09/11/2024
On today’s anniversary of the tragedies occurring 23 years ago, I and some coworkers agreed to do the 9/11 Stair climb challenge in which you climb the 110 stories/flights with 50lb weight to simulate the gear and honor the FF’s/First Responders/workers, staff, and every other human life taken from us. I was humbled throughout the climb and wanted to stop multiple times and I had ZERO gear or heavy clothing on. Upon completion…I was flooded by my memories of the day.
I was working for the Air Force and stationed at Andrews AFB in Maryland. About 20 miles from the Pentagon. I was working in the Pediatric clinic and was calling the next patient back to the screening rooms. I noticed the TV was not showing out usual cartoons or Disney ‘VHS’ tapes and asked why. Someone had said an airplane hit a building. I said, “Oh..that sucks” and continued to screen the parent and child. When completed, I went back to the waiting room to call another and the same report…except ANOTHER plane hit….It was then that we immediately changed Ops and all active duty in the hospital were directed to the staging facility where we had our medical vehicles (Ambulances, Ambulance Buses, etc)…We were to be deploying to the Pentagon to assist in the Mass Cal/Triage efforts. We were waived off at the last minute due to the logistical nightmare that it was and the multiple agency’s overwhelmingly task ahead. We were 20 miles away and beltway traffic is s**t on any given day. I was separated from Erin and Parker as they were in Virginia at work(or maybe she was in traffic for years). I salute the fallen. I salute the responders. I salute those that continue to NEVER FORGET🖤