Friday marks the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. Although the attacks occurred miles away from Milford, the memory of hat day is still strong. We asked Milfordians what they remember about that day. This is their account of what they remember and how it impacted them.
Kathy Clark
I lived in Maryland back then and I worked for Nevamar Corporation in Odenton Maryland. I worked midnight to eight shift and had to work overtime. Next thing I know my supervisor is telling me to shut everything down as quickly as possible and prepare to leave. No reason why, did as I was told. Across the street I noticed many other employee vehicles were still at Buck Murphy’s long after usual, I decided to go over and find out why? This was a restaurant/bar and when I went in, I knew something was up because the big screen tv was on, this was usually only on for sports. So, I asked what’s going on? Plant just shut down and have no idea why. They said WATCH. I will NEVER FORGET! I watched as they showed the first tower being hit with a plane and then the second tower being hit with a plane. I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing and still can’t get those images out of my head. And then the Pentagon was hit. And 2 other planes were out there that had been taken over and nobody knew the destination. Well, we were located just minutes from Fort Meade, Maryland, and without any other information on these plans is the reason our facility/plant was shut down. We were all glued to our tv’s waiting to see what would come next. Watching the towers fall, people covered in dust, running as far away and as quickly as they could. Everything shut down! No planes, no trains, nothing to help. All fire, police were called into NYC for miles. Then we hear of the courageous Americans who over took one of the planes risking everything including life to save others. It’s a day none of us who watched or was there will ever forget. I donate blood every year to show honor to all we lost that day.
Angela Paul
I lived and worked in Maryland at the time. It felt like the whole world stopped for at least a week. I think it was several days before planes were back in the air. It was like we all just held our breath for days.
Terry Rogers
I was working as the front desk receptionist at Milford School District. At the time, we had no televisions in the district office, but internet was in its early stages. The news on the radio said that a plane had hit the World Trade Center and then my husband called to tell me. I remember saying “as big is it is, they could not see it?” Bob Smith, who was then Superintendent of the district, came by the desk as I was talking to my husband.
I decided to try to pull up a news station on my computer and was able to access CNN. It was a small screen, but a bunch of people gathered around me to watch. Just as I got the full screen version on the computer, the second plane hit. We knew then that this was not an accident. We then heard them say another plane had hit the Pentagon. We heard that all flights were ordered to be grounded, but that two were missing.
The night before, we had gone to BWI to pick up my brother who was in the Navy. He was home for his class reunion which was the following Saturday. I called my mother who tried calling him, but he did not answer. She ended up leaving work and driving home. When she walked in the door, he was coming down the steps in full dress uniform and said “Mom, we are at war.” He flew out two days later on an Air Force plane from DAFB and never made his class reunion.
Ironically, my brother was stationed in California at the time. My sister, who lives in Southern Maryland, was in California on business that day. Since one plane was missing and I did not know when she was coming home, we tried to reach her but phone and cell phone lines were jammed. I finally reached her and she told me she was not scheduled to come home for a few days, but she was rattled. She had flown the plane that left Reagan Airport often heading to California. She and a co-worker ended up renting a car and driving home.
I remember feeling a sense of dread because we simply did not know what was going to happen next. When it was reported one plane had landed safely but the second had crashed in Pennsylvania, one of my bosses at the time swore that plane was shot down. We now know different.
I also remember all the rallies and blood drives…the feeling that we were united as a country right after the attacks. I had people I knew who were on the beltway when the Pentagon was hit and they saw the plane. Some on the beltway said they could see faces in the windows as the plane was barely above the road. Many people I knew also knew someone who as in either the trade center or the Pentagon. And some of them did not make it out.
This is something I hope never to witness again.
We are also linking a story from Milford Live that was shared a few years ago. It is Peggy Reilly’s story. Peggy was in the towers the day of the attacks. She did not share that story for some time, but did share it with Milford Live. Although it is unusual for one publication to link to another like this, we feel Peggy’s story is important enough to share.
Feel free to share your memories in the comments.
