putt4eagle, thank you for the story. Like so many others it brings back vivid memories of that day....goosebumps for sure. Your writing is special.
I was sitting on an US A320 shuttle flight to BOS at DCA that morning when the flight was pushed back and held on the ramp. Captain comes back and asks some people sitting in the exit row to "look out for things strange". Turns out those people were airline employees on non-rev travel. After the second airplane hit, the flight was cancelled and brought back to the gate and everyone told of unfortunate events and they could get rebooked as soon as we got back in the terminal. I was consulting to the airline then, therefore went to the flightdeck to ask what was up, when talking to the 1st officer, a plume went up to our right.....the Pentagon. At that point, flight crew secured aircraft ASAP and we headed into the DCA C concourse just in time for the fire alarms to start signaling we should evacuate the building. With a plume of smoke, etc. visible up the river we ran down the concourse and out of the terminal. One of the few times I felt pure fear, which doesn't compare to idividuals in flight, in other cities, etc....amazing how that experience affected so many. Strange as hell seeing a mass of people walking up the closed roadways at DCA back to Crystal City to catch the Metro, etc.