September 11, 2024 • 24 mins
Wednesday marked 23 years since the 9/11 terrorist attack that left nearly 3,000 dead after hijackers boarded four planes, crashing two airplanes into the World Trade Center in NYC, one into the Pentagon, and one went down in a field in Shanksville, PA. We remember all who lost their lives on this tragic day 23 years ago. Where were you on the day we “never forget”?
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's nice eyes.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Dan, I'm going mazy Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
All right, let's keep it rolling here. We have spent
two hours talking about people's memories of nine to eleven,
two thousand and one. That's twenty twenty three years ago.
I'm gratified that as the number of my listeners who
want to talk about this issue. We will segue at
some point into your comments on what happened last night
(00:29):
in Philadelphia in the debate between former President Trump and
current Vice President Harris. But I promise on something like this,
I never want to turn people away who want to
tell us a story. This is my friend Betty on
the boat. Betty, were you on the boat back twenty
three years ago?
Speaker 3 (00:49):
No.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
I was in my condo in medicine and I had
just gotten up and walked into the dining room and
my late husband was watching the talent vision and I said, George,
haven't you seen enough war movies? He said, Betty, this
isn't walk this is the United States being invaded. I said,
(01:12):
what did you have for breakfast?
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Knowing you as I know you, Betty, I'm not surprised
that that would have been your comment.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
And he said, I think you got to sit down,
young lady, and so I sat down and I said,
what he said, Betty, The United States has been attacked
the world. This is the World Trade Centers in New York.
I said, You've got to be kidding. And we were
in real estate at the time, and we had a
buyer coming up from New Jersey and her brother worked
(01:47):
in the World Trade Center and just as she went
by New York, the building that he was in was
hit and he died.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
You know, those stories are just chilling to think that
people knew that as the towers were hit, or as
the towers came down, that friends, are relatives or family
members were never coming home.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
That's yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Another friend's father ran his limousine build business out of
the base of one of the towers, and his father
had was out on a limo run and if he
hadn't been out on the run, he would have died.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Well, we heard a story last hour from someone who
I think it was Angelo last hour, who talked about
either a friend or a cousin of his who had
walked out of the building, you know, just to go
whatever it was, to go get a coffee or go
get get something to eat and he realized that a
(02:58):
plane had just hit the building. And how world changed,
our whole world.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
How this impacted me is I'm on the harbor and
I see planes taking off twenty four to seven from LONGUS,
and every time one passes over me, I say, may
you be safe?
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Well, thank you because occasionally a little less frequency than
when I worked in television many years ago. But I
just came back from Italy with some nightside listeners. We
had a great trip over there. But every time I
get on an airplane, you realize that you don't have
any control. When you're driving your own car, you have control.
(03:43):
But when you're sitting in an airplane, other people can
act up and do stupid things or dangerous things or
criminal things.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
My attitude is I can't go by boat or car.
I'm not going.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
You're an independent person. I know you well enough that
you will take that as the compliment that it was
intended to be.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
Thank you. I appreciate it. Now I have to go
give my cats some Chuo swords.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Well, thank you very much. Thanks as always, I wish
you'd call more ROP because you're a great caller.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
Thanks, Thanks Betty, thank you, and you take here welcome
back from vacation.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
All right, thanks so much. Let me go to Pete
in New Hampshire. Pete going to get you in here
before they break at eleven fifteen. You were next on
nice sack, go right ahead.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Thanks Dan, Thanks for doing this tonight. So at the time,
I was an airline pilot. I'm not retired, but I
wasn't flying that particular day. But a couple of days
prior to the attack, I flew up. I was based
in Marshall and Bellis and it was a seven twenty
seventh Captain and I flew up over the city. We
were firing airplane actually to Handsome Field because we flew
(04:49):
the Boston College Eagles football team out to San Francisco
for the game. So but in any event, and I
pointed out to one of my new flight attendants, you know,
she said, point out the skyline. I said, this is
a twin towers, this Lady of Liberty, the Empire, State building,
crisis of building, and so forth. And she called me
up after that and said, I can't believe they're gone.
(05:09):
But also the last flight that I worked at the
Keyway Airlines before I went to Transmrinian, there was also
an East. The Airlines pilot, my lead flight attendant, was
a woe by the named Deborah Jacob's Welch. She was
one of the flight attendants on the flight, the United
flight that was forced down the field in Pennsylvania, and
(05:29):
I sent a sympathy card to her husband. It was
about a year later I got a card back and
it said thank you for your kind sympathy and tribute
to the memory of Deborah jacob Welch. And it says,
dear friend, thank you. I'm sure they get tons of cards.
