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Country singer Alan Jackson wrote a song a few years ago called “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning.”
It’s a very poignant song about the attacks on America that occurred on September 11, 2001, in New York City, Washington DC, and what seemed like right in our own back yards, in Shanksville, Pa.
In memory, and also in honor of that morning that will forever be stamped in our memories, I thought that it might be an important thing to write about, from the perspective of those of us who were here watching on our televisions, and also from the voices of some that were near one of the sights of impact, or knew someone who was.
For me personally, I had just sent my son off to third grade at the then fairly new Sugar Valley Rural Charter School. I was sitting in front of the computer, on the phone with my friend, Tisha Waring, discussing the possibility of going out for breakfast, when she said “Oh – a plane just hit the World Trade Center.”
Of course, we, like many Americans, figured it was an accident and in the beginning believed that it was a small plane, like a Piper, that hit. We continued our conversation, when she said, this time in horror, “Oh my gosh! A second plane just hit the other Tower! The news thinks we are under attack!”
And so began the dark side of what started out being one of the prettiest Autumn days that year. The sky had been sea blue with no clouds when I walked my son to the bus stop just an hour earlier. But now … now it felt like we were under a shroud. I had no television and the internet wasn’t what it is today, so I resorted to the radio, which wasn’t having very good immediate coverage. I was in the dark except for what I was hearing by phone, and sat there pretty much alone wondering what was next. And then the reports of Washington, and the real shocker to those of us living in Central Pennsylvania – Flight 93 going down in Shanksville. The gap between what was happening in NYC and Washington drew so much closer.
I recall sitting there trying to think of what to tell my son when he got off of the bus. I can see it now, his shaved head, dark hair. He walked over to me and I said “sit down.” He was only 8 years old, He sat on the neighbor’s grass in front of the Bull Run School House and I told him what had happened. His reply was “why?” and mine was “I don’t know.”
In the days that followed I laid in my yard with the spotting scope and watched the only planes that were allowed in the sky glide over head. Military aviation of all types – jets, huge carrier and cargo planes. The CSTPA , our school’s parent/teacher group organized a money drive for the United Way to buy supplies for those working on a search and rescue mission at the wreckage areas.
Similar acts of kindness popped up everywhere. Many of us started donating blood again. And most everyone on Main Street Loganton, put their packed away American flags back out on their front porches.
Through the internet, and some personal interviews, I’ve compiled a few tales from Clinton, Lycoming and Centre County natives that will make you feel horrified, elated, proud and shocked.
Here are their stories.
SUSAN WALKER DAVIES
Susan Walker Davies, grew up on East Main Street, Loganton, but worked in Washington DC at the time of the attacks.
“I worked in DC a few blocks up from the White House. I remember driving to work that day. It was perfect weather and I was at the red light that is on Constitution Avenue in front of the White House. I had the window down and a Lighthouse song was on the radio and I was watching the people and tourists and just thinking what a beautiful, perfect day to just be light-hearted and carefree. I got to work and was just trying to log onto my computer when a co-worker came in crying and saying that the towers had been hit, and her brother worked in one and she couldn’t get a hold of him,” said Davies. “While we were comforting her, the second Tower was hit. Not long after, the Pentagon was attacked, Things in the city got really crazy then. There were sirens and alarms and immediate closing of bridges and roads. I lived in Falls Church which was a couple of miles away and it took me nine hours to get home. I will never forget the eerie silence of the city. All you could hear was the shuffling of feet on the sidewalk as the people walked from the federal buildings to a safer place. The road that I took to get out of the city went right past Walter Reed Hospital. I won’t forget that sight either,” she remembered. “So many were so badly hurt and injured that hotel shuttle buses and vans were used to transport the victims.”
Davies said she not only remembers the terror of that morning, but more vivid are her memories of those who were there to help.
“I forget which fire company that is close to the Pentagon …I think it might have been Crystal City … but the men there saw it happen and were first responders. They went before the siren even blew. I know that nationally they talked more about NYC than DC but locally we got tons of local news. The smell of jet fuel was everywhere. Cars parked on 395 because of debris. I admire all those men who went there to help and rescue. I remember the looks on their faces. Those of us who weren’t directly affected, felt helpless. We wanted to do something. So, because I couldn’t go to work I took food and water to the drop off center. The entire area, through the drop off centers, kept those men fed and hydrated. As scary as it was, it was amazing to see the support for heroes.”
MICHELLE ANDREWS CUSICK
Michelle Andrews Cusick, of McElhattan was working in State College that day.
“I was working in a chiropractic office up in State College when it all happened. There were no televisions there. I didn’t get to see any images until almost 7 p.m. that night. We first heard the news on a country radio station and quickly switched over to an AM talk radio station. There was some false reporting about 13-14 planes down in Pennsylvania, so we were pretty scared. We were located on the top of Skytop Mountain, and there were fighter jets flying very low right over our heads. What I’m still amazed by from that day is the amount of people that were calling us at a chiropractic office. So many people were scared, confused and mostly just at a loss as to what to say or do. Many were older people without someone to talk to. I’ve often wondered if other types of public services offices were also flooded with people calling just to have someone to talk to,” said Cusick.
BARABARA ABBOTT
Barbara Abbott, of Madisonburg, also worked in State College.
“I was on the phone at my desk in Chemical Engineering at Penn State and was talking to one of our former grad students, who was in Building 5 of the World Trade Center. He was watching people jump to their deaths from the Twin Towers. I have never spoken to him since that day, and I don’t know what happened to him since that building was brought down too. We were horrified, and glued to watching CNN on our computers. No one got anything done that day – we were in shock! We’ll NEVER forget where we were on that day, or the fear and horror we felt then!”
For the full story, check out today’s print edition of The Express