Where Were You?
 

This past weekend marked the 20-year anniversary of 9/11, the attacks on our country. Hard to believe it’s been 20 years but time flies when you’re having fun… even when you’re not. I may be a couple of days late with this tribute, but I felt it important to “Never Forget.”

For some of you, 9/11 might just be an asterisk in a history book, but I think a lot of us remember exactly where we were that day. A Tuesday, clear blue skies, nary a cloud to be found. While I generally focus this Blog on our world of drag racing, I write this as a remembrance of that day. A day that changed forever how we would act as a country. Where were you when it happened?

It was the week of the Keystone Nationals in Reading, Pennsylvania, an event which actually happened last weekend, but in 2001, it was held two weeks after the U.S. Nationals. I had my rig all loaded for me to leave later in the day to park at Maple Grove Raceway for the event.

I had opened the shop and was preparing to visit my mother in her nursing home prior to leaving. As I got into my car to leave, my one employee came out to tell me that a plane had hit one of the World Trade Center buildings. Like a lot of us, we all probably thought it to be a small plane that inadvertently had problems to cause the crash.

As I left, the reports came over the radio in my car that it was indeed an airliner which had purposely been crashed into the building. What? That was about the only things going through our minds.

When I reached the nursing home, a lot of the residents were glued to the television set in their dining room, which is where we all watched live as a second plane crashed into the second tower. This was quickly becoming to our minds an act of terrorism. Still believing this to be an isolated incident, by the time I had left and returned to the shop, it was reported two other similar incidents had taken place at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, PA.

Immediately the word spread that all planes were grounded across the country, ordered to land at the nearest airport. My thoughts then were that if the Keystones were to go on, how would the hundreds of teams, drivers, crews, officials even get to the event.

Social media wasn’t what it is today and I don’t remember how the word eventually spread that the Keystones would be postponed, as would the dozens of other sporting events scheduled in the days ahead.

My late partner Dave Heuwetter worked on Wall Street, several blocks from the World Trade Center towers; at work that day prior to him meeting us at the Keystones later in the week. Our thoughts went out to him and with cell service seemingly disrupted, getting in touch with him was impossible. I think it wasn’t until later that night when his wife called to let us know she’d heard from him and he was safe.

Growing up, I lived just across the Hudson River from Manhattan, having driven up and down the northern section of the New Jersey Turnpike probably thousands of times, always seeing the huge twin towers as they stood. The skyline of Manhattan was forever changed that day, much like the way our lives have also changed.

July 4th, 1776. November 19th, 1863. December 7th, 1941. November 22nd, 1963. And now September 11th, 2001. All dates which one of them was termed by President Franklin Roosevelt as “a date which will live in infamy.” In today’s world, each of those dates, and many more like them, have defined our country and changed it in so many ways. And like it has been said so many times before, “Never forget!”

Re: Where Were You?
 

At the time, I worked at Boeing in the Aircraft Maintenance Engineering group and we supported all Boeing airline customers all over the world. This event changed the aircraft and airline industry as a whole.

Upon learning of the first airplane hitting the tower, we proceeded to pull all the records of the airplane based on its tail number. Unbeknownst to us, we would be doing the same for an additional 3 airplanes and working with our parent organization, the Boeing Commercial Aviation Safety Team. Moreover, throughout the day, we also learned that several employees were also in those flights.

As a result of this tragedy, the FAA released an Airworthiness Directive to replace the cockpit doors with secured and bullet proof doors. Our group spent the following two years developing the engineering solution and service bulletins for retrofitting the cockpit security doors for all the delivered Boeing airplanes in service.

Although there are conspiracy theorists, narratives and speculation that a Boeing 757 did not hit the Pentagon, all I can say is that the components and parts recovered in the Pentagon, matched the serial numbers of Flight 77.

Re: Where Were You?
 

Tuesday September 11, 2001 was the beginning of my work week for the United States Postal Service. Everything was normal that day until we heard about the 1st plane hitting the World Trade Center.

Even though we continued to get the mail out, our focus was on the tragedy that had occurred and the conversations changed from casual to "what just happened."

Every evening that week my T.V. was on to keep up on what was happening.

As has been said by many "The world changed that day."

Re: Where Were You?
 

My wife and I were on a cruise ship out of Seattle headed for Alaska and there many international travelers on the cruise. One thing that struck me was no matter the nationality everyone knew this was an attack on us all. We’ve all heard much about the “9/12” spirit that existed after the attack and wishes we could somehow put this current divisiveness aside and rekindle that same spirit. When on various forums I follow there’s always opportunities for offering a counterpoint, perhaps not to persuade but merely to argue. I’ve tried to reply simply “9/12” when I particularly want to blast someone’s point. If I can’t do that I simply ignore the thread, as Larry Morgan said “you can’t fix stupid”. I’m also attempting to not react to stupid drivers. Hope everyone has a 9/12 day.

Re: Where Were You?
 

I was at the parts counter where I worked. The parts guy had a tv on and was saying a plane had hit the first tower. While we were talking the 2nd plane hit on live tv. It's a shame so many people have forgotten already.

Re: Where Were You?
 

I was working on NASA's Int'l. Space Station program at the time, but that morning I was washing my Eagle Talon when one of my RV Park neighbors told me about the first tower hit. So I went inside my motorhome and watch the horrific events of that day unfold.

Re: Where Were You?
 

As a Port Authority employee, it was a regular day as usual. I was at the Path station at Journal Square when we heard about the plane crash, I was on the roof on the parking deck when I watched the second plane hit. I rushed back to my shop at the Holland Tunnel, and I was on my way down West ave, about a 1/2 mile away when WT1 fell.

I was there 12 more hours that day, and worked 12 hour days between ground zero and Staten Island land fill for a year after that. I lost friends and coworkers there.

I will never forget that day and many days that followed.

Re: Where Were You?
 

I was working for Vought Aircraft in Grand prairie Tx. We were a major supplier for structure to Boeing 747 757 767 ...Obviously the loss of lives and the families are the tragedy and always will be...but do we in the aircraft industry take it a tiny bit more personal?...I do..

Re: Where Were You?
 

I agree. I took it very personal with 9/11. Although I am retired from Boeing, I still take every event that involves a Boeing airplane personal. One particular event that hit me hard was TWA 800 which I was part of the investigation. I learned that the son of a well know cylinder head guy that I know, was a passenger in the flight.