I’m in southern California, so it was just before 6am here that Tuesday morning as everything started happening in New York. I was on the freeway driving to my job which is co-located on an Air Force Base. I was listening to KNX which is one of the local news/traffic/weather radio stations here. I distinctly remember being on the transition from the 5 North onto the 91 West when they came on and said they were receiving reports of a small plane apparently crashing into the WTC. The completely surreal details just kept unfolding as I was driving in to the office and I was in complete shock.

When I got to work, I stopped in the main corporate cafeteria and was watching CNN on the TV along with dozens of other employees. As we were watching, the second tower was hit. I will never forgot the huge gasp of shock that went through the crowd which was followed by an eerily quiet nothingness as we all just stood there staring at the screen in disbelief.

My office at the time (I have subsequently moved to a different building) was right down the hallway from the main cafeteria, so I headed there to tell my immediate coworkers what had happened. They already had a radio going and were listening to the breaking news there as well. Our manager at the time came into our area and we all got into a circle, clasped hands, and prayed. Prayer in the workplace is not something I would typically approve of, but on this day, at this time, it seemed the right thing to do.

None of us were at work very long before we were all sent home. The base was on total lock-down for the next two days. Even after we were allowed to return to work on Friday of that week, all of the main signage at the base was covered with black plastic sheeting for several weeks. Every time I would drive by and see that over the coming weeks, it reminded me that things had changed for our country.

Another thing I will also never forget from that day was just how bizarre it seemed driving home and not seeing any planes in the sky. I work very close to LAX which is one of the world’s busiest airports. As I drive home each day, there is always a constant stream of planes on approach to land. It was just so odd not seeing that as I was headed home.

After I got home, I called my parents back in Tennessee to check in with them. I think a lot of us who live away from our families were probably doing that on that day. When I called, I found out that my Mom had a heart attack that morning about an hour or so before the first attack. She had been transferred from their small community hospital to one in Nashville where she ultimately ended up having quadruple bypass surgery a couple of days later. Ironically enough, Sept. 11 is also my mother’s birthday. What a birthday present, eh?

Yeah, Sept. 11, 2001 is definitely a day I will never forget.