September 11

 I remember it well.  It was the morning of September 11, 2001.  My pager went off and I found that I was called to our Emergency Command Center, immediately.

I knew the Emergency Center well.  I had built it with the Chiefs of Police and Fire, also the Utilities Manager and his Water and Electric directors.  I was the technology guy on the project.

I entered the room to find all of TV sets in the room centered on burning buildings.  Radios crackled.

The President was in Florida and leaving immediately.  Nearby Dobbins Air Force Base was one potential landing spot for "the Eagle".  

Questions were flying everywhere.  Was the CNN Center in danger?  What about the Center for Disease Control?  What about our nuclear plants which were located not far from the Atlanta International Airport?

The years fly by and Dianne and I are driving into Alexandria this morning.  There is a commotion ahead of us with cars pulling off the road in front of us, next to the 3M plant.  This is what we found. 

 Never forget.