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Shoreline
Vol. 10, No. 24
A Shoreline Community, Pine Knoll Shores, N.C.
September 2015
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Onlookers render honors as fire and rescue workers unfurl an American flag over the side of
the Pentagon during rescue and recovery efforts following the September 11, 2001, terrorist
attack.—t/S Navy photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
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Just a Normal Day:
September 11, 2001
By Robert Cox
September 11,2001. A normal start to a normal day—in the office by 0500 on
the E-ring, the outermost of the honeycomb of offices of the largest office building
in the world. The aroma of coffee wafted through the corridors (the Pentagon
does not have “hallways”) from the coffee kiosks scattered around the A-ring—the
innermost ring of the Pentagons honeycomb. The activities of the hundreds of
military personnel and civilian employees centered on propping for the hundreds of
meetings that day and tens of thousands of people ascending on this building from
the Virginia and Maryland bedroom communities. Many of those meetings were
just continuations of those already underway in the five-sided puzzle palace—a
24-hour global monolith. The meetings and those attending them would execute as
planned, or simply be adjusted/rescheduled depending on how the priorities of the
day unfolded—a pretty typical day in the Pentagon.
My day would shift into full execute mode in about three-and-a-half hours when
the individual I supported would host a meeting of five two- and three-star flag
officers and a senior civilian equivalent. All of my officemates would drift in over
the next hour or so. I preferred to start early, simply to get ahead of, and remain
ahead of, the power curve. I viewed my responsibility as not letting the power
curve (curves, actually, as there are many in this building) get ahead of my boss.
At the end of every day, we were going to be able to say that we were leading, not
following. To win in this extremely competitive environment, you must know every
possible angle of attack your competitors could likely use—within the Navy, and
from the other services, not to mention the expanse of other government agencies,
all vying for the same limited federal dollars to fund their programs.
With the meeting successfully underway in my boss’s office at 0830, at
approximately 0852 I needed a copy of a document. As I exited his office, I passed
my officemates looking at the TV in his reception area. A plane had just collided
with the north tower of the World Trade Center. AH were shocked. I suspect many
of these five or six people said a silent prayer for those involved. I don’t remember if
I did.
I immediately returned to the meeting and announced what had occurred. My
boss and many in attendance were the senior leaders of the US Navy’s aviation
community. They directed virtually every aspect of the Navy’s aviation planning,
resourcing and operations. Although I was a Surface Warfare Officer (I drove
ships), I felt it important for them to have this information. Surprisingly, I did
not receive the level of surprise I had anticipated. These individuals had flown in
(Continued on page 6)
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