Tuesday Morning,Sept 11th,2001.
At the Vicksburg District,USACE, Contracting I had a normal eight hour work day. I was on flex time which I could come in between 730 and 8am. And I'm out by 430pm or 5 depending on the workload.
That lovely fall morning was different. It had only been a few hours since the two towers had fallen and already the US Army District was on some form of alert. We didn't get our orders to be on ThreatCon alerts until a few days later via email from DC. But on Tuesday throughout the district offices all work in all divisions had come to a screeching halt. It's the terrorist attacks had been one solid wall and it disrupted everything and everyone's routine.
Since I didn't had any work or errands to perferm,like most employees we walk around to pass the time. I walked the entire two floors of the district hq to find out info if it existed. I did find out some things here and there mostly rumors. One rumor I did here that an Al Qaeda cell was in Vicksburg itself. But that rumor never panned out.I heard from an employee friend of mine that an Arab doctor was let go at one the local hospital in town. It's as if the terrorist attacks on the east coast created a ripple effect outward; I wouldn't be surprise if various other work professional in public and private sectors were hearing rumors and thier own workday disrupted by the viceral,surprise attacks.
Mostly I heard rumors but I did get some info. I heard that that our DE,District Engineer, called in all of the Division Cheifs. The reason to check up on security of various locks and dams through out the district area which is dubbed the ArklaMiss. After what happen in NYC just a few hours ago, I wouldn't be surprised throughout the USACE agency that all Districts and Division were convening meets on protecting various civil works and Military assets. Afterall a form war had been declared.
As the day rolled on I did stay in the breakroom and catch up what was going on in NYC,DC and Shanksville,Pa. The crash of the airliners and toll of life it took was mindboggling to some to say the least. But this was the first terrorist attack on US soil since the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in December of 1941.
There was no panic at all over what happen. Just shock and disbelief what had happen. The fall of the world Trade Center and later WTC 7 at 430pm was the shock. The coming work days shape to be different in post 9/11 in wake of Tuesday morning.
Now 17yrs later what happen that day still lives with me.
