9/11

It seems a lot of my memories have something to do with high winds and pounding rain. Even my memory of September 11, 2001.

I was stationed in Japan at the time. As it happened that Sunday I was on watch when a typhoon comes up on us. We were informed that we would continue to have the watch until the storm blew over. We would bring out the cots and send someone out into the wind and rain to get food.

When I'm at work I don't sleep. I can't sleep so I was up for about 36 hours by the time Tuesday rolled around. The storm blew itself out and we were free. I made to my barracks room with hardly enough time to get out my uniform when someone starts pounding on my door.

When I open it a frantic friend was there saying things like "jets" "world trade center" "explosion" "pentagon" "the capitol building"

I had no idea what was going on but I was immeditately called back to work and more or less activated as Auxillury Security Force. That little endevour was a bit mess to say the least. The entire ASF compliment spent the 8 to 10 hours hanging out in the security parking lot waiting. We left out in the open to be picked off one by one. Yeah, I felt safe!

We had been effectively locked in the base. No one would be going in and no would be going out. No one would be going anywhere. The ships were preparing to leave and we were preparing to be dispersed were needed.

I was transported to one of the out lying housing complex. When I got there I was informed there were no restaurant open and I would not be returning to the main base. Not only was I just getting off that typhoon watch but now I had to stand guard duty with no food and no sleep. I was going to effective! I had no idea were I would be sleeping and I had only one uniform and I was wearing it. EWWW! It a word that comes to mind...

I spent the next three weeks on that little base with no way back to my barracks room and still in my one uniform. Luckily they had a little Navy Exchange to buy some necessities like underclothes and laundry detergent. I was pretty gross by that time. Two pairs of shorts, a package of tees, a package of underwear and thing of laundry soap later I was fresh and fancy free.

On our breaks to the base movie theater we would watch those planes crash into the World Trade Center over and over again. It went on 24 hours a day. I will never forget it. We would just sit there watching helplessly.

I stood watch over Yahama wondering what was going on back home. I had no way of reaching anyone and I still hadn't heard from my friends in the Pentagon.

There was so much loss that day but I couldn't help feeling relieved when I heard my best friend tell me she was okay. She wasn't in the Pentagon that morning like she was supposed to be. I was relieved to be alive. I was relieved that I hadn't lost one my dearest friend. I was relieved to find out I was leaving Japan eight weeks later.

Eight weeks later I was in Narita - Tokyo Airport. I wasn't surprised when they emptied my check in luggage...twice...with me standing there. I wasn't surprised when they searched my carry one...three times. I was surprised however when I landed on Chicago's O'hare International Airport that the only means of secruity set in place were wands and barely a peek in my bag.

Riddle me this Batman...who just had airline terrorist hijacking? The Japanese or the U.S.? I was damned near stripped searched before allowed to touch the jet at Narita but merely waved through after an international flight in O'hare. I still don't understand it.