I’ve got to clear my head, I thought as I stared out my office window toward Arlington National Cemetery. I had watched the news until I could no longer watch the replays. Now it was time to think.
We knew there would be other attacks. We were up there on the fifth floor, most likely in harm’s way, but what do we do? We don’t leave our post. We continue to do our job and see who needs help. All the admirals who worked at our office were gone for a meeting, which made me the senior guy in my office. I wasn’t about to run away and seek my own protection.
I called my wife, Deshua, who was teaching at the time and told her what was going on. “You might want to let the principal of the school know,” I told her. “And people should start praying.”
Turning back to the window, I tried to focus my thoughts on what might happen and what our responses should be in various scenarios. I didn’t need to imagine the possibilities for long.
Moments later I saw the fireball coming toward the window.
This is it, I thought. I watched a big bright light rushing toward me and thought it was a bomb. It happened all at once, but at the same time everything seemed to slow down. And while one eye was focused on the fireball, my right eye was focused on a bag of Doritos I had put on my desk to eat later. I was watching this fireball thinking, I’m about to die, and looking at the Doritos thinking, I guess I’m never going to eat those. Then, before I knew it, the floor buckled, lifted me up, and threw me back. The plane had hit the building directly beneath me.
Lord, give me the courage to be where you’ve placed me, even if that means being vulnerable to any kind of attack or inconvenience.
“My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.” (Psalm 31:15)