Spearheading the Reckoning: CIA on 9/11

On the eve of the Revolutionary War, American Founding Father Patrick Henry implored the Patriots with the words, "If we wish to be free… we must fight! " And so we did. This year, as America celebrates the 250th anniversary of our independence, we also commemorate the 25th anniversary of one the greatest challenges our country has faced-terrorism striking our homeland.

Like at Pearl Harbor sixty years earlier, the United States on September 11, 2001 was reminded that attacks can occur out of the blue, on a normal, sunny day. And, yet again, the unshakeable American spirit re-emerged even as smoke rose and the dust settled. With steady determination, we ultimately brought the terror masterminds to justice.

Our Nation must always be on guard, and we must never forget the resolve that brings us together. Ten years ago, CIA created an internal webpage where officers could share memories of 9/11 with each other, to remember and inspire. Here are a few of their personal stories:

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I was an analyst on September 11, 2001; it was my second year at CIA. The next morning, I woke up, and for a brief moment, thought it had been a bad dream. When I got to work, I had never seen the parking lot at Headquarters as full as it was that September 12th. Cars were parked on the grass, on sidewalks, and along fire lanes. Everyone came wanting to get to work and fight back. We were all in shock after the terror attacks. It never slowed any of us down though. It only drove home how important our mission at CIA will always be.

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I was sitting at my desk in the Counterterrorism Center (CTC) on the morning of 9/11. After I heard about a plane hitting the World Trade Center, I ran to the TV and joined several others watching the news coverage. That's when we saw the other tower get hit, and we knew it was terrorism and that the world had just changed. It wasn't long before we heard about the plane hitting the Pentagon and then the plane going down in Pennsylvania. When the evacuation order came down, I watched SPOs [Security Protective Service officers] usher folks in the main hallways out of the building. CTC officers were allowed to stay.

In the hours that followed, our main conference room was transformed into a war room. It was impressive the number of people who kept arriving in CTC to offer their services-senior officers asking, "What can I do?" Besides the shock and tragedy, what I remember most was the spirit of CIA coming together to support each other continue the mission.

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On that day, I watched the planes that flew into the Twin Towers on TV in my office at Headquarters. It was horrific. No one spoke and we felt numb. Then we heard about the plane that crashed into the Pentagon and the possibility of a fourth hijacked plane in the skies. We wondered-could that one be heading to CIA or the U.S. Capitol? The next day I reported to work angry, with a renewed sense of mission. We immediately got busy, specifically conducting pattern-of-life traces on the 19 hijackers. I continued to work counterterrorism and al-Qai'da targets for the next several years.

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I was a 44-year-old "baby boomer" on 9/11, working in CIA's Office of Public Affairs. After we heard about a plane flying into the World Trade Center, my officemates and I crowded around the TV. One tower was on fire and the reporter said a plane just hit the other tower. I was stunned.

The next day, I listened to news radio on the way to work and found myself crying. Even though I knew nobody in the towers, the terrorists struck at all of us. When I got into the office, we discovered over a million emails had come in from the public-offers of help, possible tips, and asking us for solace. All of the messages echoed the same feelings of loss and grasped for direction on what to do next. Those first few days were really hard to get through, but we knew we all had to be strong because the Nation was turning to the Agency for support.

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I remember most how quiet and somber the halls of CIA were that first week after the attack. I didn't hear laughter or see smiles for days; it was our own way of working with all our might and concentration to find the terrorists who did this to our country. I've never been prouder to be a part of the organization than in the first few weeks after 9/11.

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Soon after 9/11, CIA's internal homepage displayed photos of the Pentagon and New York attack sites along with the phrase "Let's Roll," paying homage to the heroes on Flight 93 who used those exact words before standing up to the hijackers. I have taped a copy of that image to my computer monitor every job and office move since 2001. It is taped to my monitor now.