East Coast
Tier 1
On a another note, if you ever get to NYC, visit the 9/11 memorial. It was a very emotional experience for me.
9/11/2001
- Thread starter geezer
- Start date
The Frog to be Named Later
Active Member
I was one of those flying over houston later that evening -- from Ft Smith Arkansas Guard unit. Radios were also eerily silent due to no civil traffic. It was just my flight, AWACs, tanker, and ATC. Very surreal to be capping over our own countr. I had trained for 16 years at that point for "away games" only.
satis1103
DAOTONPYH EHT LIAH LLA
I didn't have to get up for work until about 11 that morning, so I slept in. But one of my roommates ran in and woke me up, "Mario, get up, we're at war!"
I didn't comprehend what that meant as she ran back into the living room where the TV was, but the rest of the day was spent just absorbing all of the terrible things that were happening. I worked in a tourist-ish area at that time and my boss said it's not a good idea to open that day. Nobody knew what was coming next. The giant buildings near my work were potential targets. For half the day we were sure something was coming next, possibly closer to home.
After probably 12 hours the household made a mutual agreement that we couldn't watch anymore. So the TV went off, and I remember a lot of stunned silence.
I didn't comprehend what that meant as she ran back into the living room where the TV was, but the rest of the day was spent just absorbing all of the terrible things that were happening. I worked in a tourist-ish area at that time and my boss said it's not a good idea to open that day. Nobody knew what was coming next. The giant buildings near my work were potential targets. For half the day we were sure something was coming next, possibly closer to home.
After probably 12 hours the household made a mutual agreement that we couldn't watch anymore. So the TV went off, and I remember a lot of stunned silence.
Hoosierfrog
Tier 1
Very strange seeing you guys up there. Was there just a race track course or was it varied? I imagine NASA and the channel were a priority. I lived in the Memorial area in far west Houston, so it must have covered a lot of ground. Gotta admit seeing loaded up nacelles was a bit eerie…
Glad you were there and ready!
BrewingFrog
Was I supposed to type something here?
Two more small portraits of people I knew, whose names are important:
Ike Clanton was the husband of my long-suffering secretary, Rita. And yes, Ike was one of those Clantons. He joined the Marine Corps out of High School, and did two tours in Vietnam. He liked it, as he told me later, so he re-upped and did two more. After he was brought back in the drawdown, he went to work for Shell. Led a good life, raised two fine boys with his H.S. sweetheart, and was happy.
The day of the attacks, he literally got in his truck and drove to the nearest Marine Recruiting Office, and "reported for duty." The squared-away Marine behind the desk evidently took a look at Ike's service record and jumped to his feet with a salute. With the greatest reverence, he told Ike, "Sir, thank you for reporting. Should we need you, we will be in contact." It bugged Ike to no end that he couldn't get into the fight in some way. "Hell, I'll drive a damned truck!"
Cancer took him about five years ago. Rita followed three years later. Ike was always a jovial goofball, easy going and relaxed. And he did 4 tours in Vietnam because "he liked it."
***
Charles Kitkowski was a fellow I never got to know well enough. He was part of a group of friends who all attended the University of St. Thomas in Houston, and Mrs. Brewingfrog and I got to know them all via work crossovers. Charles was Marine ROTC at St. Thomas, and after the attacks, was Commissioned and sent to an Intelligence outfit in Afghanistan. He had a memory for trivia which far surpassed my own, and an encyclopedic knowledge of movie trivia in particular which was most impressive. Probably good for Intelligence work, where memory of perhaps trivial things is very, very important.
He worked two tours in Afghanistan, working the locals for intel and advising the combat command on what he found. He was a very "hands-on, lead from the front intel-weenie," as he described himself during a visit back home after his first tour.
After he returned to Afghanistan, he took up duties in another front-line outfit, recruiting local intel sources and building up a network. He was killed by a roadside bomb a month after he took up his new duties.
Charles' death was devastating to his young friends. One went down the day he heard about Charles' death and joined the Corps. He is now a reserve JAG after doing two tours himself in Afghanistan. The other friends gathered what support they could and funded a Scholarship at St. Thomas in Charles' name.