Thank you so much for your loving remembrance of my
dear wife, Debbie. I realized this response is very tabby,
(05:50):
but please know that I was deeply touched by your
care and compassion. I now understand just how fragile our
lives can be. But through the unselfish sacer plight of
Debbie and all who perished, we shall prevail. Debbie taught
me that living each day to the fullest, with the
utmost care and concern for our fellow man, we will
(06:10):
achieve the happiness we pursue, and all of us shall
truly be heroes in the eyes of God. May God
bless you and you're in the grant you peace. Dan. Well,
so that I've kept that because it's very moving, but
it reminds me that just how precious life is. And
I remember just how how people other callers say how
(06:35):
people had flags in the house and people were flying,
people were driving around with flags on their vehicle, in
the back of their truck. And I took for the
airline I was working for at the time, I took
the first flight out after that, and I did a
lot of international flying and for several flights back when
I came back into the US, across the air defense zone,
(06:56):
I had two fighter jets, one on each way, and
that was the standard thing for days after that.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
The protect you or to make sure that you were
acting properly, do you think.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
Yeah, well, well I think that, yeah, to make sure
that I was in a rogue flight because we didn't know.
I mean, when this thing came down, it totally the
air controllers were totally you know, almost in shock with
what was going on, and you know, so it's something
that definitely changed our industry. And I remember thinking life
(07:32):
won't ever be quite the same in the in the
US again after this, And and I was just saying
today I'm actually my budget come in my down and
when I opened the meeting chair the committee, I said,
I'd like to do a little remembrance and people, you know,
be thinking of those that were lost on the twenty
third anniversary here and and I know a lot of
(07:53):
callers have said how we came together as an Americans.
The fact I said this today, you know, we're very
divided is political parties. And I said, my dream is
that we get back to where we can we can
remember that we have more common than we than we
have you know, differences on and I'd like to see
(08:14):
us try to get back to that. So unfortunately a
lot of people I think have forgotten. But it was
truly amazing how people came together and really put the
differences aside and became one people. You know, I don't
remember another time in my lifetime. I'm sixty six that
it was quite that that strong. And my hope is
(08:36):
we can get there again without having another tragedy to
force us to do it that way.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
So well, I almost think that, I almost think that
it is a tragedy that brings us together. I mean,
obviously I'm young enough to remember or old enough to
remember the Kennedy assassination, and there was a feeling of
not only was our president killed, but our country was attacked.
(09:01):
But this was also Look, there were three thousand people
who died that day between the planes and the buildings,
and I think I get it. I know that there
are people out there who feel while you know, we're
being paid back and all of that, but I don't
buy that because I'm not willing. I'm not willing to
concede that what happened that day was just in any
(09:25):
way or for any shape or form. We have a
lot of people in this country who want to look
at the United States as this colonial power, and you'll
hear people use that phrase or we represent Western civilization. Well,
I think that we're not a colonial power. We have
freed more people, we have given more sacrifice in terms
(09:48):
of American soldiers in wars over the years, our own
Civil War to keep our country together, but also War one,
World War World War one, and World War Two, which
we freed Europe and freed Europe a second time. And
I just think that it's not being taught in school anymore,
and people, people are not willing to stand up for
(10:09):
the country. And I know when I argue with friends
of mine, I say, well, you know, what country have
we taken over? And have we invaded?
Speaker 3 (10:16):
What country?
Speaker 1 (10:17):
What country we have? We are we occupying against their will?
Europe wants us there as a protection against Russia. Well,
now Russia, but was the Soviet Union. We're we're defending
Taiwan against China. I'm sick of the people who want
to criticize this country and they want to criticize democratic
(10:38):
presidents and Republican presidents. Are our presidents perfect?
Speaker 3 (10:41):
No?
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Have they made mistakes, yes, But it's the best form
of government off anywhere in the world as far as
I have.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
So, you know, I still think we're you know, with
all the problems we have, we're beacon of freedom in
liberty and where else. You know, I think we're the
best in the world for that. And you know, like
you said, people have kind of west side of that.
They don't know history. We have people coming here that
I think sometimes just for the handouts they can get,
(11:09):
and they don't truly feel what it's like to be
American and and love the country. So that's that's too
bad because I think, you know, if you lose America,
what do you have left, not much, not much right.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
You know, I mean think about it when you really
think about it. And I also think that this plays
into what's going on politically. You know, we're a special
country where people have come that built the country. We're
a capitalist society. There's nothing to be ashamed about with capitalism.
And we have to control the people who are coming
in this country because there are some people who would
(11:48):
come in and do us harm. I want people to
come here. I've talked about this before. We should naturalize
more people every year. We only naturalize less than a
million people a year in a country of thirty million people.
But I want to know who are you, Why are
you coming here? What will you contribute to our society.
I don't need to have you come here if you're
eighty five years old and you just want to come
(12:11):
and collect social security benefits which have never earned. I
just I don't want to make I don't want to
make this political. I really don't want to do that. Peek.
But I think you and I see it the same way.
And we have a lot to we proud of. We
have very little to be ashamed of, and the things
that we could be ashamed of, whether it was America's
original sin of slavery. We have ended that. There's a
(12:32):
lot of countries around the world where slavery still exist.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
To this agorithm, they haven't ended it. So you know,
it's let's look at the good and not dwell on
on the negative all the time. It's easy to be Passimisican.
