Paying Attention:
Embed from Getty Images
The most horrific, tragic, act of war America has endured since the attack on Pearl Harbor over 70 years ago was 9/11, the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Those events, along with the heroic actions of a group of passengers on Flight 93 (including Todd Beamer, who prophetically said “Let’s Roll”) are seared into the American consciousness.
A few days ago, Politico published an oral history of the flight of Air Force One and its’ occupants on that fateful day. President George W. Bush was making an appearance at a small elementary school in Florida when he received the word that the United States was under attack. He had to face an act of war, assume his role as Commander in Chief of the armed forces, and somehow, return to the seat of U.S. government, Washington DC, which had been attacked and which could be subject to further attacks. Writer/Reporter Garrett Graff wrote the story of that fateful day and flight; the story is told from multiple viewpoints of the people on board Air Force One as it crosses America as a command post in the air simultaneously dealing with responses to the incidents and working to get the President and the group of top advisors with him back to Washington. It’s not a short read, but it ‘s a necessary, and well worth your time.
Here’s the link to the story: “We’re the only plane in the sky”. This story should be required reading for every American citizen.
The Fine Print: Image embed courtesy of our friends at GettyImages.com, who have the photographic history of the 20th and 21st century on file. This photo has not been altered in any way. We thank them for sharing. Direct link to the “We’re the Only Plane in Sky” provided by Politico. If you’re not reading that particular blog everyday, you should be. Especially in these contentious times. Thanks for reading.