ABSTRACT
It was a beautiful day. The deep blue sky and calm air promised serenity; the comforting warmth offered a sense of peace. I assumed it would be a routine day in the Pentagon, wishing more that I could be outside enjoying the tranquil summer morning. Too soon, the news broke of a terror attack on the World Trade Center in New York; the sight on the viewing screen was all consuming. My fixation on the burning towers, however, was abruptly interrupted. The Pentagon jolted with a loud bang as American Airlines Flight 77 slammed into the base of the wall at Corridor Four. I gazed from my 5th floor window to the opposing side of the building to see the huge orange fireball with billowing black smoke rising into the air. As the Pentagon alann sounded, I evacuated with the crowd along the 'E' Ring hallway amidst a scrolling veil of smoke. I proceeded down the stairwell to the exit at Corridor Two. Only minutes after the attack, I stood in the south parking lot and watched the Pentagon bum, and I wondered how we failed to see it coming. A new order was about to take shape for America, and the world.
