This day and tomorrow, I am sad as are many of you. My 9-11 experience was getting a phone call mid morning as the towers collapsed from my dearest friend, (Mark Lagen and my son know who I mean), asking Ol Buddy, can you drive me out to Boeing Field tonight? I gotta go. I said sure, and realized what he was saying. I NEVER asked questions. The day passed, and I drove to his house, and he was already waiting outside with a suitcase and a hanging bag. We headed out for Boeing Field, and didnt talk much about the horror of the day. Mostly just small talk. We approached an area away from the jet service areas, and I saw in the darkness a very shiny Gulfstream jet (white) on the tarmac with the door open and light shining from the otherwise dark cabin. I could barely make out the pilots in the flight cabin. My friend looked at me and said, Thanks Ol Buddy. I dont know when Ill be back but Ill let you know, and maybe you can pick me up. I said Sure. He gathered his stuff and I watched him walk the short distance to the jet and the ramp door. He did not look back. Seconds after he entered the cabin, the engines whined loudly and the jet quickly turned north on the east taxi way. I smiled noticing that the N numbers were virtually invisible, very small, below the rear fuselage. There were no other markings of course on the aircraft. It was rather obvious about who the aircraft was really operated by. The plane turned left rapidly, and despite other aircraft waiting to the west to stage, his plane went right to the active runway, accelerated rapidly, and blasted off southward, into the night. Some days later, I again picked him up at the same location, with the same Gulfstream, late at night in the rain. I asked him, How did it go? He answered, THEY GOT LUCKY. We never talked about it again, until he showed me photographs of the scene. His included photographs of the dead, and body parts. I felt both privileged and sad. I knew why he was there on the site, but we never again discussed it. Maybe one day. RIP my dearest friend, keeper of the secrets.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Sep 2014 16:23:32 +0000
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