliance building, the reality is we are the only democracy left with real armed forces. In both Afghanistan and Iraq our allies really did not help very much and often get in the way. The United Nations is a failure and its time to admit it. We cannot rely on international organizations to guarantee our freedom. That will only come from our own determination and vigilance. “America First” is our one best chance for the future.
Go To Contempo Magazine Home Page