Shortly before 9 a.m., when two hijacked airliners crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, Elizabeth Strickland of Southern Pines was on the job at Southern Pines Primary School, where she teaches. Her husband, Bill, was at home watching the “Today” show.
The Stricklands’ blood ran cold when word of the New York crashes reached them.
Their daughter, Caroline Strickland, had worked for a law firm on the 59th floor of the 110-story Trade Center this summer. She left the firm in early August to return to Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va., for her third year of law school. She took with her the offer of a job with the firm –– Sidley Austin Brown & Wood –– after her graduation and was considering that offer and one from another firm.
The Sidley Austin web site later Tuesday expressed guarded optimism that all of its employees got out of the World Trade Center alive.
“Based on current information, which we must stress is preliminary, we are unaware of any of our personnel who were casualties in this terrible tragedy,” the web site reported.
But the Stricklands didn’t know that Tuesday morning.
“I kind of went into shock when the report came on TV,” said Bill Strickland. “All I could think was, my God, Caroline was there this summer.
“Then I felt kind of guilty because of all the people there, people Caroline had known, and not knowing if they’re dead or alive or trapped in there on the 59th floor.
He said sorrow overcame him as he continued to watch the TV coverage of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.
“After a while, I just sat there and cried,” he said. “It was just so horrific, so surreal.”
Elizabeth Strickland’s initial reaction was similar to her husband’s.
“I had this sense of horror,” she said. “I thought of Caroline having been there until just a few weeks ago. Then I thought of all the people she worked with who were in there.”
Bill Strickland said he supposes it’s still possible that Caroline will go to work for Sidley Austin.
“It’s a huge law firm, and they had offices in New York and other cities around the country,” he said.
Sidley Austin has 750 lawyers and other offices in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Washington, London, Singapore and Tokyo.
The Stricklands had not yet talked to Caroline late Tuesday afternoon. “I called Lexington this morning, but she had just left for class,” Bill Strickland said.
Asked when she would talk with her daughter, Elizabeth Strickland said with urgency, “As soon as I can.”
Phipps, the sister of Aberdeen resident Alice Wolff, landed in Washington only minutes before she and other passengers were hustled out of the terminal “like cattle.” They weren’t even allowed to collect their baggage.
As soon as she stepped outside, she heard a loud “boom,” that reminded her of a bomb going off, and saw black smoke pouring out of the Pentagon building.
There were no taxis, no other transportation. She has rheumatoid arthritis and recently had a knee replaced but she had to walk “for hours,” from about 10 a.m. until shortly after 3 p.m., before she could find a hotel. Phones wren’t working. People working at hotels on the street offered the walking passengers water, but she was worn out when she finally was given a room at a differetn Hyatt Hotel than the one she had planned t stay in.
“I’m glad to be alive,” she said, “but I wish I had my luggage.” Phipps said people were wandering around dazed, in a dream, unable to believe what had happened. Her husband was due to fly home from Denver today but was grounded there in the nationwide airport shutdown ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration.
“I just hope nothing else happens,” she said. Phipps was in Washington to attend an advocacy meeting and lobby Congress for the Arthritis Foundation of Broward County, Fla. She’s on their executive board committee.
Kim Gilley and a group of her friends returned to Moore County 36 hours prior to the World Trade Center disaster. Gilley said Tuesday that they had been to New York on a pleasure trip.
“I remember flying into New York and saying how beautiful Central Park and the Statue of Liberty were,” Gilley said. “Now with all the smoke covering the city and to hear all of this today, it’s surreal.”
Staff Writer Sara Lindau contributed to this report