***
As the old saw goes, "Dead men tell no tales." It is up to we the living to remember them, and tell their stories for them.
Ike Clanton was the husband of my long-suffering secretary, Rita. And yes, Ike was one of those Clantons. He joined the Marine Corps out of High School, and did two tours in Vietnam. He liked it, as he told me later, so he re-upped and did two more. After he was brought back in the drawdown, he went to work for Shell. Led a good life, raised two fine boys with his H.S. sweetheart, and was happy.
The day of the attacks, he literally got in his truck and drove to the nearest Marine Recruiting Office, and "reported for duty." The squared-away Marine behind the desk evidently took a look at Ike's service record and jumped to his feet with a salute. With the greatest reverence, he told Ike, "Sir, thank you for reporting. Should we need you, we will be in contact." It bugged Ike to no end that he couldn't get into the fight in some way. "Hell, I'll drive a damned truck!"
Cancer took him about five years ago. Rita followed three years later. Ike was always a jovial goofball, easy going and relaxed. And he did 4 tours in Vietnam because "he liked it."
***
Charles Kitkowski was a fellow I never got to know well enough. He was part of a group of friends who all attended the University of St. Thomas in Houston, and Mrs. Brewingfrog and I got to know them all via work crossovers. Charles was Marine ROTC at St. Thomas, and after the attacks, was Commissioned and sent to an Intelligence outfit in Afghanistan. He had a memory for trivia which far surpassed my own, and an encyclopedic knowledge of movie trivia in particular which was most impressive. Probably good for Intelligence work, where memory of perhaps trivial things is very, very important.
He worked two tours in Afghanistan, working the locals for intel and advising the combat command on what he found. He was a very "hands-on, lead from the front intel-weenie," as he described himself during a visit back home after his first tour.
After he returned to Afghanistan, he took up duties in another front-line outfit, recruiting local intel sources and building up a network. He was killed by a roadside bomb a month after he took up his new duties.
Charles' death was devastating to his young friends. One went down the day he heard about Charles' death and joined the Corps. He is now a reserve JAG after doing two tours himself in Afghanistan. The other friends gathered what support they could and funded a Scholarship at St. Thomas in Charles' name.
***
As the old saw goes, "Dead men tell no tales." It is up to we the living to remember them, and tell their stories for them.
ECoastFrog
Active Member
Yes, they shut down Manhattan. No in or out by vehicle. They needed to get emergency workers to the WTC site. And I can only assume they needed to figure out exactly what was going on.
Citizens got out of their cars and directed traffic. Private boat owners as well as public ferries responded on their own initiative to lower Manhattan and began taking folks where they needed to go. There are so many heartwarming stories about the immediate response by individual New Yorkers.
I was about 6 miles away, in medical school in Brooklyn. I remember going to the ER to help at a major NYC hospital, and no one showed up. People either lived or they didn't; there were relatively few injured.
I also remember watching that plume of smoke, from 6 miles away at the WTC site, until December.
God bless the souls of all who perished, including our soldiers who went on to fight in the Middle East.
Eight
Member
you make a very good point about trying to figure out exactly what was going on
good friend had just transferred from his post with the rangers down in south texas to back home in the houston area. he got a call and told him to head to the east side of harris county where he was put in charge of a group of officers guarding the front gates of a large petro chemical plant as there was a concern if there were going to be more attacks
OmniscienceFrog
Full Member
I was on my way to DFW Airport to take a flight to McAllen. Listening to Dunham and Miller on the radio and one of them said "it looks like a plane hit the World Trade Center". Knowing their studios were just east of Stemmons Freeway north of downtown I thought they were looking out the window and were talking about the World Trade Center on Stemmons.
As I kept listening I realized they were watching the TV and it was the WTC in Manhattan. The 2nd plane hit before I got to the airport and I felt sure my flight was going to be cancelled but to make sure I continued on and parked in the parking garage at 3E. By the time I got inside they had already cancelled all flights. Up until that day you could get through the checkpoint to the main gate concourse, so I went in and stopped at one of the restaurant/snack bars where people were gathered around the TV and saw that The Pentagon had been hit too. I watched for a few minutes then headed back home. Heard on WBAP radio on the way that the towers had collapsed. A very surreal day.
