There came a day that would change America forever: September 11, 2001. On that fateful day, I was the supervisor of the Traffic Enforcement Section of the Fairfax County Police Department.
Our practice was to arrive at work early enough to have a cup of coffee together and "solve the world's problems" before starting our shift. I vividly recall the events of that day. Upon entering the office that morning, the television was on, as usual. One of my officers exclaimed, "Did you see that? An airliner struck one of the World Trade Center towers!" We concluded it must have been some kind of pilot error.
As the live coverage continued, we watched the second airliner approach the second tower and strike it. These were no accidents, and for once, we didn't have the answers. We were stunned beyond comprehension by what we had witnessed. Our office went quiet as the coverage and commentary continued. Eventually, we began our day of duty. By this time, the Fairfax County command post downstairs had been activated and fully staffed for the work ahead.
Fairfax County is adjacent to Washington, D.C., so our area knew to expect the worst. Given our proximity, anything that happened there would affect us significantly. We were on high alert. It was unknown what the day would bring, but we were ready. Senior police, public safety officials, and county emergency and support staff from adjacent areas were represented, along with representatives from other federal and outside law enforcement agencies. Call-takers and support personnel packed the command post. I spent my day dividing my time between the command post and my upstairs office.
Every aircraft entering the Washington, D.C. area was considered suspicious and a potential threat until proven otherwise. The number of these was countless, but personnel in the command post worked hard, coordinating with other agencies to validate each aircraft's presence. Stress levels were the highest most of us had ever experienced, save for those who had served in combat. Then the day brought another violent attack: American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. Descriptions of the scene reached the command post, detailing the damage and the probable loss of many lives.
Two of my officers, assigned to an area near the Pentagon, returned to our office visibly shaken. They told me they felt something awful had happened but didn't know what. One described a strange moment when the air itself seemed to change. Telephones began ringing constantly in the command post. Adding to the stress and anxiety, personnel there received calls from spouses, family, and friends who worked in Arlington and had been in the path of the hijacked airliner as it descended toward the Pentagon. Some said the doomed plane flew just above their roofs before impact.
Then came word of the hijacked airliner that crashed in a rural Pennsylvania field. We stayed glued to the large television in the command post, watching continued coverage of the attacks on our country. Most believe that aircraft had been headed for the White House. Brave Americans aboard made sure their hijackers did not succeed.
September 12 and the weeks that followed were spent supporting the Pentagon Police and other federal agencies in rescue and recovery efforts. Fairfax County, the Virginia State Police, and other law enforcement agencies took part — finding and removing victims, securing the crime scene, and directing traffic on the Pentagon's main thoroughfares. It was a long, exhausting team effort, but everyone involved carried it out with total dedication. We had been attacked, and we wanted to do our part with everything we had. After our work at the Pentagon was complete, the participating agencies designed a lapel pin, later authorized for wear on uniforms and civilian police attire. That pin went on to become the symbol on Virginia's "Fight Terrorism" license plate.
Keith Throckmorton
Fairfax County Police (Retired) and Chaplain, Hertford, NC