It's easy to bash the country. But at the end
of the day, I mean, I'm a coase guy, veteran.
I love this country. And I called you before I
was a stay repist six years in New Hampshire. I
(12:56):
called you during that when we overturned our death penalty,
I voted in favor of keeping it, and we had
a conversation about that a few years ago. Now, Sonuna
was a good you know governor. I think it was
the second term.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Yeah, well you're talking about Chris John because I covered
them both. It was great to see Chris used the
Heimlich maneuver the other day to save a guy in
the lobster role eating contest up there. Chris is a
great guy. Chris is a great guy. And put aside
Republican or Democrat, I could vote for him whatever party
(13:33):
he was in.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
Well, I'll tell you tell you an interesting thing. I
actually ran for state Senate two years ago and I
didn't make it to the Farmary, but I also didn't
take any special interest money and I came close. It's
the district that that John Snuna was Senator in the
district that includes Salem, New Hampshire and Tellham and Atkinson
and Plasta. But after I was out, I got friendly
(13:55):
with the Secretary of State Scanlon because I was an
election law committee in my life term in the House,
and so he asked me to come up and do recounts. Now,
an interesting phenomenon. When I was doing recounts, we were
doing state rep races, but you saw the whole ballot.
There were many people Democrats that voted straight Democrat, but
they came over for the Sonuno, and there were many
Republicans that went straight Republicans that came over for Hasn't.
(14:18):
So it's kind of interesting to see that dynamic.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Yeah, it's it's it's interesting. Maybe some people need to
be in a different party or something.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
I don't know. Hey, I've really enjoyed this call, Pete.
We went a long time. You're the longest caller of
the night. But well worth it. Thank you, my friend.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
Thank thanks Dan.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
Please, Okay, I really enjoyed it. We're the same wavelength. Thanks.
Good night. We're going to take a quick break. We
are going to open this up now if you want
to comment, and by the way, if Barbara wants to
comment to nine to eleven, you're going to be next. Barbara.
Then Joel's going to start us off talking about the debate.
His reaction to the debate is if anyone out there
(14:55):
actually had their mind changed from the debate last night,
I'd love to hear from you, and why, uh, if
if any of you were a Trump supporter or a
Harris supporter and you flipped, or if you were truly undecided,
and now that debate last night has allowed you to
come to a final decision, let's talk about it. And
(15:18):
why was was Donald Trump? So he just seemed to
me last night it was a terrible performance by Donald
Trump and his his handlers, I'm sure were disappointed in
how it went. I think that he he'd better get
(15:39):
his act together if he wants to have any hope
of prevailing in this election. And we can talk about
all of that, but we're going to get to Barbera first,
and then Joel and more calls the only line open
right now, the only lines opener six, one, seven nine
Back on nights Out after this.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
night Side Studios on w BS News Radio.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
Okay, let's go to Barbara in Norton. She wants to
talk about nine to eleven. Garbrea, go right ahead, Hello, Barbara,
how are you tonight?
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Welcome?
Speaker 5 (16:11):
Good than to you, I guess I just wanted to
give you a perspective as someone who was actually flying
in the air on nine to eleven about.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
That's a great perspective. Where were you headed?
Speaker 5 (16:24):
My husband and I had left Providence and we were
headed to Didney World, the happiest place on Earth, and
we were in flight when all this broke loose. We
had no ight. We're in Southwest, so they were all
acting goofy and fun. And then I noticed all the
stewardess is going into the captain's area coming out with
(16:46):
very grim faces and the demeanor just I'm going to
make I'm going.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
To make a wild guests. You landed in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Speaker 5 (16:55):
No, we landed in Jacksonville, whoa very close so we
had looked like at seven point thirty in the morning,
so we were almost at Orlando, and then the pilot
came on and told us that we were All planes
in the air were being required to land immediately at
their nearest location, and for us, that was going to
(17:18):
be Jacksonville. While we were flying, all of a sudden,
I mean, I said to my husband, oh my god,
it's terrorist. But I thought they'd shut down the computer systems.
I don't know why I thought that, Bud, I said
computer because he sounded really nervous about flying. And then
all of a sudden, the plane banked over the ocean
sharp left, and I really lost it, thinking, oh my god,
(17:39):
what's going on?
Speaker 3 (17:40):
But that was.
Speaker 5 (17:41):
Actually Bush was coming out of Florida at the time,
thought later, So they had to get out of the
way of the airspace. And when we landed in Jacksonville,
we had not remember, no cell phoned, no communications back then.
Now you would have known it in two minutes what
was going on. We literally the plane lands in Jacksonville
(18:02):
and the stewardess hands me this return wooden plastic thing
in case we were flying again that afternoon. That's how
nobody knew what was happening. We get off the plane
and I walk into you know, Mayhem with people crying
because they think about that time the second plane had
(18:24):
gone into the building. So you know a lot of
people are in shocked, they're crying. I'm pretty pragmatic, so
I followed other pilots I could see and where they
were headed, because Jacksonville is kind of like Providence, and
from the sides, it was at least to me at
that time. So I went out of the car rentals.