As I kept listening I realized they were watching the TV and it was the WTC in Manhattan. The 2nd plane hit before I got to the airport and I felt sure my flight was going to be cancelled but to make sure I continued on and parked in the parking garage at 3E. By the time I got inside they had already cancelled all flights. Up until that day you could get through the checkpoint to the main gate concourse, so I went in and stopped at one of the restaurant/snack bars where people were gathered around the TV and saw that The Pentagon had been hit too. I watched for a few minutes then headed back home. Heard on WBAP radio on the way that the towers had collapsed. A very surreal day.
QuilterFrawg
CDR USN (Ret)
The Frog to be Named Later
Active Member
I flew later that night (2300 i think) after dark so was at altitude -- mid 20s. Dont know for sure but i suspect the ones you saw were flying low so to be visual to people on the ground because a) they could and b) because it made you and them feel better knowing we were overhead. Low altitude caps are generally not something you would do tactically in a counter air scenario. Actually capped south of houston that night We were'nt exactly capping over a specific ground point. The threat that night was potential additional hijacked airliners coming from south america. Later operation Noble Eagle as it was called evolved into caps over strategic locations and events (like nfl games) and alert Generally you just fly a race track pattern after a few hours you get bored and do different patterns.
Last edited:
tcudoc
Full Member
Todd: Hello… Operator…listen to me…I can’t speak very loud. –
This is an emergency. I’m a passenger on a United flight to San Francisco..
We have a situation here….Our plane has been hijacked…..can you understand me?
Lisa: (exhaling a deep breath to herself) I understand… Can the hijackers see you talking on the phone?
Todd: No
Lisa: Can you tell me how many hijackers are on the plane?
Todd: There are three that we know of.
Lisa: Can you see any weapons? What kind of weapons do they have?
Todd: Yes…. they don’t have guns….they have knives – they took over
the plane with knives.
Lisa: Do you mean…like steak knives?
Todd: No, these are razor knives…like box cutters.
Lisa: Can you tell what country these people are from?
Todd: No…..I don’t know. They sound like they’re from the mid-east.
Lisa: Have they said what they want?
Todd: Someone announced from the cockpit that there was a bomb on board.
He said he was the captain and to stay in our seats and stay quiet.
He said that they were meeting these men’s demands and returning to the
airport… It was very broken English, and… I’m telling you…it sounded fake!
Lisa: Ok sir, please give me your name.
Todd: My name is Todd Beamer.
Lisa: Ok Todd….my name is Lisa…Do you know your flight number? If you
can’t remember, it’s on your ticket.
Todd: It’s United Flight 93.
Lisa: Now Todd, can you try to tell me exactly what happened?
Todd: Two of the hijackers were sitting in first class near the cockpit.
A third one was sitting near the back of the coach section. The two up
front got into the cockpit somehow; there was shouting. The third
hijacker said he had a bomb. It looks like a bomb. He’s got it tied to
his waist with a red belt of some kind.
Lisa: So is the door to the cockpit open?
Todd: No, the hijackers shut it behind them.
Lisa: Has anyone been injured?
Todd: Yes, ..they…they killed one passenger sitting in first class.
There’s been lots of shouting. We don’t know if the pilots are dead or
alive. A flight attendant told me that the pilot and copilot had been
forced from the cockpit and may have been wounded.
Lisa: Where is the 3rd hijacker now Todd?
Todd: He’s near the back of the plane. They forced most of the
passengers into first class. There are fourteen of us here in the back. Five are
flight attendants. He hasn’t noticed that I slipped into this pantry to
get the phone. The guy with the bomb ordered us to sit on the floor in
the rear of the plane……….oh Jesus.. Help!
Lisa: Todd….are you ok? Tell me what’s happening!
Todd: Hello…..We’re going down….I think we’re going to crash.
……Wait – wait a minute. No, we’re leveling off….we’re ok. I think
we may be turning around…..That’s it – we changed directions.
Do you hear me….we’re flying east again.
