Where were you ?

[poragent]

I was in World Economics and Geography class at Maine Maritime Academy when the professor walked in and told us all that an airplane had hit the WTC. I stupidly thought that it had been a Cessna or something, and thought "that's heartbreaking" and went on with the class. It was'n until I got in my truck after class to go down to the Fire Department I was working for that the news was all abuzz about planes hitting the Trade Center. I will NEVER forget the words I heard when I pulled into the parking lot,"We are now hearing reports that another airliner has hit the Pentagon". I raced to the TV and was totally shocked by what I saw. I then called my mother, who was a Public Affairs Officer for a Navy office here in Maine. When she picked up the phone, I identified myself, and before I could say another word, she said,"I can't talk...this is an unsecured line". And then hung up. That scared me.

I had a friend of mine, CAPT Gerald DeConto, USN killed at the Pentagon. I'll never know, but I like to think that he was trying to help other people when that aircraft hit when he died.