Thought my husband stayed up to call our family because
(18:46):
they thought we'd blown out of Boston, so they were
all armed. I get to the car rentals and they
were putting signs up no car rentals. But I had
the spot in line with the pilots, and someone else
had a reservation from the reserve, and so we shared
a car on the way to Disney. And so he
(19:07):
was getting feedback from New York about people in the
reserve about what was going on, and they were afraid
that Disney was going to be the next target. So
we drove to Disney. Yeah, Disney. In fact, the day
after nine eleven, there were black Hawk helicopters. The entire
(19:27):
day circulating around all of the We were in Hollywood
Studios that day.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
But yeah, so when you so when you got there,
either that day or the next day, Disney was open
for business.
Speaker 5 (19:42):
So when we when we landed, we drove to Orlando
and we're told that Disney was shutting down, closing, and
so we went to like we were at the Swan,
so we were able to walk over to the ESPN
building and watch the tds. But it opened the very
next day, and so we went to Hollywood Studios and that's,
(20:04):
as I said, the Blackhawk helicopters were circulating the whole
Disney premise because they thought it was a target, that
it could be a target. So you know that that was,
you know, kind of an interesting perspective. And obviously we
could not fly out if we wanted to until Monday.
Up there, I think Sunday was the earliest the Orlando
(20:26):
opened back up.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
A lot of it was about it. So let me
ask you this, So did you did Disney under the circumstances? Obviously,
you know, you were almost a captive audience. I mean,
you're in Orlando, what else you want to do of
Disney Universal Studios? But did Disney give you any sort
of a break or did they say, hey, if you've
(20:49):
got our three day cash, you can still stay through
the weekend.
Speaker 5 (20:53):
They took our money, but I do they were very
good to people who they kept the money, but they
were very good to people who were there. There are
a lot of Brits vacation in September at Disney and
they were stuck, and my understanding was that they did
give them free hotel until they could get out. So
(21:13):
there were people and honestly, at Disney the next day,
it's a beautiful day, even with all these helicopters flying
around and kind of like an ear of disbelief. But
I'll tell you everyone was given la palpins to wear
the American flag and people were just so kind, and
the Brits in the you know, foreign visitors were just
(21:37):
so so sympathetic. So it was, you know a different experience.
And then like a day after that, we started to
get a tropical storm from Cuba that came in. So
it was just one of those weeks. But I will
tell you that when I got back on the flight
on Monday, you were looking at every single person so
(21:57):
suspiciously while you were waiting for that plane and then
when we got on the plane, the best thing happened
was a woman pilot, which you know, people were like
at that time, there weren't a lot of women pilot.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Right.
Speaker 5 (22:08):
She came out to the plane, she came out of
her area, and she spoke to all of us and said, listen.
She gave her name, She said, I live on Cape
Cod and I tell you it's a beautiful day to fly,
and I am going to get each and every one
of you home to your families today. And I'm telling
(22:29):
you it just made me brief more relaxed. But I
just loved her. Whoever that pilot was, I.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Think, well, now this is twenty three years later, so
that pilot now is probably a senior pilot, and maybe
she's as retired. But I will bet you that probably
if she was listening tonight, that would be the flight
of her career that she would remember most.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
Because when you.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
Finally got that done, you know, you know, in the
cockpit and you took off, you said, finally I'm back
doing what you know, and you.
Speaker 5 (23:03):
Know, think about it. You're at the airport and all
you're doing is reading newspapers. Was story after story after
story after a sad story and you're getting on a
plane and you were like, oh my, you know, but
for her to come out into the aisles and talk
to all of us was just the best thing. So anyway,
(23:24):
that was my perspective, and so I never forgotten especially today.
Today was a day that really reminded me of the
weather conditions of that day and just the feeling of
what a great day to be alive.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
Absolutely, and thank God, you know you're still alive. And
I'm so gratified that so many of my listeners tonight
have taken the time to call in when I talked.
When I thought today about doing this, I had a
little trepidation. I thought, well, what happens if nobody wants
to recall this. I mean it is obviously. I want
to thank everyone who has called in tonight, particularly you.
(23:58):
That was a great story, Barbara, Thank you so much.
I don't know if you've called before, but I want
you to become a regular caller.
Speaker 5 (24:03):
Okay, I called about three and a half years ago and.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
Cook back a little more frequently than that. I might
not be here in the next three and a half years.
You never know. Thanks Barbara, Sorry, thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
Have agreed you too.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
Okay, good night, all right, we're going to go to
the debate right after the break. We're going to start
off with Joel and Natick, Joe in Boston, Sue and Worcester.
Bring it on, uh And I'm looking for people whose
opinions have been impacted one way or the other. Feel free.