Lisa: Ok Todd…. What’s going on with the other passengers?
Todd: Everyone is… really scared. A few passengers with cell phones
have made calls to relatives. A guy, Jeremy, was talking to his wife just
before the hijacking started. She told him that hijackers had crashed two
planes into the World Trade Center……Lisa is that true??
Lisa: Todd…..I have to tell you the truth…..it’s very bad.
The World Trade Center is gone. Both of the towers have been destroyed.
Todd: Oh God —help us!
Lisa: A third plane was taken over by terrorists. It crashed into the
Pentagon in Washington DC. Our country is under attack….and I’m afraid
that your plane may be pa rt of their plan.
Todd: Oh dear God. Dear God…….Lisa, will you do something for me?
Lisa: I’ll try….if I can….Yes.
Todd: I want you to call my wife and my kids for me and tell them what’s
happened. Promise me you’ll call..
Lisa: I promise – I’ll call.
Todd: Our home number is 201 353-1073…….You have the same name as my
wife…Lisa….We’ve been married for 10 years. She’s pregnant with our
3rd child. Tell her that I love her…….(choking up)..I’ll always love
her..(clearing throat) We have two boys.. David, he’s 3 and Andrew, he’s
1…..Tell them……(choking) tell them that their daddy loves them and
that he is so proud of them. (clearing throat again) Our baby is due
January 12th…..I saw an ultra sound…..it was great….we still don’t
know if it’s a girl or a boy………Lisa?
Lisa: (barely able to speak) I’ll tell them, I promise Todd.
Todd: I’m going back to the group—if I can get back I will…
Lisa: Todd, leave this line open…are you still there?……
Lisa: (dials the phone..) Hello, FBI, my name is Lisa Jefferson, I’m a
telephone supervisor for GTE. I need to report a terrorist hijacking of a
United Airlines Flight 93….Yes I’ll hold.
Goodwin: Hello, this is Agent Goodwin.. I understand you have a hijacking
situation?
Lisa: Yes sir, I’ve been talking with a passenger, a Todd Beamer, on
Flight 93 who managed to get to an air phone unnoticed.
Goodwin: Where did this flight originate, and what was its destination?
Lisa: The flight left Newark New Jersey at 8 A.M. departing for
San Francisco. The hijackers took over the plane shortly after takeoff,
and several minutes later the plane changed course – it is now flying east.
Goodwin: Ms. Jefferson…I need to talk to someone aboard that plane.
Can you get me thru to the planes phone?
Lisa: I still have that line open sir, I can patch you through on a
conference call…hold a mo…..
Todd: Hello Lisa, Lisa are you there?
Lisa: Yes, I’m here. Todd, I made a call to the FBI, Agent Goodwin is on
the line and will be talking to you as well.
Todd: The others all know that this isn’t your normal hijacking. Jeremy
called his wife again on his cell phone. She told him more about the
World Trade Center and all.
Goodwin: Hello Todd. This is Agent Goodwin with the FBI. We have been
monitoring your flight. Your plane is on a course for Washington, DC.
These terrorists sent two planes into the World Trade Center and one plane
into the Pentagon. Our best guess is that they plan to fly your plane
into either the White House or the United States Capital Building.
Todd: I understand…hold on……I’ll…….I’ll be back..
Lisa: Mr. Goodwin, how much time do they have before they get to
Washington?
Goodwin: Not long ma’am. They changed course over Cleveland;
they’re approaching Pittsburgh now. Washington may be twenty minutes away.
Todd: (breathing a little heavier) The plane seems to be changing
directions just a little. It’s getting pretty rough up here. The plane is
flying real erratic….We’re not going to make it out of here. Listen to
me….I want you to hear this….I have talked with the others….we have
decided we would not be pawns in these hijackers suicidal plot.
Lisa: Todd, what are you going to do?
Todd: We’ve hatched a plan. Four of us are going to rush the hijacker
with the bomb. After we take him out, we’ll break into the cockpit. A
stewardess is getting some boiling water to throw on the hijackers at the
controls. We’ll get them….and we’ll take them out.
Lisa, …..will you do one last thing for me?
