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The Chip Board Archive 05

From someone who lives across from the Pentagon...

Below is a post made to RGP by Nolan Dalla who writes a column for Card Player Magazine & is writing a book about the late Stu Ungar. I have known Nolan for a couple of years & just saw him at this last BARGE in early August. We had the pleasure of talking a number of times over the few days that BARGE went on. As you will see below he & his Wife live directly across from the Pentagon.........Andy - Las Vegas

TIMELINE
Tuesday September 11, 2001

9:30 am: I am awakened by the sound of an enormous explosion. I run out onto the balcony to see the entire west side of the Pentagon complex engulfed in smoke and flames. For those who do not know, the Pentagon is an enormous structure. Only about a fifth of the building appears to be damaged. My vantage point is the 9th Floor of a high rise building in Crystal City (directly across the street from the Pentagon facing the south side of the building). I have a partially obstructed view of the area. A Raddison hotel
was constructed about five years ago in front of my building -- otherwise I have a clear view of the entire Pentagon and surrounding area. My first reaction is shock. A bomb? Gas explosion? Terrorist act? Who knows.

Airplanes fly over the east side of the Pentagon all the time (directly over the Potomac) to land/take off at National Airport, so the last thing I think about is a plane crash.

9:40 am: By now, both TVs in the living room are turned on. Broadcasts show both World Trade Center buildings in flames. Oddly enough, in my shock and horror at watching the scene in New York, I don't make a mental connection to the Pentagon disaster. TV reports begin to show the Pentagon and it becomes clear that planes caused the destruction in both cities.

9:50 am: I see thousands of people -- military and civilian -- pouring out of the Pentagon into the south parking lot. Streams are coming down the sidewalks in front of my building. Emergency vehicles. Helicopters. Military and police are everywhere. Although it's chaotic and scary to watch, I'm amazed at the calm and methodical manner of the emergecy and rescue efforts. It's a
strang thing to say in a time of tragedy, but I'm impressed with the efforts.

Obvioulsy, the Pentagon is filled with anenormous amount of talented people who are used to emergencies.

10:00 am: About this time, the phone begins to ring. Family in Texas calling. One freind in California. Marieta, who is in the District on Pennsylvania Avenue (about two blocks away) calls and says there is an evacuation ordered for the immediate area as another aircraft is feared targeted at the White House or State Department. Just as we are talking, I watch in absolute stunned silence as the first tower of the World Trade Center crumbles to the ground.

The shock of this sight is beyond my ability to express. I'm not even sure what I said or did the next couple of minutes.

10:10 am: Marieta and I talk again by phone (call was interrupted somehow). The question is how to get her out of the District safely, but quickly. Firealarms in my building start to go off, which means evacuation is ordered (the fourth hijacked plane is still feared headed towards the city). A short time later, as I'm getting dressed and about to get out of the building, I see the second World Trade Center collapse on television. I've never seen anything that has ever had such a profound emotinal impact. Fear is that both New York and Washington might be blown off the map. For the first time it hits me, that
my life and the lives of my loved ones are in danger. I tell Marieta to get out of the office immediately and walk around the State Department (which isjust south of her location). We agree to meet at the north side of the Lincoln Memorial.

10:30 am: I have to get to the Memorial. But all roads are in chaos. I consider riding a bicycle, but instead start walking due north. In between the
Memorial and my building is the Pentagon, directly to the north. I walk into the south parking lot and see thousands of military personnel talking on cell phones, with makeshift tables set up. It appears the military command is
operating out of a parking lot. The sight of generals barking orders into cell hones is surreal. F-16 type aircraft buzz overhead. There is fear another plane may be coming and it looks like a war zone.

10:40 am: I walk along the east side of the Pentagon building. The area of damage is on the other side, and I begin to see people sitting on curbsides with injuries. Areas begin to get closed off by security people. I get trapped between areas where there was yellow ribbon (crime scene tape) beingput up. I walk closer to the west side of the building and see the smoke and flames up close. Maybe a dozen people seem to have injuries of some kind. It's not something I focused on. Obviously, there are hundreds dead laying in the ruble. My thought was -- it's remarkble how many rescue vehicles have responded within such a short period. Fire trucks, ambulances, etc. are everywhere. They seemed to come out of nowhere. I continue walking north and
after another ten minute walk get to the Memorial Bridge, which is the connection into the District.

11:10 am: Thousands of people are pouring across the bridges leaving the city by foot. I'm walking against the traffic and after ten minutes of search I see and reach Marieta.

11:45 am: We get home. The area is filled with smoke. We walk to 23rd Street in Crystal City and go into a bar to watch the latest coverage. My thoughts are on what is happening in New York. Having not seen any news in the last hour, I am literally running to the TVs to catch the lastest news. Mayor Gulianai is speaking......

Messages In This Thread

From someone who lives across from the Pentagon...
Thanks for this post, Andy!

Copyright 2022 David Spragg