Six one, seven, two, five, four ten thirty one line
there and six one seven, nine three one ten thirty
(24:38):
coming right back on night Side.
It's nice eyes.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Dan, I'm going mazy Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
All right, let's keep it rolling here. We have spent
two hours talking about people's memories of nine to eleven,
two thousand and one. That's twenty twenty three years ago.
I'm gratified that as the number of my listeners who
want to talk about this issue. We will segue at
some point into your comments on what happened last night
(00:29):
in Philadelphia in the debate between former President Trump and
current Vice President Harris. But I promise on something like this,
I never want to turn people away who want to
tell us a story. This is my friend Betty on
the boat. Betty, were you on the boat back twenty
three years ago?
Speaker 3 (00:49):
No.
Speaker 4 (00:50):
I was in my condo in medicine and I had
just gotten up and walked into the dining room and
my late husband was watching the talent vision and I said, George,
haven't you seen enough war movies? He said, Betty, this
isn't walk this is the United States being invaded. I said,
(01:12):
what did you have for breakfast?
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Knowing you as I know you, Betty, I'm not surprised
that that would have been your comment.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
And he said, I think you got to sit down,
young lady, and so I sat down and I said,
what he said, Betty, The United States has been attacked
the world. This is the World Trade Centers in New York.
I said, You've got to be kidding. And we were
in real estate at the time, and we had a
buyer coming up from New Jersey and her brother worked
(01:47):
in the World Trade Center and just as she went
by New York, the building that he was in was
hit and he died.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
You know, those stories are just chilling to think that
people knew that as the towers were hit, or as
the towers came down, that friends, are relatives or family
members were never coming home.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
That's yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Another friend's father ran his limousine build business out of
the base of one of the towers, and his father
had was out on a limo run and if he
hadn't been out on the run, he would have died.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Well, we heard a story last hour from someone who
I think it was Angelo last hour, who talked about
either a friend or a cousin of his who had
walked out of the building, you know, just to go
whatever it was, to go get a coffee or go
get get something to eat and he realized that a
(02:58):
plane had just hit the building. And how world changed,
our whole world.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
How this impacted me is I'm on the harbor and
I see planes taking off twenty four to seven from LONGUS,
and every time one passes over me, I say, may
you be safe?
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Well, thank you because occasionally a little less frequency than
when I worked in television many years ago. But I
just came back from Italy with some nightside listeners. We
had a great trip over there. But every time I
get on an airplane, you realize that you don't have
any control. When you're driving your own car, you have control.
(03:43):
But when you're sitting in an airplane, other people can
act up and do stupid things or dangerous things or
criminal things.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
My attitude is I can't go by boat or car.
I'm not going.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
You're an independent person. I know you well enough that
you will take that as the compliment that it was
intended to be.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
Thank you. I appreciate it. Now I have to go
give my cats some Chuo swords.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Well, thank you very much. Thanks as always, I wish
you'd call more ROP because you're a great caller.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
Thanks, Thanks Betty, thank you, and you take here welcome
back from vacation.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
All right, thanks so much. Let me go to Pete
in New Hampshire. Pete going to get you in here
before they break at eleven fifteen. You were next on
nice sack, go right ahead.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Thanks Dan, Thanks for doing this tonight. So at the time,
I was an airline pilot. I'm not retired, but I
wasn't flying that particular day. But a couple of days
prior to the attack, I flew up. I was based
in Marshall and Bellis and it was a seven twenty
seventh Captain and I flew up over the city. We
were firing airplane actually to Handsome Field because we flew
(04:49):
the Boston College Eagles football team out to San Francisco
for the game. So but in any event, and I
pointed out to one of my new flight attendants, you know,
she said, point out the skyline. I said, this is
a twin towers, this Lady of Liberty, the Empire, State building,
crisis of building, and so forth. And she called me
up after that and said, I can't believe they're gone.
(05:09):
But also the last flight that I worked at the
Keyway Airlines before I went to Transmrinian, there was also
an East. The Airlines pilot, my lead flight attendant, was
a woe by the named Deborah Jacob's Welch. She was
one of the flight attendants on the flight, the United
flight that was forced down the field in Pennsylvania, and
(05:29):
I sent a sympathy card to her husband. It was
about a year later I got a card back and
it said thank you for your kind sympathy and tribute
to the memory of Deborah jacob Welch. And it says,
dear friend, thank you. I'm sure they get tons of cards.