Lisa: Yes…What is it?
Todd: Would you pray with me?
They pray: Our father which art in Heaven
Hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive our trespassers,
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory
Forever…..Amen
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…
He makes me to lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside the still waters
He restores my soul
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil, for thou art with me…..
Todd: (softer) God help me…Jesus help me….(clears throat and louder)
Are you guys ready?……..Let’s Roll……………………
This is an emergency. I’m a passenger on a United flight to San Francisco..
We have a situation here….Our plane has been hijacked…..can you understand me?
Lisa: (exhaling a deep breath to herself) I understand… Can the hijackers see you talking on the phone?
Todd: No
Lisa: Can you tell me how many hijackers are on the plane?
Todd: There are three that we know of.
Lisa: Can you see any weapons? What kind of weapons do they have?
Todd: Yes…. they don’t have guns….they have knives – they took over
the plane with knives.
Lisa: Do you mean…like steak knives?
Todd: No, these are razor knives…like box cutters.
Lisa: Can you tell what country these people are from?
Todd: No…..I don’t know. They sound like they’re from the mid-east.
Lisa: Have they said what they want?
Todd: Someone announced from the cockpit that there was a bomb on board.
He said he was the captain and to stay in our seats and stay quiet.
He said that they were meeting these men’s demands and returning to the
airport… It was very broken English, and… I’m telling you…it sounded fake!
Lisa: Ok sir, please give me your name.
Todd: My name is Todd Beamer.
Lisa: Ok Todd….my name is Lisa…Do you know your flight number? If you
can’t remember, it’s on your ticket.
Todd: It’s United Flight 93.
Lisa: Now Todd, can you try to tell me exactly what happened?
Todd: Two of the hijackers were sitting in first class near the cockpit.
A third one was sitting near the back of the coach section. The two up
front got into the cockpit somehow; there was shouting. The third
hijacker said he had a bomb. It looks like a bomb. He’s got it tied to
his waist with a red belt of some kind.
Lisa: So is the door to the cockpit open?
Todd: No, the hijackers shut it behind them.
Lisa: Has anyone been injured?
Todd: Yes, ..they…they killed one passenger sitting in first class.
There’s been lots of shouting. We don’t know if the pilots are dead or
alive. A flight attendant told me that the pilot and copilot had been
forced from the cockpit and may have been wounded.
Lisa: Where is the 3rd hijacker now Todd?
Todd: He’s near the back of the plane. They forced most of the
passengers into first class. There are fourteen of us here in the back. Five are
flight attendants. He hasn’t noticed that I slipped into this pantry to
get the phone. The guy with the bomb ordered us to sit on the floor in
the rear of the plane……….oh Jesus.. Help!
Lisa: Todd….are you ok? Tell me what’s happening!
Todd: Hello…..We’re going down….I think we’re going to crash.
……Wait – wait a minute. No, we’re leveling off….we’re ok. I think
we may be turning around…..That’s it – we changed directions.
Do you hear me….we’re flying east again.
Lisa: Ok Todd…. What’s going on with the other passengers?
Todd: Everyone is… really scared. A few passengers with cell phones
have made calls to relatives. A guy, Jeremy, was talking to his wife just
before the hijacking started. She told him that hijackers had crashed two
planes into the World Trade Center……Lisa is that true??
Lisa: Todd…..I have to tell you the truth…..it’s very bad.
The World Trade Center is gone. Both of the towers have been destroyed.
Todd: Oh God —help us!
Lisa: A third plane was taken over by terrorists. It crashed into the
Pentagon in Washington DC. Our country is under attack….and I’m afraid
that your plane may be pa rt of their plan.
Todd: Oh dear God. Dear God…….Lisa, will you do something for me?
Lisa: I’ll try….if I can….Yes.
Todd: I want you to call my wife and my kids for me and tell them what’s
happened. Promise me you’ll call..
Lisa: I promise – I’ll call.
