Former Chairman Remembers 9/11 Attacks

American Forces Press Service ^ | Jim Garamone

[SandRat]

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8, 2006 – Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers was visiting senators on Capitol Hill Sept. 11, 2001, when he first heard of a plane hitting the World Trade Center. The first reports called the strike a probable accident by a small plane, so Myers, now retired, went on with his appointments.

Myers was serving at the time as the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and was visiting senators in anticipation of his confirmation hearings as chairman.

Army Gen. Hugh Shelton, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was on his way to NATO meetings in Europe on Sept. 11, so Myers was acting chairman in his absence.

He was visiting with Georgia Sen. Max Cleland when the second plane hit the World Trade Center. “I was called out by Gen. (Ralph) Eberhart (the commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command) and my executive assistant,” he said.

Myers immediately got into his car and rushed back to the Pentagon. “Before we even got to the 14th Street Bridge, the Pentagon was hit,” he said. “The scene coming across the bridge was the Pentagon with black smoke rolling out of it. It was like a very bad movie.”

As he pulled up to the building, he knew he needed to get to a command and control point. “I asked if the National Military Command Center was up and running,” he said. “They said it was, so that’s where I headed.”

As he was moving in, thousands of Pentagon workers were evacuating the building. “We were like fish trying to swim upstream,” Myers said.

He arrived at the command center and was joined there about 15 minutes later by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who had been out helping triage wounded employees in the central courtyard of the building.

“In general, we were calm, but what was going through my mind was, ‘What’s next?’” Myers said. “We had the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and it wasn’t too long after that that we heard of the crash in Pennsylvania. So the question in my mind was, ‘Was this part of a larger operation?’”

The decision had been made to land all aircraft in U.S. airspace. “We were trying to think ahead about what was next, trying to prepare for anything,” Myers said. “We knew very early … that it was al Qaeda. So we knew who the threat was, now (the question was) how do we respond to this attack on United States soil.”

Myers said the events of Sept. 11 defined his time as chairman. “The big lesson from 9/11 for me … is the threat from violent extremism is a very serious threat,” he said. “I say it is the most dangerous threat to our way of life since the Civil War. The power of Sept. 11 on our economy and our psyche … worldwide was terrific. The fear it generated causes us to think illogically.”

Myers said there’s one lesson all Americans need to remember from Sept. 11. “We really are at war with a serious enemy,” he said. “(That enemy) declared war on us and wants to do away with our way of life.”

Life will never be the way it was before Sept. 11, 2001, he said. “There are forces out there that want to do away with our way of life,” Myers said. “If they could perpetrate an act bigger than 9/11, they would.”

[SandRat]

Our Father's / Grandfather's forever remember Dec 7, 1941. We will forever remember Sep 11, 2001.

[Cobra64]

He arrived at the command center and was joined there about 15 minutes later by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who had been out helping triage wounded employees in the central courtyard of the building.

Rummy's actions were barely reported.

[Cobra64]

We will forever remember Sep 11, 2001.

FReepers won't, but there are many who already have. Sometime, ask someone what year 9/11 happened....

[ladyinred]

“There are forces out there that want to do away with our way of life,” Myers said. “If they could perpetrate an act bigger than 9/11, they would.”

Yes, but enough about the democrats, there are also Islamic Fascists who want to destroy us.

[small voice in the wilderness]

Bwhahaha!! *sigh*.

[SwinneySwitch]

“(That enemy) declared war on us and wants to do away with our way of life.”

Why have so many forgotten?

[SandRat]

The latest amount of clothes that J-Lo is not wearing is more to their liking

[srmorton]

I have seen a picture of Rumsfeld having to be physically restrained to prevent him from going back into the burning building and others of him helping to render aid and comfort to the injured. This is one of the reasons that it makes me SO mad when the Dems use this fine man as their political punching bag. IMO, it only makes them look foolish and petty, but a man who has dedicated most of his life to the service of his country deserves so much better than that. If he were less dedicated, he probably would have already resigned in disgust.

[OldFriend]

You have no idea how much I hate the thought of voting for Tom Kean, Jr. for senator in NJ. The thought turns my stomach. He has called for Rumsfeld's resignation and in turn I have called his office and fired off some very strongly worded emails.

After the letter written by Senator Reid, it is clear to me that I MUST vote for Kean but it pains me.

[Cobra64]

I have seen a picture of Rumsfeld having to be physically restrained to prevent him from going back into the burning building and others of him helping to render aid and comfort to the injured.

Could you post it for the rest of us to see? Perhaps it would be a good talking point for Rush to put in his "stack of stuff."

[srmorton]

It was right after 9-11 and I'm afraid I did not even know how to save pictures from the internet back then. I'm sure that you could find it or a similar one if you went through the archives of 9-11 photographs. It might even have been on TV rather than on the internet, but it probably is on file somewhere if we just knew where to look.

[Trust but Verify]

Thanks for your difficult, yet correct decision. We MUST not allow this country's security to be turned over to the Russ Feingold's and Harry Reid's of the Senate.