The world must continue to hear us

Sept. 11, 2001, was the most tragic day in American history. It was also our finest hour, a demonstration of our nation’s courage, resilience and undying spirit.

Like so many Americans, I will always remember that horrible day, and the days that followed. I was in Washington that Tuesday. As in New York, the sky was exceptionally clear, the morning sun bright. The annual Congressional barbecue on the south lawn of the White House — the first one of George W. Bush’s presidency, was scheduled that night. Most members of Congress and their spouses would be there.

My wife, Rosemary, had expected to fly down the night before, but torrential rains and violent thunderstorms had canceled all flights out of LaGuardia. She was rescheduled to come in Tuesday morning, on a flight due to land at Reagan International Airport at about 9:40.

Driving to Capitol Hill with my chief of staff, Rob O’Connor, I got a call at about 8:50 from my press secretary, who told me that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. He’d learned this from my daughter, Erin, who was talking with her husband, John, who worked four blocks north of the towers and saw the crash from his office. This was the time Rosemary’s plane would have been taking off. At Delta’s congressional desk, the information was imprecise on the status of her flight.

Walking into my office in the Cannon Building at 9:01, I looked up at the television in the reception area and saw a massive jet crashing into a tower, and assumed it was a video replay. Seconds later I realized it was the second plane. Delta had no update for 20 minutes, and Rosemary’s cellphone kept going to voicemail.

When I got through to her at about 9:20, her plane was headed from the runway back to the terminal. She and the other passengers had no idea why their flight had been canceled. Her main concern was how she was going to make it to Washington for the barbecue. As I was telling her that New York was under attack, I could hear the pilot making an announcement and passengers shrieking. My district director, Anne Rosenfeld, was able to get back to the airport and take Rosemary home to Seaford.

At 9:46, the Pentagon was attacked, and I ordered the office evacuated. There was also a report — which turned out to be false — that a bomb had gone off on the Capitol Mall, near the Commerce Department, where my son, Sean, worked. Again there was uncertainty, as the phone lines at Commerce had gone dead, and it was 20 minutes before I knew Sean was safe. Meanwhile, Erin’s husband, John, who had to race down 28 flights of stairs to get out of his building, didn’t have a cellphone. It was a while before he could call Erin from a pay phone on 59th Street and we knew he was safe.

So all my family members were safe. But many others weren’t so fortunate. Firefighter Michael Boyle, who had worked on my campaigns and was the son of my longtime friend Jimmy Boyle, was killed, as were the Haskell brothers, Tom and Timmy, FDNY heroes and graduates of Seaford High School. And Farrell Lynch and his brother, Sean, from Cantor Fitzgerald, who had helped with my campaigns. And so many more. Almost 3,000, including at least 150 of my friends, neighbors and constituents.

In the following days, the New York, New Jersey and Virginia congressional delegations met with President Bush at the White House, and a number of us traveled to ground zero when the president, with Baldwin resident and retired firefighter Bob Beckwith at his side, made his famous bullhorn speech, pledging that the terrorists would “hear all of us soon!”

In the ensuing weeks and months, there were seemingly endless wakes and funerals, with the stirring and somber tones of drums and bagpipes. The country was united, standing as one to an extent we have not seen since. Petty partisanship was set aside, and promises were made never to forget.

As we commemorate Sept. 11, we must try to recapture that spirit of unity as we remember those who were killed that tragic day, and the thousands who have died since, or who are suffering from 9/11-related illnesses. We must continue to guard against the terrorist forces of Al Qaeda, ISIS and their affiliates, who are as determined today as they were 23 years ago to destroy us and our way of life.
The world must continue to hear us. God bless America!

Peter King is a former congressman, and a former chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security. Comments? pking@ liherald.com.