SAN ANTONIO — It’s been 23 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but now, two Pentagon survivors are opening up about what they witnessed.
Monica Morris is the Senior Vice Commander at VFW Post 76.
“Most days, it seems very far away and a long time ago,” said Morris. “Other days, like today, it’s difficult. I live in the flight path of the San Antonio Airport. The heavy cargo planes go over my house and it reminds me of the last thing I heard that day.”
The retired U.S Army sergeant was stationed at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.
“I was in the [Army Chief of Staff Operations conference] room with probably 45 other senior enlisted army types,” said Morris. “Right before the plane hit, two of the sergeant majors that I worked with left the room. Unfortunately … or fortunately, they were killed immediately. So, they didn’t suffer like the other people.”
She remembers the sound of the jet engine and being knocked out of her chair.
“People running, people that were bloody and screaming,” said Morris. “They were pulling people out. It didn’t matter what branch; if they were Army or Navy, we were all in this together.”
VFW Post 76 member, Corey Schultz, told KENS 5 she was on the fourth floor when American Airlines Flight 77 flew into the building.
“A colleague and I were going to the Navy Command Center, which was on the second floor,” said Schultz. “As often happens in office buildings, a line of people was pouring into the elevator as we were trying to hurry down the hall. Perhaps they didn’t see us. We got to the elevator after everyone boarded and we could hear the voices going down. My colleague pushed the elevator button, and that’s when the blast came up from the elevator well. The floor shattered, the lights went out and ceiling tiles fell on me. I later found out 54 people had been killed in the Navy Command Center. I was also told the elevator opened on a fireball and the passengers were burned alive. To this day, I sometimes hear their voices.”
64 people aboard the passenger plane and 125 people inside the Pentagon were killed.
Morris was close with three of the victims. She has their names tattooed on her arm.
“I did deploy to Afghanistan in 2004,” said Morris. “I had a lot of hatred in my heart and wanted revenge for the friends that I lost. After being there, I lost that hatred. Seeing how the citizens of that country had to live, that anger went away somehow. We are lucky that we live here and we should remember that every day.”
She wants people to remember what happened on September 11, 2001, but more importantly, Morris is urging San Antonians to remember what happened the next day.
“As Americans, it didn’t matter what color we were, what gender we were, what God we believed in; it didn’t matter at all,” said Morris. “We were Americans. The American flag was flying on every single house. I just wish that we could get that feeling back today.”
Schultz often reflects on the kindness people are capable of.
“People helped each other recover,” said Schultz. “When disaster happens, we should communicate, work together and come together as a community. I’ve been in other disasters like Katrina and the earthquake in Pakistan and people came together there, too. We are all Homo sapiens.”