Washington, DC, September 11, 2001

This is the short version of my account of September 11:

That morning from my office window I could see smoke drifting over the dome of the U. S. Capitol. There were scores of rumors of bombs and I assumed that the smoke was coming from the reported fires on the National Mall (it was actually from the crash at the Pentagon).

After an hour or two a Capitol Policeman entered my office and ordered me to leave as they were evacuating the building. I then sat in my car in a park across the street with the door open and the radio on with thousands of other Senate staffers milling around since there was complete traffic gridlock. Some were talking about walking home (across the Potomac River bridges which were closed to traffic) which in many cases was 10-15 miles.



The Hart/Dirksen and Russell Senate Office Buildings lower right - the Supreme Court (lower left), the 14th Street Bridge and Pentagon (extreme upper left).










Dirksen Senate Office Building with my office near the corner, facing the sun, 2nd floor from the top




A while later, I found my way onto I-395 just south of the Mall - eight lanes wide and I was the only car on the highway. After crossing the the 14th St/Case Bridge which had just reopened, I drove right past the burning Pentagon but wasn't allowed to stop as the place was crawling with cops and emergency vehicles. I spent the rest of the day watching TV coverage and listening to the F-16s flying the air cap over DC. The next day I could smell the Pentagon from five miles away.



Though not my picture, this is exactly what I saw while driving past the Pentagon on my way home September 11.




































I once lifted off from this heliport on the west side of the Pentagon



My telephoto of the Pentagon destruction.