Larry A. Smail's Blog

My flag proudly waving in the breeze.

     For me, the day was just like so many others on that September morning. I was the sign foreman for the Armstrong County, Pennsylvania  department of transportation. The job of the day was to transport some barricades and signs to a bridge closing site near the small community of Edmon, Pennsylvania. We didn’t know what we would be hearing in a short time.

Bill, the fellow with me in the pick up, was the sign man for the county. Another crew member, Jack was following in another pick up with additional signing.  Bill and I were engaged in our usual chatter for most of the trip to the southern area of the county. Eventually, I reached over and turned the radio on to hear words about a plane striking into the World Trade Tower.

I listened in amazement, thinking how would a plane fly into a building like that. I thought of terrorism, but the thought wasn’t a lingering one at this moment.  Suddenly, words came across of a second plane hitting the second tower! I remember saying, at that time, we are under attack!

We reached the bridge site where the bridge crew was involved in preliminary work. We all listened with disbelief at to what we were hearing. After a time, we unloaded the materials and headed back to Kittanning. Many people were viewing sites on a small television at the county “shed”.  All were silent in unbelief as to what was happening. Of course, by this time the Pentagon had been hit and the Flight 93 plane came down near Shanksville.

The evening proved to be much like the day. I, as well as most Americans, were glued to the television watching intently as intelligence became known.

Today, I watched some television of the history of that tragic day. (Ten Years!) The hurt and tears are still present especially as I watched the terror and pain of those people of that day!

God bless America and forgive us as to how we have allowed this great nation to drift away from our core traditions and beliefs.