Lest we forget...

On the day after the 911 10th anniversary, I had a sobering reminder that I do, indeed, live in Arlington. There is a guy here that I've always just thought about as an "Old Coot". He has no teeth and wild hair that sticks out in clumps. I've never really spoken to him except to say, "Hi, Mr.Finch. Glad you are home from the hospital.".

On 9/12, I went in the sitting room here to read the paper, and found Mr. Finch at the table. He had a whole stack of lined white writing paper and was looking at the 911 commemorative issue of the Post. He was writing furiously, and had a small stack of pages of neatly written notes. Always eager to stick my nose where it doesn't belong, I said, "Hi! What are you writing?"

He pushed aside the stack of newspapers about 911 observations and said, "I don't want to ever forget."

I said, "Were you at the Pentagon?"

He said, "I was retired. That plane hit my office. My whole department died." After discussion, he further said, "I lived in a high rise near Watergate, right across the river. I went out on the balcony because I heard the plane coming in so low. And then I saw it fly straight into the Pentagon."

Wow. Sorta brings the whole day back to life, doesn't it?