ALASKA
"Where were you on 9/11?" as remembered by those in Alaska that day.
Hunting guide Roger remembers how the FAA grounding of all U.S. air travel stopped him from flying out to pick up a group of campers for days.
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In the Wilderness
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1. "I was working as a hunting guide, cooking breakfast for my clients and staff at our Western Alaska camp when the satellite phone rang. It was my wife Karen, she tearfully told me that two commercial airplanes had flown into the World Trade Center. I couldn’t begin to wrap my brain around the magnitude of what she had just told me.
She then told me that all planes were grounded. I told her that I was sure that didn’t mean my little 'super cub' out here in the wilderness. She told me the news said all planes. I had two clients, a couple of guides and three packers with me in base camp. As they came in for breakfast, I told them what had happened. They were stunned, it was like they didn’t believe me until they heard it on the news. The mood was very somber with lots of discussion and speculation around the table. Could this really be happening? Are we going to war? With limited communications and no TV it was difficult to grasp what was really going on. The following day, I called Freshwater Adventures Flying Service and talked to Phil Bingman, the owner, to see if he had heard anything from FAA. |
He told me the same thing my wife had – grounded. Two days without checking on my spike camps is okay in bad weather but I always check on day three. The law says I must be in contact or in the field with my clients, they expect me to be there. The guides take enough food for five to seven days so that wasn’t a problem but they were used to me bringing them fresh ground moose or caribou burger with other fresh supplies. I needed to fly water into the camps that were on top of the hills and to let them all know about the attack on our country.
On day three, I’m thinking very strongly that I need to get to my spike camps. I call Phil again. He told me everyone is still grounded. I tell him I’m going to fly and that I have to check on my camps. He said,
'No way, there are rumors that a guide in a cub was forced down by an F-15.'
That was true, as I later found out.
On day three, I’m thinking very strongly that I need to get to my spike camps. I call Phil again. He told me everyone is still grounded. I tell him I’m going to fly and that I have to check on my camps. He said,
'No way, there are rumors that a guide in a cub was forced down by an F-15.'
That was true, as I later found out.
We Haven't Seen a Plane in the Last Three Days
Sometime between day three and four, I received word that I could fly. I packed the cub with supplies and took off for the spike camps. It was still early in the day as I headed for Arrow Creek, about 8 miles away. When I got there I saw our guide Dennis and his hunter coming up the hill. Dennis said,
'I’m glad you are okay. We thought you might have crashed or had plane problems, but we haven’t seen one plane for the last three days and thought that was pretty strange.'
I began to tell them what happened and as I’m talking I get all choked up and really emotional. It was like it had just happened all over again. They know it’s true but have a difficult time taking it all in. I gave them their supplies and told them to stay at their camp and continue to hunt for moose and that I would bring more food later that evening. Dennis was the only guide who was going to walk back to camp but all the guides and clients I went to had the same reaction - stunned and speechless.
Dan, my partner, arrived that afternoon. He had closed down the Wrangell Mountain camp and gotten grounded in Anchorage the day before he was to fly out to camp. Now we had two planes and we could fly. Things seemed back to normal, at least in our camp.
'I’m glad you are okay. We thought you might have crashed or had plane problems, but we haven’t seen one plane for the last three days and thought that was pretty strange.'
I began to tell them what happened and as I’m talking I get all choked up and really emotional. It was like it had just happened all over again. They know it’s true but have a difficult time taking it all in. I gave them their supplies and told them to stay at their camp and continue to hunt for moose and that I would bring more food later that evening. Dennis was the only guide who was going to walk back to camp but all the guides and clients I went to had the same reaction - stunned and speechless.
Dan, my partner, arrived that afternoon. He had closed down the Wrangell Mountain camp and gotten grounded in Anchorage the day before he was to fly out to camp. Now we had two planes and we could fly. Things seemed back to normal, at least in our camp.
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NYPD on the Hunt
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Our next six caribou hunters were set to arrive on September 18th. It was taking most airports a long time to recover from the shutdown and with the new security changes it was a headache for travelers. Four of the six hunters cancelled out, two wanted a full refund. The remaining two were a father and son from New York City.
In fact, they were New York City police officers. They had been in Ground Zero and they had lost friends. They were glad to be here. Their Captain had told them that the hunt would be a well-deserved break. They told us many first hand stories of the devastation. It was heartbreaking. I’m happy to say that they both took nice caribous. They deserved them. - Roger Morris - You can read Roger's full story at huntingadventureswithrogermorris.com https://www.huntingadventureswithrogermorris.com/huntingstories/2016/9/10/where-were-you-on-911 |
Written Stories
2. "I was in asleep in my dorm room and my roommate kept bugging me, he woke me up and I was like,
'Look at the TV. That's New York!'
