Where were you on 9-11?

Photo by Dennis Whitehead for Corbus Park Police helicopter
at the Pentagon on 9-11

This was a memorable time for me.  I was a divorced single mom who was dating a US Park Police Helicopter Pilot named Keith Bohn.  He was working night shift at the time and I had taken the kids to school and headed down to Washington DC to meet him for a late breakfast after he got off work.  As I was driving into the nation's capital I was listening to the radio and for the first time starting hearing the radio announcers talking about a plane flying into the world trade center.  It was just speculation at this time and what they were talking about was a little plane.  When I arrived at the hanger, both Eagle One and Eagle Two (the US Park Police Helicopters) were taking off.  I didn't think anything about it because I knew his shift was done and it was probably the new shift of pilots taking off for a call. 

When I got inside the hanger, he was not there.  The only person left in the hanger was the helicopter technician who told me they just got a call to respond to the white house, that a plane was headed to Washington DC and that they were to go airborn.  He left me a quickly scribbled note that simply said...."got called into the air, there is another plane headed this way, go home and wait for me to call".  They had a big screen TV they left on which they were obviously watching when they got called airborn.  CNN was on the TV and it was showing video of the World Trade Center.  I was mesmerized with the images on the TV screen.  It was then that I left the city in tears! 

On my way home in the car I was glued to the radio.  I called my mother and sister to tell them what was going on in case I was the only non-police person who knew a plane was headed to Washington DC.  It was then that my mom told me that my brother Jay was doing some contract work at the Pentagon.  I told mom I would call Jay and tell him next but while talking to my mom the cell phone went dead and there was no coverage at that time.  I realized very quickly that this was an event like no other.  I went directly to my child's school and there had to be over 100 parents there to collect their children.  The children were being released to the parents as they arrived.  You have to understand that our schools in Howard County Maryland have families who's parents work at NSA (National Security Administration), The Pentagon, Washington DC Police and many other Washington DC government jobs.  The children were not told what was going on and why they were let out early but left it for the parents to to explain to them.  At home we were glued to the TV and it was then the Pentagon was being identified as being hit.  I saw on the TV Keith's Eagle Two helicopter removing injured people.

Park Police U.S. Navy Photo by Journalist 1st Class Mark D. Faram

Photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Carmen L.Burgess of a Park Police helicopter evacuation of the Pentagon on 9-11

Later we found out my brother who was at the Pentagon that day was safe. Keith told me about his experience and here you can read about his account. He was the first on the scene, before police and before any medical team. They worked all day removing injured victims. His experience was something he will never forget! Sgt. Keith Bohn and other US Park Police Pilots were awarded a commendation for thier actions.  My children and I will NEVER forget that day. We ended up losing 3 parents of children who attended our elementary school. We had services for them at the school and they had to have grief counselors come and help the children for weeks. 

My cousin Molly had a completely different account of what happened that day. She was in New York.   Her account of what happened in New York will make you cry! She lost friends and she still remembers and writes about that day.  I just love her blog about trying to find Mr. Right in New York City.   It can be such a fun blog but today, she gives account of the events of 9-11 and it is a very sad post!   Love you Molly!