Todd: Our home number is 201 353-1073…….You have the same name as my
wife…Lisa….We’ve been married for 10 years. She’s pregnant with our
3rd child. Tell her that I love her…….(choking up)..I’ll always love
her..(clearing throat) We have two boys.. David, he’s 3 and Andrew, he’s
1…..Tell them……(choking) tell them that their daddy loves them and
that he is so proud of them. (clearing throat again) Our baby is due
January 12th…..I saw an ultra sound…..it was great….we still don’t
know if it’s a girl or a boy………Lisa?
Lisa: (barely able to speak) I’ll tell them, I promise Todd.
Todd: I’m going back to the group—if I can get back I will…
Lisa: Todd, leave this line open…are you still there?……
Lisa: (dials the phone..) Hello, FBI, my name is Lisa Jefferson, I’m a
telephone supervisor for GTE. I need to report a terrorist hijacking of a
United Airlines Flight 93….Yes I’ll hold.
Goodwin: Hello, this is Agent Goodwin.. I understand you have a hijacking
situation?
Lisa: Yes sir, I’ve been talking with a passenger, a Todd Beamer, on
Flight 93 who managed to get to an air phone unnoticed.
Goodwin: Where did this flight originate, and what was its destination?
Lisa: The flight left Newark New Jersey at 8 A.M. departing for
San Francisco. The hijackers took over the plane shortly after takeoff,
and several minutes later the plane changed course – it is now flying east.
Goodwin: Ms. Jefferson…I need to talk to someone aboard that plane.
Can you get me thru to the planes phone?
Lisa: I still have that line open sir, I can patch you through on a
conference call…hold a mo…..
Todd: Hello Lisa, Lisa are you there?
Lisa: Yes, I’m here. Todd, I made a call to the FBI, Agent Goodwin is on
the line and will be talking to you as well.
Todd: The others all know that this isn’t your normal hijacking. Jeremy
called his wife again on his cell phone. She told him more about the
World Trade Center and all.
Goodwin: Hello Todd. This is Agent Goodwin with the FBI. We have been
monitoring your flight. Your plane is on a course for Washington, DC.
These terrorists sent two planes into the World Trade Center and one plane
into the Pentagon. Our best guess is that they plan to fly your plane
into either the White House or the United States Capital Building.
Todd: I understand…hold on……I’ll…….I’ll be back..
Lisa: Mr. Goodwin, how much time do they have before they get to
Washington?
Goodwin: Not long ma’am. They changed course over Cleveland;
they’re approaching Pittsburgh now. Washington may be twenty minutes away.
Todd: (breathing a little heavier) The plane seems to be changing
directions just a little. It’s getting pretty rough up here. The plane is
flying real erratic….We’re not going to make it out of here. Listen to
me….I want you to hear this….I have talked with the others….we have
decided we would not be pawns in these hijackers suicidal plot.
Lisa: Todd, what are you going to do?
Todd: We’ve hatched a plan. Four of us are going to rush the hijacker
with the bomb. After we take him out, we’ll break into the cockpit. A
stewardess is getting some boiling water to throw on the hijackers at the
controls. We’ll get them….and we’ll take them out.
Lisa, …..will you do one last thing for me?
Lisa: Yes…What is it?
Todd: Would you pray with me?
They pray: Our father which art in Heaven
Hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive our trespassers,
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory
Forever…..Amen
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…
He makes me to lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside the still waters
He restores my soul
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil, for thou art with me…..
Todd: (softer) God help me…Jesus help me….(clears throat and louder)
Are you guys ready?……..Let’s Roll……………………
BrewingFrog
Was I supposed to type something here?
God bless and keep those heroes close.
ECoastFrog
Active Member
I cry every time I read this. Twenty years later, this is still both heartbreaking and inspirational. Peace to Todd and all of those on or affected by United 93.
OmniscienceFrog
Full Member
Wow!
QuilterFrawg
CDR USN (Ret)
ECoastFrog
Active Member
This is what I mean. New Yorkers coming together to help. There are sooooo many stories. There was a similar response when the US Airways plane (Sully) ditched in the Hudson. Boats in the vicinity were pulling up, on their own initiative, within just a few minutes. If we have to have a crisis, it would be good to have New Yorkers around. NYC is a remarkable community of wonderful people. I lived in Manhattan for 16 years, and will always cherish those years.