Thank you so much for your loving remembrance of my
dear wife, Debbie. I realized this response is very tabby,
(05:50):
but please know that I was deeply touched by your
care and compassion. I now understand just how fragile our
lives can be. But through the unselfish sacer plight of
Debbie and all who perished, we shall prevail. Debbie taught
me that living each day to the fullest, with the
utmost care and concern for our fellow man, we will
(06:10):
achieve the happiness we pursue, and all of us shall
truly be heroes in the eyes of God. May God
bless you and you're in the grant you peace. Dan. Well,
so that I've kept that because it's very moving, but
it reminds me that just how precious life is. And
I remember just how how people other callers say how
(06:35):
people had flags in the house and people were flying,
people were driving around with flags on their vehicle, in
the back of their truck. And I took for the
airline I was working for at the time, I took
the first flight out after that, and I did a
lot of international flying and for several flights back when
I came back into the US, across the air defense zone,
(06:56):
I had two fighter jets, one on each way, and
that was the standard thing for days after that.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
The protect you or to make sure that you were
acting properly, do you think.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
Yeah, well, well I think that, yeah, to make sure
that I was in a rogue flight because we didn't know.
I mean, when this thing came down, it totally the
air controllers were totally you know, almost in shock with
what was going on, and you know, so it's something
that definitely changed our industry. And I remember thinking life
(07:32):
won't ever be quite the same in the in the
US again after this, And and I was just saying
today I'm actually my budget come in my down and
when I opened the meeting chair the committee, I said,
I'd like to do a little remembrance and people, you know,
be thinking of those that were lost on the twenty
third anniversary here and and I know a lot of
(07:53):
callers have said how we came together as an Americans.
The fact I said this today, you know, we're very
divided is political parties. And I said, my dream is
that we get back to where we can we can
remember that we have more common than we than we
have you know, differences on and I'd like to see
(08:14):
us try to get back to that. So unfortunately a
lot of people I think have forgotten. But it was
truly amazing how people came together and really put the
differences aside and became one people. You know, I don't
remember another time in my lifetime. I'm sixty six that
it was quite that that strong. And my hope is
(08:36):
we can get there again without having another tragedy to
force us to do it that way.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
So well, I almost think that, I almost think that
it is a tragedy that brings us together. I mean,
obviously I'm young enough to remember or old enough to
remember the Kennedy assassination, and there was a feeling of
not only was our president killed, but our country was attacked.
(09:01):
But this was also Look, there were three thousand people
who died that day between the planes and the buildings,
and I think I get it. I know that there
are people out there who feel while you know, we're
being paid back and all of that, but I don't
buy that because I'm not willing. I'm not willing to
concede that what happened that day was just in any
(09:25):
way or for any shape or form. We have a
lot of people in this country who want to look
at the United States as this colonial power, and you'll
hear people use that phrase or we represent Western civilization. Well,
I think that we're not a colonial power. We have
freed more people, we have given more sacrifice in terms
(09:48):
of American soldiers in wars over the years, our own
Civil War to keep our country together, but also War one,
World War World War one, and World War Two, which
we freed Europe and freed Europe a second time. And
I just think that it's not being taught in school anymore,
and people, people are not willing to stand up for
(10:09):
the country. And I know when I argue with friends
of mine, I say, well, you know, what country have
we taken over? And have we invaded?
Speaker 3 (10:16):
What country?
Speaker 1 (10:17):
What country we have? We are we occupying against their will?
Europe wants us there as a protection against Russia. Well,
now Russia, but was the Soviet Union. We're we're defending
Taiwan against China. I'm sick of the people who want
to criticize this country and they want to criticize democratic
(10:38):
presidents and Republican presidents. Are our presidents perfect?
Speaker 3 (10:41):
No?
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Have they made mistakes, yes, But it's the best form
of government off anywhere in the world as far as
I have.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
So, you know, I still think we're you know, with
all the problems we have, we're beacon of freedom in
liberty and where else. You know, I think we're the
best in the world for that. And you know, like
you said, people have kind of west side of that.
They don't know history. We have people coming here that
I think sometimes just for the handouts they can get,
(11:09):
and they don't truly feel what it's like to be
American and and love the country. So that's that's too
bad because I think, you know, if you lose America,
what do you have left, not much, not much right.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
You know, I mean think about it when you really
think about it. And I also think that this plays
into what's going on politically. You know, we're a special
country where people have come that built the country. We're
a capitalist society. There's nothing to be ashamed about with capitalism.
And we have to control the people who are coming
in this country because there are some people who would
(11:48):
come in and do us harm. I want people to
come here. I've talked about this before. We should naturalize
more people every year. We only naturalize less than a
million people a year in a country of thirty million people.
But I want to know who are you, Why are
you coming here? What will you contribute to our society.
I don't need to have you come here if you're
eighty five years old and you just want to come
(12:11):
and collect social security benefits which have never earned. I
just I don't want to make I don't want to
make this political. I really don't want to do that. Peek.
But I think you and I see it the same way.
And we have a lot to we proud of. We
have very little to be ashamed of, and the things
that we could be ashamed of, whether it was America's
original sin of slavery. We have ended that. There's a
(12:32):
lot of countries around the world where slavery still exist.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
To this agorithm, they haven't ended it. So you know,
it's let's look at the good and not dwell on
on the negative all the time. It's easy to be Passimisican.
It's easy to bash the country. But at the end
of the day, I mean, I'm a coase guy, veteran.
