Where were you on September 11, 2001

In September of 2001 I worked for Boeing in Renton Washington. I as an electrical liaison engineer for the production of the 757 airplane working a swing shift.

I was in bed that morning and my wife was getting our kids off to school. She woke me up and said, “Randy, there is something going on in New York, one of the twin towers are on fire”.

I didn’t really pay it much mind, I was just waking up, but since I was awake I thought I would turn on the television. I see the first tower burning and I will never forget what happened next, I seen a Boeing 767 flying directly into the second tower. I knew at that instant that we were under attack. I became glued to the television that day, and even brought a tiny one to work with me. I watched in disbelief as the towers burned and then fell to the ground. What kind of animals would attack innocent people that day?

On the way to work that day I heard on the radio that they all ready had a suspect. I really had no idea who Bin Laden was then. Within hours of the attack they knew it was Bin Laden. That day while the fires were still going, Alan Malally, CEO of Boeing announced that there would be 30,000 lay-offs, about a third of the company. I left the aerospace business about a month after that announcement on my own to go back into ship building. I was thankful that unlike several of my friends at Boeing, I had something else to go to.

As time passed I grew bitter. How in the name of anything holy could Anyone launch an attack on the world trade center? Arabs and Jews, Christian and atheist, all killed in the name of what? There is no cause worthy of what they had done, no justification, no logical reasoning, no prize, no pay-off, nothing. Because the USA allies itself with Israel?

Throughout those years I have had plenty of time to learn about those kinds of politics. I seen a story by National Geographic called Inside 911. It was a 4 hour show that was presented by a company that has had my respect for as long as I can remember. I learned that Bin Laden was a bit of a war hero in Afghanistan from the Soviet invasion of 80s. The USA outfitted and assisted them in the defeat of the Soviets. When Iraq invaded Kuwait Bin Laden wanted to defend his country, Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Arabian Monarchy said thanks, but no thanks. It was serious business and they wanted the USA instead. At that instant Bin Laden, the spoiled brat that he is, developed a serious problem with the USA based on his own personal insecurity and funded the attack on the USA. He used the USAs support for Israel as his motive to attack. Ironically Bin Laden did not go on any airplane rides himself, he had the less important do that work for him.