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There are few Americans who cannot recount with absolute clarity where they were on the morning of September 11, 2001. In remembrance of the tragic events of eight years ago today, some of the Hennessy staff took a few minutes to reflect on where they where and how they felt when they first learned about the terrorists attacks.
"I remember that morning, as I was in my junior year of college, patiently waiting for the clock to get a little closer to 9:00 am before putting two hours worth of change into the parking meter since I had a two hour class to attend. As I sat in my car waiting for class, I heard about what had happened over the radio. I remember my immediate reaction being “this can’t be real…it has to be a joke.” Once I finally went into class, the severity of it really stuck me. My professor preached to all of us that we would always remember that day…to go home and watch what was happening on the television for two hours and to call our families and friends. By the time I walked to my college home, my other four roommates were already there watching everything on the television. We were all just astounded at what was happening."
Brad Kunz, Project Manager
“I was on a job site in Michigan when my site subcontractor drove on to the job and told me that a plane hit the world trade center. I drove to my mother’s house a ½ mile away and watched with horror as the events unfolded on live TV. Like most Americans, it was a very dramatic day in my life.”
Al Marr, Project Superintendent
“I was working in Sarasota about ten minutes from where President Bush was visiting an Emma E. Booker Elementary School. There were all kinds of road blockage and extra traffic on the way to work that morning due to the President’s close proximity. I remember I was listening to the radio when I first heard that a plane had just hit one of the Twin Towers. At first I thought it was a joke so I turned on the TV that we had in our conference room in hopes of finding out that it was some stupid radio prank. I was shocked by seeing the video footage being replayed over and over. None of my co-workers had radios on so I quickly spread the word and we all gathered in front of the TV. None of us got anymore work done that day as we were glued to the TV. I also remember being scared to death and phoning my daughter’s school to be sure they were all okay. All I wanted was to pick her up and just hold her close. I did not lose anyone that day, but my girlfriend lost a cousin when the World Trade Center collapsed.”
Deb McWilliams, Administrative Assistant
“I was a freshman in college at the time and was walking to class when I first heard the news. Classes were immediately cancelled for the rest of the day. I remember not knowing what to think or how to feel because it felt so unreal and so far away. Thanks to the great media coverage, it really helped me, and I imagine the rest of America, realize how truly close to home this tragedy was. It was a reminder to never take things for granted.”
Stephen Marano, Assistant Project Manager
“I was on a construction site working on the punch. We had the televisions already turned on as we were adjusting the displays and getting the surround sound tuned in. The news broke about the first plane along with the speculation of the incident being an accident. When the second plane crashed, everyone at the construction site stopped working and everybody watched the news unfold. I did not know anyone there, but I was still amazed and astonished.”
Ken Nielson, Project Superintendent
“I was at work, here at Hennessy, when my husband, Bob, called me and said that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. I couldn’t believe it and went into Bronson’s (President of Hennessy Construction Services) office where he had a small television and we turned it on. I was stunned. As we were looking at the carnage from the first plane, we watched in total disbelief as the second plane crashed. I remember feeling very insecure and vulnerable.”
Moira Dietrichsen, Staff Accountant
“I was at a Verizon jobsite in Tampa taking down an old communication tower. It wasn’t until late morning when I called fellow Superintendent, Bill McClung to ask him a work related question. Bill’s response was “You haven’t listened to the news yet, have you?” By mid-afternoon, we were instructed by Verizon to not have personnel on site the next day unless it was an emergency. It wasn’t until that evening that I finally was able to watch the television coverage. The whole thing seemed so unreal.”
Ron Laforest, Project Superintendent
“I was working at the Jim and Heather Gill’s YMCA doing punch list work. The security cameras were being installed when Robert Gibson, the Project Manager, arrived at the job site. He had just received a phone call alerting him to the first plane crash. The whole crew immediately stopped working and huddled around the small nine inch black and white television that the Security subcontractor was using to test the security cameras. Before long, everyone in the building was squeezed into a small office watching the news on this tiny TV. Numb is the only word I can think of to describe how I was feeling watching the news that day.”
John Poloney, Project Engineer
“Like most of us, I was at work. I had been expecting our cell phone representative, Tim Simone, to stop by that morning and when he came in my office, he didn’t offer any type of greeting but immediately began talking about something bad that had happened in New York City . . . something about an airplane had hit a building . . . and don’t we have a radio and television somewhere in the office. Bronson turned on the television in his office only to discover another airplane had hit another building. That is when we learned that it was the World Trade Center then the news on Flight 93 started. Then the Pentagon. It all seemed to be happening so fast. But at the same time, it seemed as though time stood still – and the images just kept repeating over and over again. I did not lose anyone nor did I personally know anyone who did; however, like most of us, 9/11 was very personal to me. America, by its own definition, is like the neighbor who always has his door open to welcome most everyone, so when one guest becomes violent it shakes you to the core.”
Penny Santner, Office Manager
“I was working for M.B. Kahn Construction in Greenville, SC. Someone always had a radio on so when we heard the news, all the televisions in the office started coming on. We kept watching, working, watching and going into deep shock every time a new attack was announced. I got the chills watching the news. It really felt like you were watching some end of the world movie but worse because you knew it was real.”