I love this country. And I called you before I
was a stay repist six years in New Hampshire. I
(12:56):
called you during that when we overturned our death penalty,
I voted in favor of keeping it, and we had
a conversation about that a few years ago. Now, Sonuna
was a good you know governor. I think it was
the second term.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Yeah, well you're talking about Chris John because I covered
them both. It was great to see Chris used the
Heimlich maneuver the other day to save a guy in
the lobster role eating contest up there. Chris is a
great guy. Chris is a great guy. And put aside
Republican or Democrat, I could vote for him whatever party
(13:33):
he was in.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
Well, I'll tell you tell you an interesting thing. I
actually ran for state Senate two years ago and I
didn't make it to the Farmary, but I also didn't
take any special interest money and I came close. It's
the district that that John Snuna was Senator in the
district that includes Salem, New Hampshire and Tellham and Atkinson
and Plasta. But after I was out, I got friendly
(13:55):
with the Secretary of State Scanlon because I was an
election law committee in my life term in the House,
and so he asked me to come up and do recounts. Now,
an interesting phenomenon. When I was doing recounts, we were
doing state rep races, but you saw the whole ballot.
There were many people Democrats that voted straight Democrat, but
they came over for the Sonuno, and there were many
Republicans that went straight Republicans that came over for Hasn't.
(14:18):
So it's kind of interesting to see that dynamic.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
Yeah, it's it's it's interesting. Maybe some people need to
be in a different party or something.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
I don't know. Hey, I've really enjoyed this call, Pete.
We went a long time. You're the longest caller of
the night. But well worth it. Thank you, my friend.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
Thank thanks Dan.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
Please, Okay, I really enjoyed it. We're the same wavelength. Thanks.
Good night. We're going to take a quick break. We
are going to open this up now if you want
to comment, and by the way, if Barbara wants to
comment to nine to eleven, you're going to be next. Barbara.
Then Joel's going to start us off talking about the debate.
His reaction to the debate is if anyone out there
(14:55):
actually had their mind changed from the debate last night,
I'd love to hear from you, and why, uh, if
if any of you were a Trump supporter or a
Harris supporter and you flipped, or if you were truly undecided,
and now that debate last night has allowed you to
come to a final decision, let's talk about it. And
(15:18):
why was was Donald Trump? So he just seemed to
me last night it was a terrible performance by Donald
Trump and his his handlers, I'm sure were disappointed in
how it went. I think that he he'd better get
(15:39):
his act together if he wants to have any hope
of prevailing in this election. And we can talk about
all of that, but we're going to get to Barbera first,
and then Joel and more calls the only line open
right now, the only lines opener six, one, seven nine
Back on nights Out after this.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
night Side Studios on w BS News Radio.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
Okay, let's go to Barbara in Norton. She wants to
talk about nine to eleven. Garbrea, go right ahead, Hello, Barbara,
how are you tonight?
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Welcome?
Speaker 5 (16:11):
Good than to you, I guess I just wanted to
give you a perspective as someone who was actually flying
in the air on nine to eleven about.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
That's a great perspective. Where were you headed?
Speaker 5 (16:24):
My husband and I had left Providence and we were
headed to Didney World, the happiest place on Earth, and
we were in flight when all this broke loose. We
had no ight. We're in Southwest, so they were all
acting goofy and fun. And then I noticed all the
stewardess is going into the captain's area coming out with
(16:46):
very grim faces and the demeanor just I'm going to
make I'm going.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
To make a wild guests. You landed in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Speaker 5 (16:55):
No, we landed in Jacksonville, whoa very close so we
had looked like at seven point thirty in the morning,
so we were almost at Orlando, and then the pilot
came on and told us that we were All planes
in the air were being required to land immediately at
their nearest location, and for us, that was going to
(17:18):
be Jacksonville. While we were flying, all of a sudden,
I mean, I said to my husband, oh my god,
it's terrorist. But I thought they'd shut down the computer systems.
I don't know why I thought that, Bud, I said
computer because he sounded really nervous about flying. And then
all of a sudden, the plane banked over the ocean
sharp left, and I really lost it, thinking, oh my god,
(17:39):
what's going on?
Speaker 3 (17:40):
But that was.
Speaker 5 (17:41):
Actually Bush was coming out of Florida at the time,
thought later, So they had to get out of the
way of the airspace. And when we landed in Jacksonville,
we had not remember, no cell phoned, no communications back then.
Now you would have known it in two minutes what
was going on. We literally the plane lands in Jacksonville
(18:02):
and the stewardess hands me this return wooden plastic thing
in case we were flying again that afternoon. That's how
nobody knew what was happening. We get off the plane
and I walk into you know, Mayhem with people crying
because they think about that time the second plane had
(18:24):
gone into the building. So you know a lot of
people are in shocked, they're crying. I'm pretty pragmatic, so
I followed other pilots I could see and where they
were headed, because Jacksonville is kind of like Providence, and
from the sides, it was at least to me at
that time. So I went out of the car rentals.
