The Silence We Shared: A Reflection on 9/11 Twenty-Five Years Later

Twenty-five years ago on Sept. 11 I was visiting a college in Washington D. C. as part of an accreditation team. It was a beautiful fall Tuesday morning and I got up early and did my run. We arrived on campus early and I was sitting in a meeting with members of the university staff discussing their approach to curriculum. It was a very normal day. 

While we were talking, a staff member knocked on the door. He looked worried and simply said, “you have to come and see this!”  We quickly left the room, not knowing what we were going to see. He took us into the dining hall where a large group of people had gathered around a series of television screens. We could not believe what we were viewing – 10 minutes earlier a commercial aircraft had flown directly into one of the World Trade Center towers. The tower was on fire and emergency personnel were headed to the site. The news reporters knew little else: where did the plane come from? Why did it fly into the tower? No one knew initially. The room was eerily quiet – everyone in the room was shocked. While we were watching, a second plane flew into the second tower. The reporters then conveyed that another plane had struck the Pentagon. This was not an accident; it was an intentional and concerted act of violence against the United States. 

I will never forget that day. It was very difficult. More than 400 first responders died trying to save their fellow Americans. Almost 3,000 people died in the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and the planes that were used as missiles that day. I was not alive in 1941, but September 11, 2001 felt very much like what I imagined December 7 was like for Americans who lived through the Pearl Harbor attack. Both were days that would live in infamy. 

We were stunned and it took days and ultimately weeks to gain a more complete understanding of the attack on the country. Planes that were in the air had to go to the closest airport and land. Passengers were stranded in places they never imagined. Cell service was overwhelmed and, like many of my fellow Americans, I could not communicate with home to let them know I was safe. All of us felt stunned and we lived in a fog for days. The entire nation was in shock. 

Our accreditation visit ended and we went back to our hotels. Those who were from the East Coast got in their cars and headed home (very long drives on roads that were packed with cars.) All commercial planes were grounded and initially no timeline was provided for the restart of air travel. I extended my hotel stay and remained focused on news reports – information leaked out slowly.  I finally was able to speak with my wife and let her know that I would get home as soon as I could. 

Flights restarted on September 14th and I was able to get a flight back to Oregon 3 days later. I will never forget arriving at Dulles airport with hundreds of others and joining lengthy, hours-long lines for a new security process. Yet, no one complained. The entire terminal was silent. Passengers were everywhere but no one spoke – the entire community was stunned. What would the future be like? How would our lives change? No one knew. We simply waited and reflected. We faced a future that would be quite different. 

The attacks led us into a more serious conflict as our country sought to eliminate terrorist threats. Air travel would never be the same. Entire sections of the government would be created and dedicated to our security. Our sense of personal safety felt more fragile.

Today brought back many memories of that awful day but also brought back feelings of pride. The tragedy of the day brought out the best in most of us. Thousands of first responders ran towards danger without concern for their own lives. Normal citizens chose to focus on others, to be thoughtful about how they engaged others, to be patient, to be kind. 

In spite of everything, I am thankful for those that gave everything in service of their fellow citizens and remember today their commitment.