I went to class and nobody was there. We had a huge TV in the common area and everyone was crowded around it all day.
- S. S.
'Look at the TV. That's New York!'
I went to class and nobody was there. We had a huge TV in the common area and everyone was crowded around it all day.
- S. S.
3. "It was about 6 AM in Alaska. I lived in a one room cabin, my neighbor called my landline and very quickly told me what was happening. My sleepy response was more of a huh, what? So she just said,
'Get down here!!'
I went to her house and watched the rest of it unfold on her TV. The thing I remember most about that day was how quiet everyone was. Groups of folks standing around a TV, just watching. Everyone at the store super quiet. No normal chit chat, just quiet"
- Minnie
'Get down here!!'
I went to her house and watched the rest of it unfold on her TV. The thing I remember most about that day was how quiet everyone was. Groups of folks standing around a TV, just watching. Everyone at the store super quiet. No normal chit chat, just quiet"
- Minnie
4. "I had just gotten home from my 8:00 AM criminology class, so it must have been around 10:15-ish. I walked into my house and my mom was frozen, staring at the TV. I asked her what was wrong, and she simply pointed to the TV. What we were seeing on the news was truly unspeakable."
- R. F.
- R. F.
5. "I was 12 years old, home-schooled and starting to do my homework at grandma's house when I heard my grandma saying
'Oh no'
Over and over again. I said,
'What?'
'An airplane hit the Twin Towers.'
'What?'
As I was coming over to hear what she saying, I looked at the TV and saw one of towers falling down.
I thought it was the end of the world."
- Gregory W.
'Oh no'
Over and over again. I said,
'What?'
'An airplane hit the Twin Towers.'
'What?'
As I was coming over to hear what she saying, I looked at the TV and saw one of towers falling down.
I thought it was the end of the world."
- Gregory W.
6. "My memories of September 11 are dominated by silence.
I was 12 years old living in Anchorage, Alaska. When the planes hit the towers in New York, it was early for us. I was getting ready for school and eating my breakfast when the phone rang. My mom answered and I remember her voice dropping out after 'Hello.' It reminded me of the time we got the call that my great grandmother was dying. I ate my cereal.
She turned on the television without saying a word, and we saw the second plane hit. I only remember silence, but I'm sure she tried to explain what was happening as best she could.
She drove me to school, mostly in silence. Half of the students at my school lived on the nearby military bases. I think my mom told me school would be different that day, and that most of my friends wouldn't be there, but I can only remember silence.
My friends didn't come to school that day, or for several days after. In most of my classes there were only four or five of us and we sat in silence, watching the muted TVs replay the scenes over and over. Our teachers didn't know what to do, or what to say. Sometimes I think about how hard it must have been for them, because they knew that most of their students would be affected by this new war more than most. Too many of my classmates lost parents in the years following that day.
In PE class, we went outside where we were supposed to be practicing track and field activities. I remember standing on the track, in my grey PE sweatshirt, looking at the sky. It was too quiet. There were no planes. In Anchorage, there are always planes. With an Air Force base and the busiest cargo airport in America, there are always planes. But not that day. The city was silent.
I still feel afraid when there is an unexpected silence. My heart pounds and my stomach drops, just like it did that day. I am still afraid of what silence means for the future."
- M. S.
I was 12 years old living in Anchorage, Alaska. When the planes hit the towers in New York, it was early for us. I was getting ready for school and eating my breakfast when the phone rang. My mom answered and I remember her voice dropping out after 'Hello.' It reminded me of the time we got the call that my great grandmother was dying. I ate my cereal.
She turned on the television without saying a word, and we saw the second plane hit. I only remember silence, but I'm sure she tried to explain what was happening as best she could.
She drove me to school, mostly in silence. Half of the students at my school lived on the nearby military bases. I think my mom told me school would be different that day, and that most of my friends wouldn't be there, but I can only remember silence.
My friends didn't come to school that day, or for several days after. In most of my classes there were only four or five of us and we sat in silence, watching the muted TVs replay the scenes over and over. Our teachers didn't know what to do, or what to say. Sometimes I think about how hard it must have been for them, because they knew that most of their students would be affected by this new war more than most. Too many of my classmates lost parents in the years following that day.
In PE class, we went outside where we were supposed to be practicing track and field activities. I remember standing on the track, in my grey PE sweatshirt, looking at the sky. It was too quiet. There were no planes. In Anchorage, there are always planes. With an Air Force base and the busiest cargo airport in America, there are always planes. But not that day. The city was silent.
I still feel afraid when there is an unexpected silence. My heart pounds and my stomach drops, just like it did that day. I am still afraid of what silence means for the future."
- M. S.