In Your Own Words: Remembering 9/11 Part II

By Ivette Hazou 

9-11…sadly I will never forget that day. I was at work, in Washington, D.C.. My office was located on the seventh floor at 15^th and H Street. I remember a guy at work telling everyone to watch the TV in the break room. It was about 8:30 a.m. and all of us stood around the TV and watched as the plane flew in the tower.

We were all shocked and stood in aw. I thought, ”oh my God that is awful, there must have been something wrong with the plane." I went back to my desk; I had to get ready for a meeting I had scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Then I heard people in the hallway saying, ”another plane hit!” Then I knew this wasn’t a mistake there was something really wrong going on. As people were talking and making comments we all headed to the fifth floor. All of us (about 10 or 12 people) were sitting in the conference room waiting for the meeting to get started. All of a sudden a person comes bolting down the hallway screaming, “we need to leave a plane just hit the Pentagon!!!”

The director said “everyone go home and be safe” I wasn’t scared at first, but as soon as I walked into the hallway I could smell the burning fuel. Then I started to panic. Everyone tried to remain as calm as possible we walked up the stairs to our offices. I remember thinking of my kids and my husband. Then all of a sudden someone yelled another plane is coming heading this way. That was the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania. I grabbed my purse and called my slugging buddy. I told her, ”I am leaving D.C. right now so you have to meet me at the parking garage.”

I hurried out the building to find utter chaos on the streets. The smell was overwhelming. I could see the smoke from the Pentagon. I remember hearing people screaming and crying, the sirens and the honking. Everyone was on their cell phones. It seemed like I was watching a movie. The parking garage line was wrapped around the whole block of 14^th and H Street. Luckily I was able to get there before the mass of people. My friend met me there and I managed to get my car out. I told everyone that was around me that I could take people in my car and that I was headed to Woodbridge. My car was packed. I was only able to take three extra people. Strangers that I had never met before. I was happy to be able to help a few get home. I left D.C. around 10:30 a.m. and didn’t get home until 5:30 p.m.   I managed to pick up my son from daycare and my daughter from school. I hugged them and cried.

After that day, I was very paranoid. Every time I heard sirens and police cars coming down the HOV lanes, I got goosebumps. I made a backpack with extra cloths, water, a flashlight, first aid kit, some granola bars and a portable radio. I kept that in my car for about two years.

Something else that happened was that I got laid off that November because of 9-11. I was the Sales and Marketing Manger, but after the horrible tragedy there wasn’t any sales and marketing wasn’t needed. I was jobless for almost a year.  

My heart goes out to all those people that lost loved ones. I will never forget 9-11!