Julia Spalding, Administrative Assistant
“Unlike most of America, I was not at work that morning. I was between jobs at the time and honestly, hadn’t quite made it out of bed yet. I got a phone call from my father asking me if I was watching television. He was so focused on the news that he didn’t take the time to explain what was happening and just told me to turn on the TV. By the time I got the television turned on both the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center had planes buried in them. My fiancé called me shortly after the buildings started to collapse and I remember wishing he’d come home because it felt like the world was ending. I didn’t know anyone who lost their lives that day, but I remember crying over the tragedy. The day passed in a blur of horrible images and I was still in bed glued to the television when my fiancé finally got home that afternoon.”
Debbie Armour, Administrative Assistant
“I was on a job site in Michigan when my site subcontractor drove on to the job and told me that a plane hit the world trade center. I drove to my mother’s house a ½ mile away and watched with horror as the events unfolded on live TV. Like most Americans, it was a very dramatic day in my life.”
Al Marr, Project Superintendent
“I was working in Sarasota about ten minutes from where President Bush was visiting an Emma E. Booker Elementary School. There were all kinds of road blockage and extra traffic on the way to work that morning due to the President’s close proximity. I remember I was listening to the radio when I first heard that a plane had just hit one of the Twin Towers. At first I thought it was a joke so I turned on the TV that we had in our conference room in hopes of finding out that it was some stupid radio prank. I was shocked by seeing the video footage being replayed over and over. None of my co-workers had radios on so I quickly spread the word and we all gathered in front of the TV. None of us got anymore work done that day as we were glued to the TV. I also remember being scared to death and phoning my daughter’s school to be sure they were all okay. All I wanted was to pick her up and just hold her close. I did not lose anyone that day, but my girlfriend lost a cousin when the World Trade Center collapsed.”
Deb McWilliams, Administrative Assistant
“I was a freshman in college at the time and was walking to class when I first heard the news. Classes were immediately cancelled for the rest of the day. I remember not knowing what to think or how to feel because it felt so unreal and so far away. Thanks to the great media coverage, it really helped me, and I imagine the rest of America, realize how truly close to home this tragedy was. It was a reminder to never take things for granted.”
Stephen Marano, Assistant Project Manager
“I was on a construction site working on the punch. We had the televisions already turned on as we were adjusting the displays and getting the surround sound tuned in. The news broke about the first plane along with the speculation of the incident being an accident. When the second plane crashed, everyone at the construction site stopped working and everybody watched the news unfold. I did not know anyone there, but I was still amazed and astonished.”
Ken Nielson, Project Superintendent
“I was at work, here at Hennessy, when my husband, Bob, called me and said that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. I couldn’t believe it and went into Bronson’s (President of Hennessy Construction Services) office where he had a small television and we turned it on. I was stunned. As we were looking at the carnage from the first plane, we watched in total disbelief as the second plane crashed. I remember feeling very insecure and vulnerable.”
Moira Dietrichsen, Staff Accountant
“I was at a Verizon jobsite in Tampa taking down an old communication tower. It wasn’t until late morning when I called fellow Superintendent, Bill McClung to ask him a work related question. Bill’s response was “You haven’t listened to the news yet, have you?” By mid-afternoon, we were instructed by Verizon to not have personnel on site the next day unless it was an emergency. It wasn’t until that evening that I finally was able to watch the television coverage. The whole thing seemed so unreal.”
Ron Laforest, Project Superintendent
“I was working at the Jim and Heather Gill’s YMCA doing punch list work. The security cameras were being installed when Robert Gibson, the Project Manager, arrived at the job site. He had just received a phone call alerting him to the first plane crash. The whole crew immediately stopped working and huddled around the small nine inch black and white television that the Security subcontractor was using to test the security cameras. Before long, everyone in the building was squeezed into a small office watching the news on this tiny TV. Numb is the only word I can think of to describe how I was feeling watching the news that day.”
John Poloney, Project Engineer
“Like most of us, I was at work. I had been expecting our cell phone representative, Tim Simone, to stop by that morning and when he came in my office, he didn’t offer any type of greeting but immediately began talking about something bad that had happened in New York City . . . something about an airplane had hit a building . . . and don’t we have a radio and television somewhere in the office. Bronson turned on the television in his office only to discover another airplane had hit another building. That is when we learned that it was the World Trade Center then the news on Flight 93 started. Then the Pentagon. It all seemed to be happening so fast. But at the same time, it seemed as though time stood still – and the images just kept repeating over and over again. I did not lose anyone nor did I personally know anyone who did; however, like most of us, 9/11 was very personal to me. America, by its own definition, is like the neighbor who always has his door open to welcome most everyone, so when one guest becomes violent it shakes you to the core.”
Penny Santner, Office Manager
“I was working for M.B. Kahn Construction in Greenville, SC. Someone always had a radio on so when we heard the news, all the televisions in the office started coming on. We kept watching, working, watching and going into deep shock every time a new attack was announced. I got the chills watching the news. It really felt like you were watching some end of the world movie but worse because you knew it was real.”
Julia Spalding, Administrative Assistant
“Unlike most of America, I was not at work that morning. I was between jobs at the time and honestly, hadn’t quite made it out of bed yet. I got a phone call from my father asking me if I was watching television. He was so focused on the news that he didn’t take the time to explain what was happening and just told me to turn on the TV. By the time I got the television turned on both the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center had planes buried in them. My fiancé called me shortly after the buildings started to collapse and I remember wishing he’d come home because it felt like the world was ending. I didn’t know anyone who lost their lives that day, but I remember crying over the tragedy. The day passed in a blur of horrible images and I was still in bed glued to the television when my fiancé finally got home that afternoon.”
Debbie Armour, Administrative Assistant
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