Thought my husband stayed up to call our family because
(18:46):
they thought we'd blown out of Boston, so they were
all armed. I get to the car rentals and they
were putting signs up no car rentals. But I had
the spot in line with the pilots, and someone else
had a reservation from the reserve, and so we shared
a car on the way to Disney. And so he
(19:07):
was getting feedback from New York about people in the
reserve about what was going on, and they were afraid
that Disney was going to be the next target. So
we drove to Disney. Yeah, Disney. In fact, the day
after nine eleven, there were black Hawk helicopters. The entire
(19:27):
day circulating around all of the We were in Hollywood
Studios that day.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
But yeah, so when you so when you got there,
either that day or the next day, Disney was open
for business.
Speaker 5 (19:42):
So when we when we landed, we drove to Orlando
and we're told that Disney was shutting down, closing, and
so we went to like we were at the Swan,
so we were able to walk over to the ESPN
building and watch the tds. But it opened the very
next day, and so we went to Hollywood Studios and that's,
(20:04):
as I said, the Blackhawk helicopters were circulating the whole
Disney premise because they thought it was a target, that
it could be a target. So you know that that was,
you know, kind of an interesting perspective. And obviously we
could not fly out if we wanted to until Monday.
Up there, I think Sunday was the earliest the Orlando
(20:26):
opened back up.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
A lot of it was about it. So let me
ask you this, So did you did Disney under the circumstances? Obviously,
you know, you were almost a captive audience. I mean,
you're in Orlando, what else you want to do of
Disney Universal Studios? But did Disney give you any sort
of a break or did they say, hey, if you've
(20:49):
got our three day cash, you can still stay through
the weekend.
Speaker 5 (20:53):
They took our money, but I do they were very
good to people who they kept the money, but they
were very good to people who were there. There are
a lot of Brits vacation in September at Disney and
they were stuck, and my understanding was that they did
give them free hotel until they could get out. So
(21:13):
there were people and honestly, at Disney the next day,
it's a beautiful day, even with all these helicopters flying
around and kind of like an ear of disbelief. But
I'll tell you everyone was given la palpins to wear
the American flag and people were just so kind, and
the Brits in the you know, foreign visitors were just
(21:37):
so so sympathetic. So it was, you know a different experience.
And then like a day after that, we started to
get a tropical storm from Cuba that came in. So
it was just one of those weeks. But I will
tell you that when I got back on the flight
on Monday, you were looking at every single person so
(21:57):
suspiciously while you were waiting for that plane and then
when we got on the plane, the best thing happened
was a woman pilot, which you know, people were like
at that time, there weren't a lot of women pilot.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Right.
Speaker 5 (22:08):
She came out to the plane, she came out of
her area, and she spoke to all of us and said, listen.
She gave her name, She said, I live on Cape
Cod and I tell you it's a beautiful day to fly,
and I am going to get each and every one
of you home to your families today. And I'm telling
(22:29):
you it just made me brief more relaxed. But I
just loved her. Whoever that pilot was, I.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Think, well, now this is twenty three years later, so
that pilot now is probably a senior pilot, and maybe
she's as retired. But I will bet you that probably
if she was listening tonight, that would be the flight
of her career that she would remember most.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
Because when you.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
Finally got that done, you know, you know, in the
cockpit and you took off, you said, finally I'm back
doing what you know, and you.
Speaker 5 (23:03):
Know, think about it. You're at the airport and all
you're doing is reading newspapers. Was story after story after
story after a sad story and you're getting on a
plane and you were like, oh my, you know, but
for her to come out into the aisles and talk
to all of us was just the best thing. So anyway,
(23:24):
that was my perspective, and so I never forgotten especially today.
Today was a day that really reminded me of the
weather conditions of that day and just the feeling of
what a great day to be alive.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
Absolutely, and thank God, you know you're still alive. And
I'm so gratified that so many of my listeners tonight
have taken the time to call in when I talked.
When I thought today about doing this, I had a
little trepidation. I thought, well, what happens if nobody wants
to recall this. I mean it is obviously. I want
to thank everyone who has called in tonight, particularly you.
(23:58):
That was a great story, Barbara, Thank you so much.
I don't know if you've called before, but I want
you to become a regular caller.
Speaker 5 (24:03):
Okay, I called about three and a half years ago and.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
Cook back a little more frequently than that. I might
not be here in the next three and a half years.
You never know. Thanks Barbara, Sorry, thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
Have agreed you too.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
Okay, good night, all right, we're going to go to
the debate right after the break. We're going to start
off with Joel and Natick, Joe in Boston, Sue and Worcester.
Bring it on, uh And I'm looking for people whose
opinions have been impacted one way or the other. Feel free.
Six one, seven, two, five, four ten thirty one line
there and six one seven, nine three one ten thirty
(24:38):
coming right back on night Side.
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