The 11th Anniversary Of September 11, 2001

One World Trade Center

It does not seem possible that it is 11 years since I got a call from Big Ed in Dallas telling me that a plane had struck the World Trade Center. I assumed Big Ed was talking about the World Trade Center in Dallas, since he was in Dallas at a meeting near the Dallas World Trade Center.

I turned on the TV right when the plane struck the second tower in New York City.

I thought I was seeing a replay, then I realized the other tower was burning. When it sank into my thick skull that America was under attack I started waking up people on the west coast.

I'd been on the west coast a week prior to 9/11. I'd driven, solo, back to Washington a month prior. This was to be the last time I've driven back to Washington. In the 3 years prior to 9/11 I'd driven back and forth from Texas to Washington 5 times. I do not know why 9/11 stopped the drives back to Washington. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that it became way cheaper to fly.

Now, 11 years later, a very impressive memorial exists where the twin towers used to stand.

What was originally called the Freedom  Tower and is now called One World Trade Center, is not yet finished. However, on August 17, 2012, the building was topped out at the 105th floor, at 1,368 feet, eventually to reach 1,776 feet, with the installation of 408 foot antenna spire.

A lot has happened in the world in the 11 years since 9/11/2001, but that date still seems like yesterday to me.